“Norma & Bob Schaub were two highly organized A+++ personalities who tried their best to organize one another and the rest of us with mixed results. This was a second marriage for them both…focused on fun, family, and new adventures. They each had separate and strong connections to the island which they serendipitously discovered one evening over dinner in the early days of their life together…the rest is history. Bob’s family has been coming continuously since the early 1900s, he spent early childhood summers with cousins under the watchful eye of a patient and adoring aunt. Norma first came as a widow to attend a wildflower photography course at the Chateau Madeline. They originally purchased a tract of north end woods intending to build a summer home but those plans changed when the owners of the house on an adjacent property contacted them explaining they had decided they were aging out and would be happy to show the house if that was of any interest. The house was love at first sight and, in keeping with their personalities, they decided to keep the adjacent woods & eventually bought a little more. They named the house Island’s End and summered there for 30+ years. She loved the island and he loved to show it off to people he deemed worthy. For years the happiest day on the calendar was marked “Leave For Island”. Meticulous record keepers, they were always certain to stay just shy of six months each year to avoid being considered Wisconsin residents. They were most relaxed on Madeline Island although their schedules often looked anything but relaxed. Originally there were weekly trips to Minneapolis for groceries and hair appointments, later shifting to Duluth, ultimately ending with Ashland. They were international competitive ballroom dancers and music enthusiasts - Bob could often be found “practicing” down the center of School House Road wearing his walkman totally unfazed by the occasional surprised drivers who all managed to avoid hitting him. There were numerous concert/dinner parties during the era of the Clubhouse restaurant on the golf course showcasing headline performers.

Borrowing a lovely concept from the great nature writer Sig Olson…that corner of the island became our “Listening Point” where we stayed in touch with the aspects of life that mattered. As time and declining health took its toll, Mother once confided to me that her doctors urged her to visualize a peaceful image to help endure yet another CAT scan…she said, “Of course, I recall the view of the lake from Island’s End.” We buried their ashes in August of 2016 on what would have been their 38th anniversary in the Greenwood Cemetery on Middle Road under a boulder from the island in a spot where they get late afternoon sun. Donating this land to the Wilderness Preserve seems like a fitting tribute to Mother & Bob as they were instrumental in getting the organization started with numerous gifts and a challenge grant in the critical early years. Thankfully, my siblings agreed with the suggested name, Island’s End Forest, we all sincerely hope this gift will continue to provide peace and tranquility in perpetuity at the far north end.”