Looking Back: 5-21-26

130 Years Ago

May 16, 1896

W. J. Bethard sold 200 straw hats one day last week for one cent each. Cheap enough.

Dr. J. R. Rayburn and Dr. H. B. Bull attended the meeting of the state dental college at Springfield this week. Dr. Rayburn read a paper before the association upon subjects connected with the profession.

William, four-year-old son of Henry Rudolph, northeast of town, while trying to drive a cartridge into a revolver cylinder Wednesday afternoon, was injured when the cartridge exploded. A portion of the shell cut a three-cornered gash at the base of his nose.

Lemen Brothers show will exhibit at Fairbury Thursday, May 21. They are featuring “Rajah,” the largest elephant on earth, being two inches taller than “Jumbo.”

120 Years Ago

May 18, 1906

Jos. Slagel left this afternoon for Pulaski, Iowa, on a mission of joy. Next Wednesday Miss Emma Wagler and Mr. Slagel will be united in marriage at the home of the bride in that city, and when Joseph returns to this city in addition to a cup filled with happiness, he will bring his bride and they will make their home here.

There is trouble brewing for someone in Fairbury and it is some one or ones that have been seining in the Vermilion River. It is said that on two different occasions, Friday of last week and Monday of this, these parties were guilty of breaking the law by going seining in the above named stream, that they were seen, their names taken and reported to the game warden and prosecution will follow. As the man who reports such cases gets $25 per man reward, the fines are not likely to be very light. The law prohibits seining until July 1^st, and then only with a certain sized mesh. It is said that the parties seining in the river violated this part of the law also. It is intimated that a farmer, who allowed the seining to be done will also be implicated.

A. F. Duckett has been appointed postmaster at Forrest to succeed Mr. Bullard, who has held that position for eight years. Mr. Bullard's age and health are responsible for his retirement. The new postmaster was born in Forrest and is a young man in every way capable of discharging the duties of the office satisfactorily to every body, and will make an excellent postmaster.

110 Years Ago

May 19, 1916

Fairbury with its “on again, off again” but mostly “off again” electric light system has been experiencing about as rotten a service for the past three or four weeks as it is possible to have and still say we have an electric light system. A week ago last Sunday night during church service the lights went out, and repeated the same trick again last Sunday evening. During the intervening week days and evenings the service has been almost as good as it has been on Sundays. Every time a storm comes up the electric lights all over town give an excellent imitation of a lighting bug – now you see 'em, now you don't – and after a few minutes of this kind of hide-and-go-seek game they fade entirely away and you don't see them again until the next morning, just when you don't want them.

The married baseball players of this city want it known that they are every bit as young as they used to be, and if by chance they should be a little more stiff in the joints than some of the younger generation, their extra supply of gray matter will offset this when it comes to playing the national game. They therefore issue a challenge to the single men to play a series of games, the particulars of which can be arranged later. It might also be stated here that the married men believe they can win the series in straight games.

That Fairbury is a good show town was demonstrated last week when Coop & Lent's show gave two exhibitions here on Thursday. They showed to the largest crowds that they have played to since being on the road this spring. That the show people themselves were not looking for such a big crowd in the evening was shown when they took down a part of the seats before the evening performance started, and had to put them up again. Over 6,600 people paid to see the two performances. It is said that the above show is connected with Ringling Bros. Shows and on account of the large attendance here last Thursday, plans are under way to have Ringling's circus here next season, provided the fair grounds are big enough to stage this large attraction.

100 Years Ago

May 21, 1926

At a shooting match held at the Livingston County Bankers' rifle range near Pontiac yesterday afternoon by the special bank deputy sheriffs, the Fairbury deputies carried off first honors with the following four scores heading the list: L. T. Brown, 94; N. W. Hanson, 90; Dr. E. L. Fincham, 85; C. F. Heins, 84. C. R. Voris came not far behind with 79.

