Looking Back: 8-23-23

130 Years Ago

August 19, 1893

At the close of Sunday school at the Baptist Church Sunday, Supt. J. W. Beers was given a surprise by the school which presented him with a gold medal. Last Sunday completed his 25th year as superintendent and the medal was given in honor of that occasion. The presentation was made by Mrs. Jessie Stuckey.

Baldy's Babes went to Strawn on Tuesday and engaged in a game of ball with the Giants of Fayette Township. The inquest showed 23 dead for Strawn and 13 for the Babes.

Sunday morning and evening, Mrs. Williams preached at the church to crowded houses. At the close of the morning sermon fifteen were baptized by sprinkling. In the afternoon five were immersed in the creek.

120 Years Ago

August 21, 1903

Rev. C. S. Davies left Monday for Wenona Lake, Ind., where he will attend the National Bible Conference. He will deliver an address at the conference.

George Sype had the misfortune to get his arm broken in a runaway Tuesday. The horse broke away from the buggy and pulled George over the dash board.

Frank Corkhill is at the Leroy Fair this week with his fine herd of Polled Angus cattle. He will go from there to Saybrook and then attend the fair at Fairbury.

John Burkhart left on Monday for Remington, Ind., and will plaster the new German Church in that city.

110 Years Ago

August 22, 1913

Isaac Walton, of the firm of Walton Bros., died in his hotel room Monday in St. Louis, Mo., following a stroke. He had been to Stuttgard, Ark. to look after his rice farms and stopped in St. Louis on his way home to look after some business matters.

The T. P. & W. railroad has a water tank east of town into which water is pumped from Indian Creek for their engines, that is until the creek went dry. Now water is pumped into Indian Creek from the Munz sandpit, flows down stream a mile or so to the dam near the water tank, then is pumped into the tank, and the engines are again getting their supply of water there.

A number of young people from this city are spending the week at Oakwood Cottage at the G. Y. McDowell farm, north of town. The party is composed of the following: Misses Marguerite Cook, Marie Foster, Gladys and Helen Voorhees, and Messrs. Perry Keck, John Firate, Wesley Hanson, Louie Dirks and James Patterson. Dr. and Mrs. J. H. Langstaff are chaperoning the party.

100 Years Ago

August 17, 1923

W. C. Mundt returned on Tuesday from Chanute Field where he had spent the past two weeks in taking advance air service training. While he did not do parachute jumping, he mastered the theory and would be able to use one if necessary. Tuesday, in company with another officer, he flew to Scott Field and spent the day with friends.

A Buick touring car provided with small railroad car wheels, came racing up the Chicago & Alton Railroad early yesterday morning from Bloomington. The superintendent and train master of the C. & A. railroad were making their tour over the road and inspecting stations. Orders were given to it the same as a train. It was capable of running 50 miles an hour.

The 24th Annual T. P. & W. picnic held at the fair grounds in this city last Saturday was largely attended and they had a fine time. The day was hot, but the fair grounds afforded abundant shade and the picnickers also got a cool breeze that didn't seem to reach the rest of the city. The special train carrying the people to Fairbury arrived on schedule and was a grand success. Everyone attending reported spending a most enjoyable day in Fairbury.

90 Years Ago

August 18, 1933

Yesterday morning about 2 o'clock as Nick Nelson, manager of the Central Theatre, was on his way home to Fairbury from a business trip, he came upon a man walking along the hard road near the first school house just east of Fairbury. He stopped and took the man in his car. This man was E. D. Riordan, who travels for the Jobst Bethard Company, of Peoria, and makes Fairbury regularly. Just a short time before being picked up by Mr. Nelson, Mr. Riordan had been put out of his own car by a bandit who had held him up in Forrest. In addition to losing his car and three dollars in change, Mr. Riordon is also minus his order book with a number of orders from customers.

