Peter J. Talen
Peter Talen attended the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse as a Theatre Arts major and performed in numerous plays and musicals. He took a semester off the sophomore year to form a band and compose music. Upon his return to La Crosse, he continued pursuing his love of theatre. In the spring of 2007, he journeyed to Canon City, Colorado to perform at Buckskin Joe, a wild west town, re-enacting old west scenes. He had just returned from Colorado and decided to re-enroll for the spring semester at La Crosse to continue and eventually complete his undergraduate degree.
Peter died in a tragic house fire in November 2007 near the UW-Madison campus while visiting his younger brother, Andy, a UW student.
Peter was born August 24, 1984 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; a son of Tim and Patty Kaperak Talen.Peter attended Kohler Elementary School through grade four. Moving to Plymouth, WI, he attended St. John the Baptist School through eighth grade. He graduated from Plymouth High School in 2003.
Peter loved the outdoors with a passion. He was a 4-H member from kindergarten through high school, participating in music and drama and was a 4-H camp counselor. He performed as a juggler with his brothers and friend as Spongie & Doil, the Cosmic Brothers, and eventually the Squirrel Dodgers. In school, he was a two-year soccer player and member of the boys swim team. He performed in one-act plays, fall plays, the school musicals, band, and choir. He loved music, sang, played the trumpet and guitar, and spent hours on the keyboard composing and mixing music. He recorded CD’s and truly wished to continue pursuing music. Peter was a loving, compassionate and sensitive young man with a gift to make people laugh.
Peter is survived by his loving parents Tim and Patty Talen of Plymouth; his very close and loving siblings: Andrew, Luke, and a special sister, Jenny.
Impact
By KJ Lang / La Crosse Tribune Aug 21, 2009
Patty Talen said she’ll never get over the loss of her son, Peter, but it is comforting to know good things have come from his tragic death in November 2007. In memory of Peter Talen, you’ll find scholarships and smoke alarm ordinances, educational videos and fire prevention events. People who cared about Peter created them.
“In some ways it is like paying it forward,” said Patty. "There are no words that they can say, or words that I would be able to say to them, but, you can do something.
Peter Talen, a former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student, died in a house fire near the UW-Madison campus while visiting his younger brother, Andy, a UW student.
The incident gave rise to the Peter Talen Smoke Alarm Ordinance in Madison that went into effect Saturday. The home Peter died in had multiple disabled smoke alarms. This new ordinance tightened up smoke alarm requirements for all apartment buildings and rental properties.
Peter’s family spoke to the Madison City Council when support swelled for a better smoke alarm ordinance in 2007, and they were back again to speak when it unanimously passed in March 2009, Patty said. “In some ways we became the face of it simply because we didn’t want anyone to go through what we did,” she said. “If it can save one life, it is worth doing it.”
Peter’s name is on more that just the ordinance. UW-L now has a Peter J. Talen Memorial Scholarship that gives $1,000 to incoming freshmen who want to be theater majors. The scholarship, already awarded to two students, will last for 23 years, the age Peter was when he died, said Patty. Peter also was active in 4-H, so an endowment has been established for 4-H arts programs. Some at UW-L’s Theater Department, where Peter contributed so much of his acting talent, put their heads together to create the video that will serve as a fire education tool for students, said Mary Leonard, UW-L theater faculty member. They’ve interviewed Peter’s friends and family who survived the Madison fire, as well as the Madison Fire Department. The hope is to tell a personal story that could be used at student orientation or sent to other colleges and universities to spread the message, said Leonard. “This is about remembering Peter. In Peter’s name, let’s get out there and make people aware so no one else has to lose their son or daughter or sister or brother or friend,” she said. The goal is to have the video done in September, but it may be later, said Leonard.
What is amazing to me is the number of people that do things in honor of our son because they care so much," she said.
The City of Madison Common Council unanimously passed a new smoke alarm ordinance in March 2009. The ordinance was named in memory of Peter Talen. Peter was 23 when he died in a fire at 123 North Bedford on November 18, 2007. There was only one working smoke alarm in the two-story house. He was one of 5 people to die in fires in Madison that year. Peter had been a student at UW-La Crosse. He was visiting his brother, a UW-Madison student, for the weekend. Peter’s family and friends have worked tirelessly to advocate for fire safety and increase public awareness of the importance of working smoke alarms.
Peter’s Story is part of their effort to remember Peter, and reach out to young people with lessons learned from their experience. This program was written and directed by James A. Jorstad, and produced by Academic Technology Services. Peter’s story can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKsNxCKOFeQ