Looking Back 6-18-25

130 Years Ago

June 15, 1895

The farm house of M.D. Spence, seven miles southwest of Fairbury, was burned on Sunday morning. The fire originated on the roof from sparks from the chimney.

Cards are out for the marriage of Ray Raridon to Miss Grace May Bell, of La Rose, which will take place at the home of the bride Monday evening, June 17. Ray is a former Fairbury boy.

The Somers & Kelley grocery and hardware stock has changed hands. G.E. Haney, of Manson, Iowa, was the purchaser, and he in turn sold out to A.W. Rosecrans, of Ashton, who will dispose of the stock.

120 Years Ago

June 16, 1905

Dominy Memorial Library was presented to the city Tuesday afternoon with impressive ceremonies. The weather was all that could be desired. The business houses all closed from 2:00 o'clock until 4:30, and the people turned out en masse. The library was seated with chairs and every available space possible was used for the accommodation of the people, but the space was greatly inadequate. The chairs were filled early and long before the ceremonies began, the standing room was all occupied and the crowd overflowed into the yard and filled it. If anything could be judged from the faces of those in attendance, it is safe to say that there was not present a single person who did not fully appreciate the beautiful gift of Mr. Dominy.

The new marriage laws of the state of Illinois will go into effect July first and on and after that date no male person under 19 years old and no female person under 16 years old can secure a marriage license in this state with or without the consent of their parents. The exact age of the bride and groom-to-be must be given and parental consent must be given for parties under the ages of 21 for the male and 18 for the female.

The oldest son of J.T. Cox was taken with appendicitis yesterday and is in a very critical condition. A specialist has been summoned from Bloomington and together with Dr. Otis of this city and Dr. Balcke, of Cropsey, will hold a consultation this afternoon and perhaps perform an operation.

110 Years Ago

June 18, 1915

Hempstead Bull returned Sunday from Winchester, Va., where he had spent the past year at the Shenandoah Valley Military Academy. He was one of the graduating class of fifteen.

Frank Phelps leaves today for Monmouth, where he meets his brother, Dr. W.S. Phelps, and together they will take an automobile trip through the west. most of their time will be spent in Yellowstone Park.

Cropsey — Orin Meeker, of Bloomington, is spending the summer here and will assist in Meeker Bros. store. John Popejoy is remodeling the building formerly occupied by his ice cream parlor and will connect it with his general store.

100 Years Ago

June 19, 1925

The reward for bank robbers in Livingston County, dead or alive, has been raised $500, they now being worth $1,000. This was decided last Friday evening at a meeting of the Livingston County Bankers' Federation held in Pontiac. All of the towns in the county now have fully organized home guard units, fully armed and equipped with heavy calibre rifles and ammunition, ready to take up the chase of any bank bandits. These units are under the command of the sheriff and may be used in hunting down other law violators, also.

During the storm Wednesday morning lightning struck two barns in this vicinity, both of which burned. One was on the Masterson farm, seven miles southwest of town, tenanted by Will Hoover, and the other was on the Oscar Holloway farm, northeast of town, near Wing, farmed by Ben Williams. At the Masterson farm the barn, harness, farm implements, 15 bushels of barley, some straw and a small quantity of oats were destroyed. Several head of horses and mules were in the barn at the time, but were gotten out. The loss was around $2,500 and was only partially covered by insurance. On the Oscar Holloway farm, the barn, farm implements and machinery were destroyed.

In order that they may have more room to handle their increasing business, the Claudon State Bank will after July first add to their present quarters the building now occupied by the American Express Company, just north of the Claudon bank. Doorways will be cut and a passageway built between the two buildings. The express company will move to the building now occupied by the Association of Commerce offices. John Fendrick, who has occupied a part of the latter building with a variety store, has disposed of his stock and the Association of Commerce offices will move into the room he vacated.

