Grants totaling $210,000 from cheese factory fund support four New London-Fremont area nonprofits

The sale of a cheese factory and the generosity of its late owner will provide $100,000 for a new addition at the Weyauwega Library. The grant is spread out over three years with $50,000 to be awarded in 2023 and $25,000 in 2024 and 2025.

Weyauwega Library

The grant for the library is part of $210,000 awarded to support four nonprofit projects serving the people of New London, Fremont, and surrounding areas.

Fremont Historical Society

In addition to the library, the Marilynn W. Taylor/Wohlt Cheese Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region also awarded grants to these charitable organizations:

• Mosquito Hill Nature Center, $50,000 over two years to support its capital campaign. Mosquito Hill is replacing its indoor educational displays to better connect visitors with the world around them.
• The New London Community Fund, a challenge grant of $40,000 to inspire generous community members to contribute to the New London Community Fund over the next two years. In January 2022, it was announced that a group of community members launched the New London Community Fund, a permanent endowment fund within the Community Foundation to support community needs in New London in perpetuity
• Fremont Area Historical Society, $20,000 to help renovate the Fremont Area Historical Museum as well as updating technology and catching up on delayed maintenance projects. The museum originally was a one-room schoolhouse, where Taylor attended school.

Taylor owned and operated Wohlt Creamery in New London. Upon her death in 2017, her estate made the gift of the operating business to establish a charitable endowment fund at the Community Foundation.

Marilynn Taylor, Weyauwega Class of 1963, and her obituary photo

The Community Foundation and estate administrators found a buyer interested in purchasing the business and its real estate assets to keep the business that employed 60 people intact in August of 2018.

The Marilynn W. Taylor/Wohlt Cheese Fund is a permanent endowment fund that provides support in the New London and Fremont area in addition to the scholarship support provided for students to attend Lawrence University, Wohlt’s alma mater.