Ellsworth woman a finalist for Packer Fan Hall of Fame, and she needs votes to get there!

Staff Report

Lots of people in these parts are crazy about their Green Bay Packers, but none of them more so than Jeanne Beardsley of Ellsworth.

Beardsley was nominated by friends and named a finalist for inclusion in the Packer Fan Hall of Fame.

'I'm honored to be a finalist for the hall of fame. It's been a privilege to be fan of the Green Bay Packers for 60-plus years and watch some of the greatest players in football,” said Beardsley. “Our Packers are family-oriented and donate their time and money to many charities. Win or lose the Green Bay Packers will always be my team!'

Ten finalists have been named in the search for the 23rd member of the Packers FAN Hall of Fame, and voting started this week for fans to make the selection.

The first professional football team to have a hall of fame, the Green Bay Packers enhanced that distinction in 1998 by establishing a Packers FAN Hall of Fame. It was founded for the purpose of annually honoring a devout and longtime Packers fan.

Packers fans were asked to nominate themselves or a friend for the honor with an essay of 500 words or less, accompanied by a photo, explaining why he or she should be recognized. From those nominations, 10 finalists were selected by the Packers FAN Hall of Fame selection committee.

Along with Beardsley, they are:

•Jane Rietmann – Merrimac, Wis.

•Fred Ihlenfeldt Sr. – Kewaunee, Wis.

•Jeff Padon – Severn, Md.

•Ken Trinkner – De Pere, Wis.

•Leo DeGroot – West Bend, Wis. Superfan

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•Patrick (Pat) Suplicki — Stevens Point, Wis.

•Bob Parker – Green Bay, Wis.

•Gene C. Lasch – Shawano, Wis.

•George Oudhuis – Rolling Prairie, Ind.

Fans can read the finalists’ profiles and vote online by visiting packers, com/fhof. The winner will be selected by three different groups of people: Packers fans, previous FAN Flail of Fame honorees and the Packers’ capital The voting deadline is midnight, Jan. 31, 2021. Voters will be entered into a random drawing to win Packers merchandise.

The honoree’s selection will be announced in late winter 2021. Fie or she will receive four club seats to a 2021 Packers home game; a $500 Packers Pro Shop gift certificate; a road trip for two to a 2021 Packers away game, including game tickets, air fare and hotel accommodations, and a one-year subscription to Packer Plus.

The honoree also will have his or her name added to the list of FAN Flail of Fame honorees recognized in the Packers Hall of Fame.

Make sure you hit that website and vote for Jeanne!

Flere’s the essay that landed Beardsley the spot as a finalist.

“Bom and raised in Milwaukee, Jeanne has resided in Wisconsin her whole life. She truly is a cheesehead at heart. She currently lives in Ellsworth, Wisconsin, the cheese curd capital, and to say the least Jeanne is a Packers icon in her town. On away games you can hear her cheering and yelling at the TV throughout the whole establishment. Everyone knows Jeanne and her famous deviled eggs she brings to the potluck. On home games, even though she is not a season ticket holder, that doesn’t deter Jeanne and her friends from making the trek all the way across the state to be a part of the Lambeau legacy in Green Bay. She absolutely loves tailgating, beer and brats, and meeting all the other crazy fans. She enjoys the atmosphere, comradery, and universal love of the Packers. Crazy is in her genes and she has no problem fitting in. On game days she often dyes her hair half green and half yellow. You can count on her to wear one of her numerous Packers jerseys along with a funky hat, scarf, beads, buttons, green and gold nail polish, and any other accessories. She goes all out! Everything she owns is Packers! In 1997 for the Super Bowl Parade, she even went as far as painting a G and a B on each cheek of her bum. Thankfully not too many people saw that. The same day she had the crowd doing the Y.M.C.A in the street while waiting for the parade buses to pass. She has an electrifying personality that radiates onto others as she passes by. With Jeanne’s carefree, easy-going, fun loving attitude she’s a sure crowd leader and pleaser. Jeanne wants everyone to have as much fun as she does. When Jeanne’s in the house, you know it. She makes sure to include all the fans and can easily rally them into chanting “Go Pack Go”, first down, doing the wave, or dancing. Jeanne is simply an unforgettable Packers fan. Overall, she just really enjoys anything Packers. Whether it’s watching practice, going to benefits to bid on Packers items, decking herself out in Packers apparel, going to live Packers shows or attending meet and greets. One way or another you can always find Jeanne there supporting her team. Jeanne is not just some old Packers fan though; she can talk knowledgeable football. Enough so that on some game days she suggests that she should be the coach. There are many more stories about Jeanne’s love and diehard devotedness to the Packers. With Packers enthusiasm like no other, Jeanne Beardsley should become the next fanatic inducted in the Packers Hall of Fame.”

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