Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (January 24, 2023) – Just in time for Valentine’s Day! The next presentation of the Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series will be held both in person and online on Thursday, February 2 at 7pm,featuring “Love and Life on the Great Lakes with Mr. and Mrs. Captain” presented by Peggy O’Connell and Captain Raymond Sheldon, Captain of the Joseph L. Block.
On 30 June 2019, Captain Raymond Sheldon married Peggy O’Connell aboard the deck of the M/V Joseph L. Block, and he became the first active captain to get married on a Great Lakes vessel that he was captaining at the time. For most of their first year together, they traveled together aboard the Block. Upon Captain Sheldon’s retirement, Peggy and Ray moved to Sault St. Marie to crew the Original Soo Locks Tours. These are their stories.
Captain Raymond Sheldon had a career as a Great Lakes Captain spanning more than 40 years until his retirement in March of 2021.
Each Fall, Winter and Spring, the Door County Maritime Museum hosts experts and interesting characters from around the country for the Maritime Speaker Series (presented in partnership with series sponsor the Door County Medical Center).
The Maritime Speaker Series offers an assortment of monthly programs – from historical topics to current issues affecting the Great Lakes and the economy that relies on them.
The Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series programs are held the first Thursday of each month, October through May, beginning at 7pm, on the second floor of the Museum in Sturgeon Bay, as well as online. There is no cost to attend; we suggest bringing a donation of a non-perishable food item, or if watching online, we ask you to donate to your local food pantry.
More information, and a link to register for online presentations, is available at www.dcmm.org/maritime-speaker-series.
2022-2023 Speaker Series Lineup
- March 2: Stories of Maritime Mayhem on Milwaukee’s Waterways, presented by Matthew J. Prigge, Wisconsin Historical Society.
- April 6: Captain Dan Seavey: A Pirate Behaving Badly on the Great Lakes, presented by Samantha Engel and Aaron Guylas, historians and creators of Great Lakes Lore Podcast.
- May 4: Between Boats and Brews: Captain Pabst’s Interesting Career Switch in Wisconsin, presented by Dave Fehlauer, President of the Pabst Mansion Volunteer Council.
Additional in-kind support for the Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series is provided by Bridgeport Resort.
For questions about the Maritime Speaker Series, please email Andrea Stromeyer, Educational Programs Coordinator, at astromeyer@dcmm.org.
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