On Monday Miss Rachel Olson, who has been superintendent of the Fairbury Hospital for nearly twenty years, tendered her resignation to the board, to take effect immediately. Miss Irene Householder is acting superintendent for the present. Miss Olson first came to Fairbury to do private nursing. On January 19, 1914, steps were taken to organize a city hospital, following which Miss Olson, on February 2, 1914, was elected the first superintendent and has given efficient and faithful service throughout the years, having had leave of absence for patriotic service during the World War.

The shed at the John Maurer home on East Elm Street caught fire on Monday morning about 8:45, and before the blaze was extinguished by the fire department, quite a patch of shingles had been burned off the roof. Sparks from a bonfire started the blaze.

80 Years Ago

August 20, 1943

Clyde Brown, who has farmed what is now the C. J. Herzog farm, four miles northeast of Fairbury, for the past 31 years, is going to quit farming and the first of the year, will move into Fairbury. He does not intend to retire, but has a position all lined up when he comes to town.

In time of war and other major disaster which seriously reduces the male population, nature is supposed to cooperate and produce a preponderance of male births and thus balance the population; yet this week at the hospital there were six girls born to one boy.

Fuel oil users who have not yet applied for their 1943-44 heating rations are urged today by the local War Price and Rationing Board to send in their applications immediately. Consumers also are urged to order their initial supply of next winter's heating oil as soon as possible. By ordering oil during the summer months the dealers are able to arrange their deliveries so that a minimum amount of truck mileage is retired, thus consuming less oil and tires.

70 Years Ago

August 20, 1953

The Misses Leona, Lydia and Kathryn Broquard and Miss Margaret Zimmerman accompanied by Dean Broquard have returned from a tour of the western states. Enroute they spent one week-end with Pvt. Ralph Broquard at Fort Riley, Kansas. The group thoroughly enjoyed the scenic spots of Colorado, stopping at the Royal Gorge, Canyon City, Garden of the Gods and Rocky Mountain Park. They came home the northern route.

Fairbury's annual city golf tourney got under way during the past week with more upsets engineered in the opening round of play than in the entire tourney in previous years. The first favorite to tumble was none other than the defending champion, Kenny Elliott of Cropsey, defeated by relative newcomer to the local golfing scene, Sam Runyon. Dick Phelps, always a serious contender for the championship, was taken out in the first round by Perry Munz, and Harry Morris suffered the sting of upset at the hands of Frank Phelps. Another front-running contender, Warren Beckley, was knocked out in the first round by Gill Butcher.

Army Sgt. Robert B. Folwell recently completed three weeks of special field training with the XVI Corps' 50th Signal Battalion in Japan. Sergeant Folwell, son of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Folwell Sr., Forrest, entered the Army in 1947 and was stationed at Camp Polk, La., before his arrival over seas this February. Now assigned as a section chief in Company A of the 50th Battalion, he has among his decorations the Good Conduct Medal, Army of Occupation medal for duty in Japan and the Korean Service Ribbon with four campaign stars. Folwell is a 1947 graduate of Forrest Township High School and was a teamster with Swing Transfer of Forrest in civilian life.

60 Years Ago

August 22, 1963

"Scared? Why man, I almost swallowed my pipe!" That's how a Cleveland truck driver reacted Saturday afternoon when his load shifted and his trailer suddenly broke in half. The result was a four-hour blockade, for when the trailer collapsed under the weight of 21 tons that went astray, it came to a screeching stop, right smack in the middle of U. S. 24, a half-mile east of Fairbury. So there it sat, while city policeman Bud Johnson and state patrolmen, Harold Donovan and Ray Winstead directed traffic and waited for wreckers. No local units were powerful enough to handle the job, so state police dispatched three from Pontiac, but they were not up to the job either.