Monday evening the teachers of the Edison School entertained the Isaac Walton teachers with a party. The floors were cleared in the primary rooms and one used for games and the other for a dining room. Those in charge of the entertainment were Miss Bateman, Mrs. Swarm and Mrs. Bridgewater.

Kenneth, the 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Rigsby, residing on the Frank Weeks farm, southeast of town, has a bad break at his right ankle as the result of a horse stepping on him last Saturday morning. Kenneth was assisting with the chores and had just led a couple of horses up to the watering trough. The horses had been nipping at each other and presently one of them reared up and came down on the boy's leg, making a very bad break at the ankle, splinters of the bone protruding through the flesh. He is getting along all right, but the injury will lay him up for some time.

The Larkin Store, which was to have opened for business in the Duell building tomorrow, will not open until Saturday, May 29. This delay is caused by their inability to get their stock of goods here on time.

90 Years Ago

May 15, 1936

Elmer Mehrings has leased from the Standard Oil Company, their service station on Route 24 at First Street, taking possession Monday. Mr. Mehrings has been manager of the station for some time. He will be assisted by John Weber, who has also been connected with the station.

Next Sunday Dr. C. S. Davies will have completed his fortieth year as pastor of the Presbyterian Church of this city. In honor of this event special services have been arranged for Sunday, and a reception will be held at the church Monday evening at 8 o'clock to which all the friends of the church and of Dr. Davies are invited. Dr. Davies will preach his anniversary sermon Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. When Dr. Davies came to Fairbury forty years ago he had just graduated from the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. His work as a pastor and his association with this community as a citizen during those two score years have been outstanding.

T. P. & W. workmen Monday completed their task of “remodeling” the stockyards along the railroad tracks just east of Sixth Street, and with this remodeling went the hobos' retreat which had been located there for several years. This hotel for the weary travelers was located under the cattle sheds and while it did not have hardwood floors, electric lights or running water, it was equipped very comfortably for their sojourns in our city, and with the exception of extreme cold weather, they found it most inviting. When the T. P. & W. workmen arrived last week to tear down the old cattle sheds they found seven of the weary brethren enjoying their morning meal. While the workmen went about tearing down the shed the “knights of the road” continued with their morning repast, and did not move until some of the boards started to rattle down on their table.

80 Years Ago

May 17, 1946

Gene Woodward, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Woodward, of this city, is to be in on the atomic bomb test to be made July 1 in the Marshall Islands. After the test he is to have a 30-day leave at home.

Twelve little girls were guests at the Shelby Wharton home Saturday afternoon for the birthday party of Mary Jane, three years old. Mrs. J. G. Masterson told them stories and led them in games and songs. Mary Jane's cake and individual decorated cup cakes were served with ice cream. Baby dolls and balloons were the favors.

Louis Shulman was in charge of the Rotary Club program when the club met in regular session at Hotel Fairbury Tuesday evening, and after deploring the misunderstandings and disappointments that had stalled his efforts at securing a suitable program for the evening, announced that he would not sing, but would attempt to entertain with the reading of an assortment of letters that he had found interesting. The letters proved to be humorous masterpieces of garbled English, and included everything from the letter writing efforts of the untutored rustic to the “split infinitive” and the “dangling participle.” They were thoroughly enjoyed by the group.

70 Years Ago

May 10, 1956

Arthur Walter, electrician, fell 14 feet from a ladder at Honegger's Mill onto a cement floor at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 2. Walter was putting in a set of lights in the warehouse when a tow-motor driven by Leonard Rabe hit the ladder, knocking it down. The tow-motor, a tractor about six feet long, is capable of hauling a ton of feed. Walters has had several x-rays of his foot taken, and the doctors have not yet released him. Soreness centers about his heel and instep. An employer's compensation plan will cover the medical expenses.

