La Crosse Tribune,
September 30, 2006 . . .
La Crosse Lawyer Named
Festmaster
By Autumn Grooms
Ted Dewald
scheduled an
appointment.
Lyle Quillin
didn’t. But when
both men took a
seat in Terry
Collins’ office
at Johns,
Flaherty &
Collins in
April, the
La Crosse
attorney was
both intrigued
and a little
worried.
“Wow,” Collins
recalled
thinking, “this
must be some
sort of legal
problem, with a
couple of
festmasters in
here.”
Legal jargon
filled the room
as Collins
fielded
questions from
Dewald and
Quillin.
Then came the
bombshell —
would Collins
serve as the
2006 festmaster?
Collins said it
took months for
the news to
actually sink
in.
“I was thrilled
for Terry,” said
his Frau,
Karolyn Noel
Collins. “It’s
2006
Oktoberfest
Festmaster
Terry
Collins
and
Frau
Karolyn
very
appropriate,
just right for
Terry.”
The formal
announcement was
made Friday
night at the
Festmaster’s
Ball at the La
Crosse Center.
“I didn’t think
the day would
come. It’s still
surreal,”
Collins said.
As Festmaster,
Collins will
represent
Oktoberfest
throughout the
year at parades
and other
events.
This week, there
will be people
to meet, he
said, and kisses
to distribute.
Luckily, his
frau isn’t the
jealous type.
“It’s all part
of it,” she
said. “It’s a
wonderful part
of being
friendly.”
While active in
the community
and a frequent
Oktoberfest
celebrator,
Collins is new
to the
festival’s inner
workings.
He said his
family has long
enjoyed the
Maple Leaf
Parade and
visiting the
North Side
festgrounds for
music after the
Torchlight
Parade. Karolyn
said they’ve
also
participated in
the Oktoberfest
Road Races.
Autumn Grooms
can be reached
at (608)
791-8424 or
agrooms@lacrossetribune.com.
Meet the
Festmaster
Name:
Terry Collins
Age: 59
Hometown:
La Crosse
Family:
Wife, Karolyn
Noel Collins;
daughters, Mary
Beth, Anna and
Julie;
grandchildren,
Peter and
Madeline Collins
Conowall.
Education:
1965 Central
High School
graduate; 1974
University of
Wisconsin-La
Crosse graduate;
and 1977 UW Law
School graduate.
Military
Service:
U.S. Air Force,
1965 to 1969.
Professional
Experience:
Collins, Quillin
& Knothe, Ltd.,
1977 to 2004;
Johns, Flaherty
& Collins, 2004
to present.
Public
Service:
Former Meals on
Wheels board
member; UW-L
Foundation Board
member; legal
counsel to the
UW-L Foundation
Board; UW-L
political
science
instructor; vice
chairman, La
Crosse
Historical
Preservation
Commission;
co-chairman, La
Crosse
Comprehensive
Plan Committee;
Coulee Region
RSVP board
member;
Chancellor’s
Community
Council member;
former president
of La Crosse
County Bar
Association and
bar association
truancy mentor;
volunteer
assistant
baseball coach
at Central High
School
