Forget Raymond, Everybody Loves Sheila


 

WINSTED — Most residents of Winchester have ventured into Town Hall on at least one occasion and the majority have found the answers they desire in the town clerk’s office.

Shelia Sedlack has been the town clerk of Winsted since 1999 and was elected for another two-year term last month. Prior to becoming town clerk, she served as assistant to Town Clerk Bill Riiska for six years and worked in the banking industry for 22 years.

Sedlack, while known primarily for her profession, has many different roles.

First and foremost, Sedlack is a devoted mother and wife.

Shelia (Dings) Sedlack has been a lifelong resident of Winsted, as were both her parents and all four of her grandparents. She attended The Gilbert School, where she met her high school sweetheart, Steven Sedlack.

In 1965, Steve and Shelia married and had two children, Allen and Shari. Forty-two years later, they are enjoying four grandchildren, Morgan, Cameron, Julia and Lauren.

Sedlack said there is more to the role of town clerk than filing paperwork.

"A lot of what I do here is focused on community and helping," she said.

Aside from answering questions on a daily basis, ranging from hours of local businesses to the process of acquiring a marriage license, Sedlack is committed to the community.

She has helped citizens in the middle of the night locate documents needed for crucial business and personal matters and helped families in need in the community by donating time and money. She is always willing to drop what she is doing to answer questions, and does it with a genuine smile.

Her passion in life, aside from her family, is the history of Winsted.

"I find it fascinating, history going back to the 1800s when the settlers first started in Winchester Center for ecclesiastical purposes. This is how Winsted came about."

Serving as the town clerk, Sedlack has had the opportunity to research the town history and has played an important role in restoring old records of the town — pieces of history that would have been lost forever, had it not been for her hard work.

When Sedlack is not working and spending time with her family, she spends a great deal of time working with the Soldier’s Monument Commission, State Elections Enforcement Commission, Vitals Commission and conducting research as a registered genealogist.

Sedlack said she is proud of the work she does every day and that she enjoys working with the community. This may be what makes her such a popular town clerk, as she is consistently re-elected to the post.

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