An all-expense paid week vacation for two at Miami Beach is the featured prize of the fifth annual Spring Festival to be held in Central Park May 17-19. Designed to get the warm weather season under way with a bang, the event is co-sponsored by the American Legion and the Chamber of Commerce. More than 150 merchandise prizes, including a ¾-ton air condition and a clothes dryer, also will be given away. The Imperial Shows carnival will open its season at the festival and will offer rides to all for three nights. A special matinee for children will be held Saturday afternoon, and the Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a “doggie parade” for children, also on Saturday afternoon.

Mr. and Mrs. Don Kelso, Weston, will accompany the Imperial Shows on its summer tour this year. Kelso, who farms near Weston, will work as an electrician and run his own concession, “A Teddy Bear Stand” in the carnival. His wife teaches home economics at Onarga High School. While the Kelsos are gone, Bill Dawson, Chenoa, will farm his land. Kelso's oats have already been sown. Dawson will plant his corn and beans. The Kelsos have purchased a trailer for the trip. Kelso has done considerable work with horse shows and stock car races.

60 Years Ago

May 19, 1966

They're not perfect, but they'll do until the real product comes along! That's a thumbnail summary of the two top scholars of the 1966 graduating class at Fairbury-Cropsey High School. Valedictorian Gary Ifft was only three percentage points off the mark, with a grade-point average of 4.97, covering four years of work where 5.0 is a perfect straight “A” mark. The same margin separated Salutatorian Craig Sutter, who is finishing with a grade point of 4.94. Schools officials told The Blade that Ifft got one “B” during his school career; and Sutter had two. The rest were all “A's”! Ifft, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Ifft of rural Fairbury, plans to attend the University of Illinois, where he has been awarded a Livingston County scholarship. Sutter, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Sutter of Fairbury, will also attend the University of Illinois.

The alumni banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. at the new gymnasium. Dancing starts at 9 p.m. with Bob Hutton and his orchestra from Springfield. Honor classes this year are 1966, 1956, 1946, 1941, 1936, 1926, 1916 and 1896. Three members of the Fairbury High School Class of 1896 are expected to attend the Alumni banquet on Saturday, May 28. Four members are still living: Miss Aimee Dell Steen, Pontiac; Mrs. Gertrude Henderson, Fairbury; and George Sype, Oak Park, plan to attend. The fourth member, Mrs. Marshall Gordon of New York, will not attend.

Bill Barnes and Ronald Monroe, both of Fairbury-Cropsey High School, will each receive the FFA State Farmer Degree. The awards will be presented to them at the state FFA Convention to be held June 14-16 at the Assembly Hall in Urbana. Ron Monroe is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Monroe, and is a senior at FCHS. Bill Barnes is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Barnes, and is also a senior. Recipients of this degree are selected on the basis of their farming program, leadership and participation in FFA, their school and community activities and their income and net worth resulting from their FFA programs.

50 Years Ago

May 20, 1976

They were trying to drive away pests, but instead, succeeded mainly in attracting four pieces of fie-fighting equipment to Fairbury Hospital Tuesday morning. Fumes from a pest-control spray apparently triggered fire alarms in two basement level locations, bringing firemen to the site – pronto! Workers were at the hospital earlier in the day as part of a regularly scheduled spraying program. Evidently, fumes from the sprayed substance set off the institution's panel board, indicating fires in the laundry and in central sterilizing and automatically summoning the fire department. Finding no visible signs of fire when they approached the building, firemen jumped from their trucks and charged into the hospital in search of a blaze. Determining that the laundry was a potential trouble spot, firemen burst into the room only to startle several women who were absorbed in their work.

Bill Kelleher, a Glendale, Ariz. funeral director, has been named “Knight of the Year” by the Arizona Knights of Columbus. Kelleher, son of Mrs. Flora Kelleher of Weston, and son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Carlos “Bur” Thompson of Fairbury, has been a leader in promoting greatly increased activity and membership in the Phoenix K of C. Kelleher, a former president of the Fairbury-Cropsey Board of Education, is married to the former Judy Thompson of Fairbury.

The First United Presbyterian Church of Fairbury has filed a $4,063.82 suit against Stelle Industries, of near Cullom, charging that the company did not properly repair the church's Moller organ. According to the suit, which was filed in the Livingston County Circuit Court on May 6, the two parties entered into a contract in March, 1975. The agreement called for the company to install $2,063.82 worth of components in the organ with an installation cost of $2,000. The suit says the defendant implied that the organ would be “completely repaired and satisfactory for the plaintiff's purposes,” which were known by the defendant. However, the law suit claims, “the goods as installed were inadequate for the purposes set forth.”

40 Years Ago

May 15, 1986

A 12-year veteran of the Fairbury Police force, Donald “Sam” Hedrick, has been appointed to fill the vacancy of Chief of the Department, which includes four other full-time men and one part-time. He succeeds Bill Spray, who resigned more than two months ago to accept appointment to the Illinois State Police force. Hedrick, whose selection was announced by Mayor Maurice Cox near the end of last week's city council meeting, had previously been second in command of the department, holding the rank of lieutenant.

Carol Koehl, RN, who works part-time in the Helen Lewis Smith Pavilion, was chosen by her co-workers to receive the Nursing Employee of the Year Award, exemplifying the BEST in nursing attributes. Shelly Miller, RN; and Florence Dameron and Stephanie Buff, both Emergency Room Technicians – Out Patient Coordinators, were among the four final candidates to be recommended by other nursing employees for the honor. Mrs. Koehl, who lives in Fairbury with her husband and two teenaged children, graduated from Walther Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and worked for 11 years in a physician's office. She spent the following 10 years at home with her children, and in 1980, took advantage of a refresher course offered by Fairbury Hospital in order to resume her nursing career.

Using the theme, “4-H – A Thread From The Past and Into the Future,” written by club president, Jennifer Beyer, Fairbury Prairie Farmers 4-H Club took top honors at the Livingston County 4-H Share-the-Fun contest May 10 at the Pontiac Township High School Auditorium. The club skit was selected to represent the county at the State Fair this summer. Thirty-six of the club's 63 members participated in Share-the-Fun. Fayette Fantastics Club won State Fair alternate honors with “This Land Is Our Land.” Steve Keeley of Fayette Fantastics was judged winning Master of Ceremonies and Michele Mund of Odell Home Ec. Club was named alternate.

30 Years Ago

May 15, 1996

Discovery Day was held Friday at Westview Elementary School. The theme of the annual event was Pioneer Days. Chris Metz of Fairbury showed students a buffalo's horns and talked on Indian traditions. The students participated in a bucket brigade as they learned first-hand how fires were extinguished in Pioneer Days. They also viewed and were able to experience pioneer living by watching: a Pontiac blacksmith, Dick Degenhart; Oldfathers from Fairbury who brought in animals from their farm, including goats for the children to milk; Mrs. Bowen from ISU who brought artifacts from the Oregon trail, including buffalo hide, bonnets and buffalo horns; and old-fashioned beds and clothing brought in by the Early American museum, Mahomet. Folk dancing was demonstrated by Eddie Elder, a square dance caller from Bloomington, and several teachers.

Henry and Betty Bull of Fairbury will mark their golden wedding anniversary on May 19, 1946 with a dinner for family and friends at Indian Creek Country Club. They are the parents of Richard of San Rafael, CA, Judy Robertson of Pontiac and one grandchild, Jason Campbell of Bloomington. Bull and Betty Milliken were married in Wayne, NE in the Methodist Church by Dr. Victor West. Henry is a retired feed nutritionist.

The faculty and staff of PC Junior High are holding a retirement party for Don Wills on Wednesday, May 22 at 3:45 p.m. at the junior high media center. Don is retiring after 39 years of teaching. The public is invited to come and wish Don good luck in the future.

