John Paters, Kathleen Mielke named St. Pat’s royalty
By Scott Bellile
The 2019 New Dublin Irish Man and Irish Rose may look – and sound – familiar to many area residents.
Local musicians John Paters and Kathleen Mielke are the Irish royalty this year for New London’s St. Patrick’s week festivities.
The two friends grew up in Manawa together and, now living in New London, perform together at local events including the annual Irish Entertainment Night program.
“We just are so happy that we’ve got these two, and they play so well together,” Judy McDaniel of the Shamrock Club of New Dublin said. “She plays the keyboard and John sings. And of course one of the favorite songs that we always have to hear from him is ‘Danny Boy.’ That’s something that always brings tears to our eyes.”
Kathleen Mielke
The daughter of Clifford and Irene (Duffy) Roman, Mielke was born and raised on her family farm in Royalton. She attended high school in Manawa and moved to New London as an adult.
She worked at New London Family Medical Center for 49 years, working her way up from admissions to director of health information.
All five of Mielke’s children were born there: Mark, Jay (both now deceased), Cheryl Schmidt, Dave Mielke and Mary Salerno.
Mielke’s late husband William operated Mielke Auto Shop next to Bucky’s Restaurant.
In the middle of her career, Mielke pursued a sociology degree at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. As an older woman she was the rare nontraditional student on campus, she said.
“I learned so much more because I was there to study, and the kids weren’t,” Mielke said. “And then when we’d write tests in the auditorium, they’d all sit as close to me as they could, and I kept covering my paper.”
Both sides of Mielke’s family, the Romans and the Duffys, descend from County Tipperary, Ireland. The Duffy side celebrated its heritage while Mielke grew up.
“When they got together and came to visit, it was so Irish,” Mielke said. “They didn’t speak with brogue, but they put on brogue when they talked. And they danced the Irish lilt, and my family was always Irish. So that’s why I grew up loving the Irish things.”
John Paters
Paters, the son of Theodore and Marian (Christian) Paters, was born in Marion. He grew up in Manawa and went to school there.
His mother was English, Scottish and Irish. His father grew up in the Netherlands.
“He was full-blooded Dutchman,” Paters said. “He was in the queen’s guard when he was a young man in Holland. And him and another fellow used to go to Ireland and bring back five, six horses for the guard, and then they would break the horses in. And he had [gotten] busted up a few times and broke a few bones.”
Theodore learned the craft of baking in the Netherlands before immigrating to the U.S. with his brother Peter. Theodore operated a bakery while Paters was growing up.
Paters married the late Donna Lamkins and had five children: Michael, Pamela, Sue Muskevitsch, Catherine Wallace and Laura Paters.
He worked at Borden’s in New London for many years. Later in his career, a serious car crash affected his vision and his work at Borden’s, but not his musical abilities.
Both have long musical histories
Paters was told he got his musical abilities from his grandfather, a fiddle player who died in his 20s.
Paters sang soprano in the church choir as a child and learned the Tonette in grade school.
“I might have been singing when I was in the crib for all I know because I started when I was awful young,” he said.
“And then when I was in the sixth grade, I started playing trumpet because my brother brought a horn back home and I liked the sound of it so much that I was kind of sneaking it away from him when I definitely got a chance,” Paters said.
In high school, Paters and his friends formed a band called the Polka Aces.
Later in life, he sang and played trumpet for various orchestras and dance bands, often spontaneously leaping on stage when a band he was watching would ask him to come sing. Paters continues to play trumpet at military funerals.
As for Mielke, she said she got her musical abilities from her mother.
“I can remember her singing in the choir and holding me in her arms when I was a baby,” Mielke said.
Mielke’s father bought her a piano when she was 5.
“His biggest ambition for me was to play in church,” she said.
In high school, she sang soprano and played oboe, taking lunch breaks to practice on the Rev. Norbert Rank’s organ at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
“I would give up my noon hours, walk up there and he’d say just to come in,” Mielke said. “And I never saw him unless I played something wrong.”
Mielke fulfilled her father’s dream, now playing piano for masses at Most Precious Blood, St. Joseph Residence and occasionally St. Patrick’s.
She and Paters frequently perform together at weddings and funerals.
She recalls when she grew up with Paters, “Everyone thought he’d lose that beautiful voice when he matured. But he didn’t. He’s still got a beautiful voice.”
The duo’s talents will again be on display at Irish Entertainment Night Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. at New London High School, 1700 Klatt Road.
They will also lead the Grand Parade Saturday, March 23. That starts at 1 p.m.