Roger Bach of Fairbury and a Detroit friend, Jim Hoffa, returned home Sunday, following a 15-day motor trip to the west coast. One of the surprises on their trip was meeting Ben and Lydia Nussbaum in a museum at Salt Lake City, Utah. Another surprise was when the pair registered at a motel at Steamboat Springs, Colo. When Fairbury was given as an address, the motel owner looked up and said, "It's about Fairbury Fair time, isn't it?" Bach about fell over, but the owner then explained that he used to operate a bread truck in and out of this community.

Oak Motors parts man Wayne Sanders, 37, was presented a $25 check Friday by Ed Seemans, service representative for General Motors of the Chicago zone, for his slogan in a nation-wide contest. Sanders competed in a service magazine's headline award. His headline was "parts that are JUST RIGHT for your car," with reference to the Oldsmobile line of original equipment. He also received a plaque from General Motors for having all his parts orders in on proper dates.

50 Years Ago

August 23, 1973

Greatly expanded exhibits in Sunday's Flea Market at the 97th Fairbury Fair are being anticipated by Superintendent Bill Frisby. "We've contacted exhibitors at 10 different area shows recently, and advertised it nationally," he said.

Two members of the Fairbury-Cropsey High teacher's staff, David Kilgus and David Fuller, of Fairbury, returned Saturday from their second vacation in Great Britain. This trip apparently was a little more eventful than last year's. While staying in a hotel at Carlisle, England, the alarm sounded and all tourists were evacuated. The hotel had been notified that there was a bomb in the hotel and local police and bomb experts were called in to check out the site.

Extra excitement was provided Saturday at the Legion Speedway stock car races when Don Christer, driving #08, rolled out of the pits to start the eight-cylinder semi-feature, only to have his gas line break, spewing burning fuel all over his car. Christer leaped from the stocker with some of his clothing on fire, but flagman Swede Gaillieart helped him douse those flames while firemen tried to save the car. Christer was sent to the hospital, but his burns were minor, and he returned to the track later to thank Gaillieart.

40 Years Ago

August 18, 1983

Aerial applicators, as well as high-boy spray rigs, have been working early and late in the Fairbury area, treating thousands of acres for infestations of spider-mites in the soybean fields. Wednesday morning's rain, the first of any consequence here since July 4, was believed to aid the battle against the mites which were killing the plants by sucking the chlorophyll from the leaves and stem.

It appears as though "Grandview USA" is coming to Fairbury for three days in late September. The feature-length Hollywood movie powers-that-be had earlier selected Pontiac as the focal point of the film, a move that delighted officials in the community with promises of $1 million being injected into the economy. "Grandview USA" officials, however, decided that Pontiac Township high school is "too new" to fit in their plans. Last Friday, film-makers came to Fairbury to meet with Superintendent Calvin Jackson and high school principal Bill Winn as well as to tour the facilities. As the Unit 3 board of education learned Monday night, "Grandview USA" liked FCHS. Winn has been told the film crew will need about three days to wrap up their Fairbury shooting.

Chicago's 20th Century Railroad Club brought the resurrected and rebuilt Norfolk & Western 33-year-old No. 611 steam locomotive through Forrest Saturday on an excursion from Chicago to St. Louis. A throng of area residents, both railway fans and the curious, were on hand when the locomotive and a long string of passenger cars pulled to a stop about 11:30. No. 611 is one of the last steam passenger engines built.

30 Years Ago

August 19, 1993

A horse mannequin that was used to display harnesses in a Fairbury shop for over a decade has been restored by a Fairbury man and will be on display at the Fairbury Fair next week. Howard Fugate, with the help of welder Richard Walter, has brought the life-sized mannequin almost to life. According to an article in the 1952 issue of The Blade, the mannequin stood in the Maples Harness Shop at 118 W. Locust St., Fairbury. It was moved from the Maple Brothers harness shop and stored in the garage of Mrs. Edward Lindsey, daughter of the surviving Maple brother, Emrod.

Jerry and Peg Austman, Forrest, are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. Their children hosted a supper for family and friends at Ethel's Lodge Aug. 8. The Austmans also plan to celebrate their anniversary with a cruise this winter. They were married Aug. 17, 1968 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Forrest. They are the parents of Jeffrey and Gina. Jerry is engaged in farming and Peg is an R.N. employed at the Livingston County Department of Public Health.

Jeff Lauritzen, formerly of Lanark, has recently joined the National Bank of Fairbury as Farm Manager. In addition to his farm management responsibilities, he will serve as a lending officer. Lauritzen joins the bank after completing a two-semester internship with Growmark in their Ag Finance division. He graduated from Illinois State University in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in Ag Business. Lauritzen recently moved to Fairbury.

20 Years Ago

August 20, 2003

Hazel Cook, a life-long resident of Cropsey, will celebrate her 90th birthday on Aug. 30, with a family dinner. She recently retired from "Hazel's Sew-N-Sew," her upholstery business which she owned and operated for many years. Since retiring, she enjoys and appreciates her good friends and neighbors who stop by or call to visit with her almost on a daily basis.

OSF Saint James Medical Center Administrator Dave Ochs presented the Schroder Scholarship to Eric Hofmann. Eric is the son of Gary and Patty Hofmann, Fairbury, and plans on attending Bradley University to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) this fall. The Schroder Scholarship was established in memory of Dr. Harold Schroder, who was a member of the Medical Staff of OSF Saint James Hospital for over 50 years.

The Irwin family reunion was held Sunday, Aug. 10, at the Chatsworth Park. Alan and Kathy Irwin, of North Carolina, were in charge of this year's reunion and welcomed the 39 people who attended. There was a fried chicken and potluck dinner at noon. Afterward, time was spent visiting, looking at old pictures and taking new pictures. Those present were from Morton, Macomb, Peoria, Minier, Bloomington, Oregon, Mt. Prospect, Normal, Hudson, Gibson City and Chatsworth, in Illinois, and Martinsville, Noblesville and Carmel in Indiana; and also from Galion, Ohio; and Graham, North Carolina.

10 Years Ago

August 21, 2013

The Prairie Central Sportsman Club broke ground Aug. 11 at a new location outside Chatsworth. JTKD Farms, Inc. owned by Jed Diller, Tim Diller, Katie Cavanagh and David Diller, signed a 25-year lease agreement with board members of the Prairie Central Sportsman Club. The 17-acre farm (located south of U. S. Rt. 24, next to CR3225 East) on the outskirts of Chatsworth, will be new home to a trap range along with 25, 50, 100 and 200 yard rifle and pistol berms. The plan is to build a trap range and two pistol berms this fall with additional berms built in subsequent years. Board members of the Prairie Central Sportsman Club are Mark Lawrence, Rick Kester, Doug Hish, Richard Pearson, Riley Parmenter and Jon Goembel.

John and Rose Anne Boland Reis of Fairbury will celebrate their 60th anniversary and John's 90th birthday on Sept. 1 with their family at their lifetime Fairbury residence. The couple was married on June 6, 1953 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rutland. They are the parents of John (Jan) Reis, Pat (Jeannine) Reis, Mike (Lyn) Reis, Geri Reis-Garcia and Tim Reis. They also have 20 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is a retired Fairbury postmaster and a long-time magician.

Bill Munz has been named a member of the 2012 Quality Council of New York Life Insurance Company. Members of the Quality Council are among the most successful of New York Life's elite sales force of 11,900 licensed agents. Munz has been a New York Life agent since 2011, and is associated with New York Life's Greater Chicago General Office in Downers Grove. Munz, a life-long resident of Fairbury, is married to Susan and has one son, Chad. He is a member of the Fairbury Rotary Club. He has been in the insurance industry for 27 years and is also co-founder of Munz-Hermes and Associates, Inc.

(Looking Back from Kari Kamrath is sponsored by Duffy-Pils Memorial Homes with locations in Fairbury, Chenoa and Colfax)