Looking Back: 11-19-25

130 Years Ago

November 16, 1895

John Kuenzi is putting up a large two-story house on his place north of town.

C. W. Keck has sold his barber business and shop to Jay Tayler, and will devote his time mostly to the insurance business. Mr. Keck has been in the shop 15 years, 12 years as proprietor.

School Notes — Miss Dell Steen, in the absence of the teacher, taught the eighth grade Monday morning. Miss Steen is as able to wield the rod as any of the teachers who have had several years experience. A man with a talking machine gave an entertainment here after school Wednesday. About 250 were in attendance. Some of the young ladies have cleaned the piano up. It has changed the appearance, but not the tone. Misses Carrie Johnson, Lynda Oppy and Mayme Phillips, all former pupils of the high school, called Wednesday afternoon.

120 Years Ago

November 17, 1905

The members of Post 75, G. A. R. and the Women's Relief Corps dropped in unawares upon Mr. and Mrs. Dan Calmer Sr. last Saturday evening. They took with them plenty of good things to eat and after an evening of social enjoyment they enjoyed a delightful supper. Various amusements were indulged in until almost midnight when they dispersed to their homes, all having spent a very happy evening.

Monday, Joseph Bourlet, of Peoria, and Rank Rose, of this city, were unloading some tombstones for Mercle & Sons, of Peoria, when one of the stones got the start of them and fell upon Bourlet's leg, pinning him down. Rose exerted almost super-human efforts and lifted the stone up so that Bourlet could get his leg out. The injured man was taken to Dr. Manwarren's office and his injuries dressed and he was sent to Peoria that evening.

Wm. Alt settled with the fire insurance companies the first of the week, receiving $479, and immediately put the men to work tearing down the old building. This morning Matt Kammerer commenced the work of erecting a new building on the site of the old one. The new structure will be built of cement blocks and the floor will be made of cement, making it as near fire proof as possible. When completed, it will be one of the most up-to-date laundries in Central Illinois.

110 Years Ago

November 19, 1915

The general merchandise store of Holloway & Son at Wing was entered by burglars some time last Saturday night and a quantity of goods taken.

Harry Pittsenbarger, who has been in the employ of W. E. Stephey & Co. since that firm has been in business, has resigned his position, the same taking effect last week.

Olin Olmstead is now a full-fledged barber. He was in Peoria Wednesday of last week, where he took the state examination for barbering. He received his license Monday.

J. W. Henderson, who has had more than his share of hard luck in the way of fires, had more bad luck last Monday when he fell from a corncrib and broke the bones in one of his feet.

100 Years Ago

November 20, 1925

Rumor has it that S. E. Ellis and Miss Effie Nelson, both of this city, are married, but up to the present time we are unable to give the particulars of the event, as they have kept that to themselves. They left here Tuesday morning in Mr. Ellis' car, with Joliet, Utica and a few other cities on their itinerary. Up to the present time their friends here have not heard from them, but those in a position to know state they have been married.

An evening of greatest interest to the citizens of Fairbury and the surrounding territory occurs next Tuesday evening when the doors of the Central Theatre are opened to the public. The management will stage the finest opening program ever seen and will consist of the following: Pipe organ overture, H. L. Britton of Chicago; Comedy, "Luck of the Foolish"; News Reel, Dartmouth's famous football team in action; Song slides, synchronized with the pipe organ; one-act play, "Fourteen" directed by Miss Lucille Hyneman, featuring Mrs. R. E. Jones, Margaret Reynolds and Lyman Pendergast; super photo-play, "The Road to Yesterday," one of Cecil B. DeMille's specials.

Lloyd Borngasser, George Hibsch, Jr., Will Morris and Aaron Steidinger motored to Peoria last Saturday afternoon, where they attended a Shrine meeting. W. H. Bartlett Sr. and A. B. Claudon Jr., who had been in Peoria for three weeks serving on the United States petit jury, were also among those attending the Shrine meeting. On account of the heavy snow falling they found the trip home one that entailed very careful driving. Mr. Claudon and Mr. Bartlett bumped into one car that had stopped on the pavement without any lights. The Claudon car was running slowly at the time, and outside of putting the lights on his car out of commission, no damage was done.

90 Years Ago

November 15, 1935

Curtis Weeks, residing north of Fairbury, has been shaking hands with himself ever since last Friday for the reason that he is glad he is able to shake hands. Mr. Weeks was combining a field of soybeans at the Ben Zimmerman farm when something went wrong with the combine. Mr. Weeks was working by himself at the time, and without stopping the machinery, went around to see what the trouble was. In some manner his clothing became caught in the moving machinery. There was no one to stop the machine and Mr. Weeks' chief concern was to keep from being drawn into the machine. He succeeded in doing this, but his clothing, including a new pair of overalls, was literally torn from his body. One of his legs was slightly injured.

A bad-check passer was in Fairbury for a time last Saturday evening and left at least three checks that were no good. The stores cashing the checks were the Walton Department Store, Lyons Clothes Shop and the Mrs. Reavis' store and lunch counter in the west part of town on Route 24. In each instance the man came into the business, made some small purchase and tendered a check for several dollars more than the cost of the article and received the difference in cash. All three checks were made out on Farmers State Bank checks, with the name of William Winslow forged to each one.

The Green and Gold eleven of the Fairbury Township High School covered themselves with glory and mud Armistice Day afternoon at Chenoa, when they defeated Chenoa High by a score of 8 to 0. It was Chenoa's first defeat of the year. For Fairbury, it meant a clean slate, they having not been defeated this year.

80 Years Ago

November 16, 1945

A transaction that had been pending for a week was closed Monday when T. A. Haptonstall purchased of C. A. Hume the latter's produce business at 109 North Fourth Street. Mr. Hume had conducted the business since April 7 of this year, when he purchased the same of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Haase. The new firm name will be known as The Farmers Produce. Mr. Haptonstall has been a resident of this community for several years past, and a few years ago was employed at Honegger's.

Sheriff Jones was in Chatsworth on Wednesday, and the state police on Tuesday, looking for a fellow who went by the name of Edwin Thorpe. It appears that a check for $20 was cashed at a Fairbury bank and one in Pontiac for $60, and signed by Thorpe, which were not honored. He wore an army uniform and had a woman with him here. State police said the car he drove had been stolen and that he was AWOL from the army. He was in Fairbury after leaving Chatsworth but had not been apprehended at last reports.

A school election important to residents of certain sections of Avoca and Eppards Point Townships, as well as to the Fairbury Township High School District, will be held tomorrow. It has to do with the annexation of these certain sections in the above-named townships to the Fairbury Township High School District. The vote has to carry in the local township high school district as well as in the Avoca-Eppards Point sections in order that the annexation may become effective. The election was called by County Supt. of Schools Lindquist, following a petition presented to him by voters of the Avoca-Eppards Point sections, asking that such an election be called.

70 Years Ago

November 17, 1955

State Police Sgt. Francis Mowery was recently appointed to the State Pistol Team.

With continued good weather, footings for the new grade school building are expected to be poured beginning Saturday.

Ken Bazzell and Nick Goslin were named this week to the Midstate Conference all star football team by coaches of the eight conference teams.

Two Fairbury physicians were retiring officers of the Livingston County Medical Society last Thursday night. Dr. W. A. Marshall, president, and Dr. James Langstaff, secretary-treasurer.

Miss Elizabeth Kauffman, 23, of Oregon, who is making her home on RFD 3, Fairbury, escaped injury at 7 a.m. Tuesday when she turned a corner near the sanatorium at Pontiac, and struck a telephone pole.

60 Years Ago

November 18, 1965

Jo Ellen Maurer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Maurer, has been notified by Knox College that she is to receive the Mary Elizabeth Wallace Bennett award for this year. This is an annual award made to a Knox woman student of the sophomore, junior or senior class who has shown unusual promise during her attendance at Knox. The honorary distinction is not based on scholarship alone, but also on contributions to campus activities and promise of future leadership and service to society as a whole. The Fairbury-Cropsey graduate has served as a member of the college board of public relations all four years at Knox and is presently serving as secretary.

Take a bumper corn crop, moisten with a deluge of fall rains, hasten its harvest with modern picker-shellers and pour it in on area elevators. The result is 24-hour shifts for the grain handlers, with drying and storage equipment working around the clock. Compound the problem with an annual shortage of box-cars which always shows up at harvest time, and you have difficulty. The Cropsey Grain Co-op found itself forced to store corn on the main street of the town. Monday afternoon, elevator manager Lynn McKee had no choice but to start dumping grain outside when a flurry of wagons brought shelled corn from area fields. And dump it they did, more than 30,000 bushels by Tuesday noon, in a pile as high as the rooftops of adjacent store buildings.

Fairbury lumberman Manny Steffen is reported improving at Fairbury Hospital, where he is in traction for fractures suffered in a 14-foot fall down an open stairwell at the Helen Lewis Smith Pavilion being built at the hospital, where he is one of the contractors.

50 Years Ago

November 20, 1975

The possibility of merging the Fairbury-Cropsey and Forrest-Strawn-Wing School Districts will be explored Monday, Dec. 1, when the two boards hold a joint meeting. This will not be the first time the two school systems have talked about merging. A few years ago, the issue progressed all the way to a referendum before being defeated. Should the two districts decide to again try for consolidation, a petition signed by at least 200 residents of the two school territories would have to be filed in the office of Wayne H. Blunier, superintendent of the educational service region.

Eleven high school bands will participate in the annual Fairbury Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 6, and parade watchers will have an opportunity to cast ballots on the effectiveness of each marching unit. Ten high school bands, representing Minonk-Dana-Rutland, Lexington, Gridley, Mahomet-Seymour, Octavia, Chatsworth, Tri-Point, Saunemin, Deland-Weldon and Forrest-Strawn-Wing, will compete in the marching contest. The host Marching Tartars of Fairbury-Cropsey will lead the parade as a non-competitive band and FCHS Jr. High band will close it.

Paula J. Koehl, of Fairbury, is currently serving as president of Sigma Alpha Iota at Butler University. Membership in this professional women's music sorority is based on scholarship and musical ability. The Butler Chapter sponsors musicals and recitals as part of its program. Scholarships are available to qualified and interested members. Miss Koehl is a senior majoring in music education.

40 Years Ago

November 14, 1985

"Uncle" Bobby Collins of WGN Radio in Chicago will host five academically-talented Prairie Central High School students and The Fairbury Blade's Rick Jones next Monday afternoon. The visit will include having the group in the studio for a portion of Collins' popular afternoon show. The students are part of the PCHS Scholastic Bowl team and come from a class for academically-gifted students who meet in an accelerated setting mornings before the normal school day begins. Prairie Central students making the trip include: Joan Cress, Joe Cress, Heather Dameron, Rebecca Luttrell and Shanu Kothari.

Mrs. JoAnn Scurlock of Fairbury is announcing the engagement of her daughter, Tammy Kay Scurlock, to Ernie Meister, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Meister, also of Fairbury. A March 22 wedding is planned.

Prairie Central Varsity Football Coach Keith Deaton told an overflow audience at Tuesday night's football awards dessert that this past fall's first PCHS team "will always be special" in Hawk history. The Hawks posted a 7-3 mark in their first year and qualified for the first-round of the Illinois High School Association state playoffs. Senior linebacker-running back Ty Cottrell was named Most Valuable Player for the 1985 Hawks. Seniors Mark Bachtold and Joe Vaughan were also honored.

30 Years Ago

November 15, 1995

Snowplows were brought out of hibernation Saturday morning, as the season's first measurable snowfall moved through the area. Measurements varied from one to one and a half inches of snow. Strong 30 mile-per-hour winds kept travel at a minimum Saturday, as police were keeping motorists off the roads due to 'white-out' conditions. Winter does not officially begin for another five weeks, but temperatures dropped thirty degrees from Friday to Saturday.

Vernon and Pat Hartman of Fairbury will celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 25, 1995, with an open reception at the Apostolic Christian Fellowship Hall, Fairbury. The event will be hosted by their children and grandchildren. Hartman and Patricia Bell were married Nov. 23, 1945 in Long Beach, CA. They have one son, John, of Fairbury; and one daughter, Donna Banwart of Forrest; 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Five area students are among students enrolled in one or more of University of Illinois at Chicago's 14 colleges and the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center to receive degrees during the 1994-95 academic year. Two were Fairbury students; Mary Hallinan Kennedy and Shanu Kothari. Kennedy earned a Master of Science and Kothari a Doctor of Medicine degree. Other students from Chenoa, all receiving Master of Science degrees were: Mary Beth Augspurger, Mary Jo Krall and Kimberle G. Reeser.

20 Years Ago

November 16, 2005

Success highlighted the Prairie Central FFA's performance at the National Convention in Louisville, Ky., Oct. 25 through Oct. 28. Four teams, Management, Meats, Livestock and Dairy Products, advanced to the national level after dominating the state contests. The Management team of Michael Kilgus, Brianna Keever, Trent Schmidgall and Alex Dotterer, placed fourth in the nation. The Meats team, consisting of Julie Steidinger, Denver Slagel, Kent Steidinger and Cara Lanz, placed ninth. The Livestock team, Reid Zehr, Thadd Fosdick, Bradley Kahle and Brandon Knapp, placed 12^th. The Dairy Products team of Adam Cavanagh, Jenna Honegger, Phillip Poppe and Cindy Allonge, placed 14^th overall.

Duane Schieler of Fairbury recently completed 40 years of employment in the service department at K & S Lincoln-Mercury in Fairbury. He was honored at a luncheon on Monday and presented with a watch. His wife, Diane, and children Chad, Cory and Kelly Johnson also attended. Congratulating Schieler were John and Joan Tredennick, former owners of the business, and Dave and Kitty Tredennick, current owners of K & S.

Doug and Cindy Stephens of Forrest will celebrate their 25^th wedding anniversary with a Caribbean Cruise in January 2006. Stephens and the former Cindy Feller were married Nov. 15, 1980 at the United Methodist Church in Forrest. They are the parents of Derek, Deanna and Dustin. He is a self-employed farmer and also works for Forrest Redi-Mix, and she is employed by OSF HealthCare as a Process Flow Analyst Coordinator.

10 Years Ago

November 18, 2015

Assemblies, special ceremonies, parades and many more events marked Veteran's Day on Nov. 11. At Prairie Central Upper Elementary School, students wearing red, white and blue formed a panoramic flag. The Forrest American Legion Color Guard, Ed Harms, Glen Waibel, Bob Immke, Leonard Roth and Jack Trainor, presented the colors at the assembly. Ashlyn Kratochvil and Tyson Ruiz played Taps. Prairie Central High School History Teacher Andrew Quain presented the address to students and faculty. The National Anthem was sung by the Upper Elementary choir under the direction of UE Music Teacher Melissa Nagel. Special assemblies were also held at Westview Elementary and Prairie Central High School to honor all the veterans.

Ashley Burgard and Devin Cook, both of Fairbury, are announcing their engagement and approaching marriage. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Don and Tina Burgard of Pontiac and Sharon and Tim McGuire of Fairbury. She is employed at the Forrest branch of Bank of Pontiac. The future bridegroom is the son of Brian Cook and Connie Cook, both of Fairbury. He is employed at Cook Performance in Fairbury. The couple is planning an Oct. 8, 2016 wedding.

Prairie Central fall sports awards were presented at the fall awards night Nov. 9. Cross country awards went to Most Improved, Daphne Matson and Liam Barnes; Hawk Spirit to Abbie Bazzell and Nathan Somers; MVP to Caitlyn Ifft and Kyler Knapp. Football awards were presented to Luke Seiving, MVP; Jacob Keller, Hawk award; Grant Ricketts, lineman award. Golf awards were presented to Alex Duffy and Molly Lane, MVP; Josh Kilcullen and Hannah Conlisk, most improved.

Looking Back from Kari Kamrath is sponsored each week on Fairbury News by Duffy-Pils Memorial Homes.