20 Years Ago

May 17, 2006

After 40 years of practicing law in Livingston County, an attorney from Fairbury has decided to retire. David Ahlemeyer will finish practicing law at the end of this month, ending a carer in Livingston County that began in the fall of 1965. That's when Ahlemeyer moved to this county, just after completing law school. His first job as an attorney was at the law offices of Neale Hanley and Henry Phillips in Fairbury. “I was there for nine years and in 1975 went out on my own and became public defender for this county. I was public defender from 1975 until the end of 2001. In 2002 through now I have served as contract counsel for the county,” said Ahlemeyer. Ahlemeyer figures he averaged 220 felony cases a year for 31 years for a total of 6,820, and about 1,000 misdemeanors a year for 27 years.

Silas “Si” Moser, 101, of Fairbury, died May 10, 2006 at Fairview Haven Nursing Home. Silas, or “Si” as everyone called him, came to Fairbury in 1925. He started as an agent for Standard Oil Co. and in 1930, he began working with Van Wharton and in 1942 he purchased the service station. He then became an agent for the Mobil Oil Co. Si's service station was known as Moser & Son for approximately 50 years. He belonged to all the bodies of Masons for 72 years. He also belonged to the Mohammed Shrine, Peoria. He was active in promoting Fairbury and helped start the Association of Commerce in 1951. He was a 60-year member of Rotary Club, a member of Knoll Lodge and the Order of the Eastern Star.

The FFA Dairy Judging Team at Prairie Central High School recently won the state contest, thus qualifying the team for the National contest in Louisville, Ky. in October. Eighty-six teams, comprised of 370 individuals, competed in the contest held at the University of Illinois in Champaign. Team members include Justin Kilgus, Lewis Schaffer, Erin Petersen, Reid Zehr and Nichole Bressner. Individually, Petersen was sixth, Kilgus eighth, Zehr 20^th, Bressner 31^st and Schaffer 38^th. The team is coached by Darren Ropp and Kyle Miller.

10 Years Ago

May 18, 2016

The GFWC IL Fairbury Woman's Club has selected Roger McDowell as the Citizen of the Year. He has been an active volunteer in Fairbury for many years. Active In both the Fairbury and Forrest VFWs, McDowell served three years as president in Fairbury and two years in Forrest. He has also been a member of the VFW color guard for 22 years. He served on the Fairbury Zoning Board for 30 years, and as a member of the Jaycees, he helped erect the dunking tank at the Fairbury Fair. He also has served as President of the Jaycees and has worked with the Meals on Wheels program. McDowell will be resented his award on Friday, June 17 at the North Park enclosed pavilion following a supper for him, his family and all past COTYs.

Eight people will retire from the service of Prairie Central at the close of the 2015-16 school term. Three educational support employees and five teachers will step down this spring. Diane Ahlemeyer joined the staff at PCHS in the fall of 2001 as a library paraprofessional/textbook coordinator. Kari Medearis has been a cafe worker in various PC kitchens since the fall of 1994. Debbie Steidinger began her PC career 22 years ago at the Upper Elementary, and now retires as secretary at PCJHS.

Wendy McGuire now closes 36 years as a teacher in the public schools in Illinois. She first taught at Streator-Woodland and then moved to kindergarten at Westview in 1984. Cindy Meister has served PC as a speech and language pathologist since the fall of 1996. Mike Quinn has been an art teacher, guidance counselor and coach for area schools for 34 years. Darren Ropp has been a vocational agriculture teacher and FFA sponsor at PCHS since 1985. Brenda Underwood has taught music at Prairie Central since 1993.

Rosella Dietz of Pontiac will celebrate her 90^th birthday with an open house, hosted by her children. Mrs. Dietz was born May 24, 1926 in Roberts. She married Leo Dietz on Oct. 9, 1943. He died June 6, 1998. Her children are Roger of Saunemin, Louise of Springfield, Virginia of Chatsworth, Doris of El Paso and Eugene of Houston, Texas. A son, Richard, is deceased.

Looking Back is sponsored each week on Fairbury News by Duffy-Pils Memorial Home.