This series, FWP or Famous Wisconsin People, will acknowledge the accomplishments of some well-known (and maybe not so well-known) individuals from our state.
Leslie Lemke is a blind savant (a person of profound or extensive learning) who is most known for his musical talents. At birth on January 31, 1952, Leslie was diagnosed with glaucoma, cerebral palsey and brain damage. His birth mother gave him up for adoption and Mary (May) Lemke, a nurse, adopted him when he was six months old. It took many years of hard work before Leslie was able to do anything on his own. He was 12 years old when he learned to stand and 15 when he began walking.
When Leslie was 16 years old, Mary found him playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 during the middle of the night. He was soon playing any type of music just from hearing it played. By 1980, he was regularly giving concerts in Fond du Lac. His fame brought invitations from TV shows such as CBS's Man Alive, CBS Evening News, 60 minutes and That's Incredible! In 1983 ABC broadcast The Woman Who Willed a Miracle, a drama about Leslie and his adoptive mother. To learn more about this amazing man, please view the video here.
The cache is not listed at the given coordinates. In honor of Leslie and his hard work and talents, the cache can be found at:
You are searching for a small container placed in honor of Leslie Lemke’s accomplishments.
Please follow parking signs. Do not enter from and keep off of private property and/or business property in the area. Parking may be limited in the evenings that there are baseball games, so plan accordingly. Park is open dawn til 10 pm. As always, treat the parks with respect. Be aware of muggles and replace cache so that it is not visible to others. Permission to place this cache was given by Brian Russart; Permit #177. Thanks!
This cache was placed by a member of:
