Werner and Sue Krause grew up in Milwaukee the children of immigrants. After college (both of them the first in their family to graduate from high school, much less college and masters programs) they were married and remained so for 63 years until Sue's death in July of 2021.
Werner and Sue both started out in life with very little means. In addition to family financial insecurity, they each dealt with trauma in their childhood that was rooted in mental health issues. They saw, first hand, what unaddressed mental health issues can do to a family.
Werner worked his way through college at a grocery store making .85 cents an hour. Eventually Sue and Werner each owned their own companies. They maintained their integrity, raised three independent children, who now have lives and children of their own, and they had a lot of fun doing it. Their brightest moments were their camping and sailing trips to Door County which they eventually made their home.
Their hard work and determination paid off. But when Sue passed away, Werner had to face his own mental health challenges. Werner and Sue had become accustomed to Door County Medical Center's (DCMC) facilities and resources when Sue had fallen ill and could no longer be transported to Milwaukee. After Sue's death, Werner needed a different kind of support and leaned on the resources at the DCMC Behavioral Health Clinic to get himself back on his feet.
Now, Werner and his family are determined to use all their resources to support valuable efforts and the DCMC Foundation Behavioral Health Campaign is at the top of Werner's list.
"As a society, we have not treated mental illness as seriously as we should. We don't treat it like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc., but it's just as serious. It's much harder to treat - there's no magic vaccine, medicine or surgery that can make it go away.
"Door County Medical Center has a plan in place and I want to support it. We have to stop talking about it. It's time to start doing something about it," says Werner.
The Challenge
Werner is challenging the community to match his $1 million dollar gift over the next five years. In order for this $1 million dollar gift from Werner Krause to reach the campaign fund, an additional $1 million dollars must be raised before the end of 2028.
Are you ready to meet the challenge? Mental health is health and this community is suffering. Now is the time to take action. Contribute to the DCMC Foundation Behavioral Health Campaign today. Help us meet our goal.