The Marilynn W. Taylor/Wohlt Cheese Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region recently awarded grants totaling $180,500 to the Friends of New London Public Museum for its expansion to support a part-time Executive Director; Weyauwega Area Historical Society for their historical silo mural painting; Boys and Girls Club of the Fox Valley Center for Grieving Children for school-based support groups and training; City of New London to support streetscaping enhancements as part of their downtown revitalization; and the Fremont Wolf River EMS for a power load for one of their ambulances to help prevent EMT back injuries. 

Weyauwega Area Historical Society’s historical silo mural painting

The Marilynn W. Taylor/Wohlt Cheese Fund is a permanent endowment fund that provides support for the purpose of fulfilling community needs and benefiting the residents of New London, the Village of Fremont, and nearby townships in addition to scholarships provided for students to attend Lawrence University, Wohlt’s alma mater.  

Marilynn spent most of her life in Fremont, Wisconsin where her parents, Edwin and Sarah Wohlt founded the cheese company in 1941. Marilynn took over the business in 1999 and successfully ran the creamery for 16 years. She was a hands-on owner who ran her business independently doing many administrative and leadership duties herself. She considered her employees to be like family. Upon her death in February 2017, the Wohlt Creamery LLC was left in the care of her estate representative and the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. As a top priority to find a buyer willing to keep the business that employed 70 people intact, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery purchased the business, retained all employees, and enhanced the things Marilynn valued.  

Wohlt Creamery

As stewards of this gift our role at the Community Foundation was not only to do the right thing by her employees, but also to take special care to ensure her gift would benefit the areas Marilynn cared most about. The Marilynn W. Taylor/Wohlt Cheese Fund within the Community Foundation is an endowment that will award grants forever to reflect Taylor’s charitable interests. If you would like to learn more about leaving your legacy, visit Ways to Give Later – Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.