The Hometown Heritage at the Carnegie Library honored a special individual with a ceremony on Wednesday on Soumas Court. 

Lee Wiese was the 2023 inductee into the Wall of Witnesses in Soumas Court for his influence on many lives in the Perry community by establishing the Wiese Foundation in 1976. Wiese died in 1984. He was one of the most significant philanthropists to reside out of the City of Perry. Many places hold Wiese’s name, such as Wiese Park and the building that the Perry Public Library is in is the Wiese Building. President of Hometown Heritage Bill Carr said that Wiese was nominated after meeting a criteria of making an impact on Perry and having an interesting. 

“So this is a way that we can give back to Perry and encourage people in Perry to do the same for their community, to put that, you know, their love, their heart, love back into the community that they live in.”

Mike Likteig worked for Weise for nine years as his financial advisor. Likteig praised Weise as a generous man but tough to work for at times. 

“I think people know that they were just a very generous couple and this is what they wanted. They wanted these things to live on and he wanted his name on things here, like the park and the library and so on. And I’m sure he’s smiling today.”

The Hometown Heritage committee reviewed all nominations and selected the Perry resident that best reflected the nomination criteria.