When her husband, Mike Spencer, could not legally run again for Sauk County Sheriff, Dolly Spencer threw her hat in the ring and was elected as Sauk County’s first female sheriff. Both Mike and Dolly made sure voters knew that Mike would continue his duties while Dolly held the title. The time was the 1960s when county government was smaller and a bit more relaxed, but things would become very tense in August of 1961 when County Traffic Officer James Jantz was shot dead and Police Chief Bob Kohl was wounded in Lake Delton by three men pulled over in their car. The ensuing “Man Hunt of ‘61” was just one of the episodes that Sheriff Dolly Spencer experienced while living in Sauk County’s old red brick castle-looking jail. More of Dolly’s life will be told about by her children Diane and Terry at a presentation on May 10, 2012 at 7 p.m. at the Sauk County Historical Museum. Open to the public, free of charge.
