Ellen Sendelbach (Mrs. Onalaska - WISCONSIN)

Hi, I am Ellen C. Sendelbach, and I am Mrs. Onalaska. My husband Mark and I have been married for over 18 years and live in the awesome river city of Onalaska. (Affectionately referred to as a suburb of La Crosse) We both have siblings that will be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversaries this summer, so when I say that we have been married for 18 years it feels like we are newlyweds and just starting out our lives together! We both come from farming backgrounds. Mark was raised in central Iowa and I was raised on our family farm on the edge of the Mississippi River Valley. As I say, “every day on the farm we had 3 choices,… you could a) work, b) work or c) work! But working with our family businesses and family members makes us who we are today! Between our 2 families, Mark and I are the VERY PROUD aunt and uncle to 17 nieces and nephews as well as 1 great nephew, Jackson, and 2 great nieces, Madyson and Kylie. ( You will hear me talk about “the kids” a lot!!)

I work as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines and I am based in Minneapolis/St. Paul. I love working in an environment where each day is different, my office continually has a different view and I am exposed to so many walks of life; all while performing my safety and security duties. Some flight attendants have found our annual recurrent training/testing daunting but I find it a perfect fit for my personality. I love the challenge of being put on the spot and “testing out” on our aircraft and emergency management procedures. The review reinforces my love for a program that I founded called Aviation Knowledge.

Aviation Knowledge is a program that educates the public on cabin safety. Unfortunately this basic information is not something that people hear or discuss on a regular basis and knowing about it is as important as knowing how to budget your finances. My program offers a fun presentation on the importance of cabin safety and why there are rules and regulations in place for our safety. The bulk of my audiences members are Girl Scout Troops but the parents and other civic groups enjoy it as well.

On the flip side of working in corporate business, I have a strong creative side which led me to starting my business E Designs, LLC. This company handles my jewelry line named “by Ellen Clare.” It’s a great outlet for exercising my artistic abilities and it gives me the challenge of continually flexing my brain on marketing and finances. Last year I designed a bracelet that denotes our country’s patriotism and honors our troops. I sell this bracelet as a fundraiser for the Coulee Region Chapter of Operation Homefront. I also use my jewelry line for fundraisers for school libraries and local charitable organizations.

Our favorite charity is the Casa Hogar Orphanage and Medical Mission located in Lurin, Peru. This charity is literally a family event for us. All of my siblings, nieces and nephews, and my mother participate in working, collecting, and transporting donated medical and living supplies. We also sponsor children at the orphanage. My trip to Lurin was the BEST trip I have ever been on! I worked long hours every day with the Eye Team and it was worth every ounce of energy! And, there is nothing like waking up every morning to 96 vivacious, happy and beautiful children! What a treat!

I have always been surrounded by a positive image of pageantry so I am thrilled to be able to step out from behind the scenes (of production work) and compete in front of the judges. No matter where I travel, I still believe that I live in the most beautiful area of the world and I would love to represent Wisconsin in the Mrs. America Pageant!