September 2018

All are invited to the annual service of the historic First Lutheran Church, located at the corner of Old Sauk and Pleasant View Roads scheduled for Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. Pastor Doug Locken, Peace Lutheran Church of Waunakee will lead the service.  A memorial service is held each year in memory of the religious faith of the early farm families who immigrated to the area between 1840-50 and made Middleton their home.

The old white church, known when it was built as “the big white church on the hillside” was erected in 1866. It replaced a log chapel built by early German immigrants in 1854 to the north on Pleasant View Road where an old cemetery still sits on the hillside.  The current building was abandoned in 1947 after many of the congregation chose services at the new St. Luke's in Middleton. It sat empty and derelict until the Lutheran synod gave it to the community in the 1970's and was restored through local effort.  It now serves the area as a historic site. 

On one side, there was shock, disbelief, and disappointment.

On the other side, there was sheer jubilation.

The emotions were on full display moments after Middleton’s football team suffered a heartbreaking 30-27 loss to Madison Memorial on the final play of their Big Eight Conference game at Breitenbach Stadium last Friday night.

The Cardinals were clinging to a 27-24 lead with only 9 seconds remaining when Spartans junior quarterback Jason Ceniti took a snap on a third-and-10 play from the Middleton 27-yard-line. Ceniti dropped back and, just before getting hit, heaved a high, arcing pass into the end zone where the ball disappeared into a pack of players.

As the entire stadium went silent, Memorial tight end Dryden Schaefer somehow emerged with the ball setting off a huge celebration by the Spartans.

The gang is slowly being reassembled.

And when that group is fully restored, look out.

Middleton’s boys’ cross country team had most of its top runners in action at the Hartland Arrowhead Invite on Sept. 6. And in an event that featured five of the top eight teams in the state, Middleton ran away with the title.

The Cardinals finished with 68 points to easily outdistance runner-up Germantown (102). Arrowhead (120), Mukwonago (141) and Oconomowoc (167) rounded out the top five.

“The boys ran well and I know most were hoping for a better result,” Middleton coach Brian Finnel said. “We weren't going in very fresh and that’s okay. I thought it was a solid start.”

The Cardinals sat most of their top runners at the Verona Invite on Sept. 1. This time, Middleton rested standout Caleb Easton and Roman Ystenes battled through a hip injury.

But the Cardinals brought the rest of their heavy hitters to Hartland and ruled the day.