The “Book of Memory” was purchased in 1969 at a cost of $546.90. Joseph and Mary Alice Shifter family of La Crosse, Wisconsin donated $425 as a memorial to their 11 year old daughter Marguerite Ella, who drowned after wading into the La Crosse River and getting swept away by the current. It was put on display at the 1969 WNFA fall rally at Riverside Jr. High School in Watertown. A stand was made for the book by a mister Kroening.
Chicago artist George Baer (brother of Martin Baer) created the large volume book which is covered in naturally tanned calf skin with wheat, corn and oat stalks tooled into it. The paper in the book was handmade special order in England. Pages listing annual contributors and their monetary contributions were printed in a calligraphic style called “medieval denny”.
Every donor and donation down to the dollar and cent given to the Trautmann-Lee fund was documented in this book until 1998. The Trautmann-Lee Wisconsin Natural Foods Fund’s Book of Memory serves as a memorial to all those members who desired to improve the health and lives of future generations.