90 Years Ago

June 14, 1935

With the sick — Mose Mowery has been nursing an infected hand, the result of a scratch he received while at work. Irvin Nagel, son of John Nagel, cut a knee while swimming in the creek last Sunday. The injury has kept him from his work at Kring's greenhouse this week. Harlow King, south of town, is ill and confined to his home.

The Munz sandpit attempted, but did not succeed, in washing out a young life Sunday. Ben White, who has recently established residence in this city, pulled the well-ducked lad out. Richard Gouge, aged 12, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Gouge, was the near victim. The accident occurred Sunday afternoon about 5 o'clock. He was wading near a step-off about twenty feet deep. Suddenly he sank from sight. Sensing that all was not well, White, who was sitting on the diving board fully clothed, plunged in after him. Young Gouge was going down for the third time when his rescuer was able to get hold of him and bring him to shore. The boy had swallowed about a pint of water, but when his system was relieved of it and he had rested a few minutes he was able to go away unaided. Mr. White was the main loser in the mishap. He ruined his good clothes when he dived in after the boy.

Governor Henry Horner in a proclamation setting aside Friday, June 13, as Flag Day, urged that the citizens of Illinois renew their loyalty and devotion to the flag. The governor also designated the period as an appropriate time for civic, educational and religious organizations to emphasize the principles for which the flag stands. Fairbury citizens are asked to cooperate in the observance of the day by displaying the flag at their places of business and at their homes.

80 Years Ago

June 15, 1945

The City of Fairbury has contracted for the purchase of a new fire truck from the Central Fire Company of St. Louis, Mo. The purchase of the truck was made at the city hall on Tuesday afternoon with the mayor and the entire council present. Four bids were submitted as follows: American La France Co., $4,715.38; American Fire Co., $3,225; Central Fire Co., $3,563.50; and the Seagraves Co., $8,218. The latter's bid was on a custom built truck and complete with chassis. The other three were without chassis.

The Fairbury Boy Scouts were awarded a General Eisenhower trophy at the meeting of the Rotary Club Tuesday evening for having collected the largest amount of waste paper of any troop in the Corn Belt Scout Council. The trophy was a 75-millimeter shell container picked up on a battlefield in France. The trophy was presented by Harry Dowell, of Bloomington, Corn Belt Council executive, in a brief speech filled with praise for the Fairbury Scouts, and was received by DeLaine Simmons, local Scoutmaster.

Elisha Bennett, who for the past two years has occupied the P.C. James building, known as the laundry building, with his auto repair shop, is moving the first of July to the J. N. Bach building, recently vacated by Steidinger's Service. Mr. Bennett's new location will give him considerably more room, something he has badly needed.

70 Years Ago

June 16, 1955

More than 500 persons gathered at the Fairbury High School Saturday night when Mr. and Mrs. Ben Roth and family gave their farewell barbecue party. The Roths are moving to Los Angeles, Calif., where Mr. Roth will be in the insurance business.

Francis and Ronald Thomas, sons of Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Thomas, have been offered contracts by the St. Louis Cardinal Baseball Club.

Warren Zehr, valedictorian of the graduating class of Fairbury High School, has been given the annual award of the Reader's Digest for students who by their successful school work give promise of attaining leadership in the community.

Gene Vaughan was elected president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce at a recent meeting held at the E. & E. Cafe.

60 Years Ago

June 17, 1965

Gary Ifft returned Sunday from a week's trip to Washington, D. C. This all-expense-paid trip was awarded him for his first prize essay entered in a contest sponsored by the Eastern Illinois Power Cooperative. He left June 5 from Springfield with a group of 48 other contest winners from throughout the state. Included in the agenda of the trip were visits to the White House, the Capitol building, Supreme Court, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wax Museum and many other places of interest. The highlight of the trip came when the group met President Lyndon B. Johnson in the rose garden at the White House. Gary is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Ifft of rural Fairbury.

A Fairbury-Cropsey graduate who received her diploma here at age 14 in 1961 could possibly be the youngest student to have received a degree from Illinois State University, Normal. Susan Ernst, 18, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Ernst, is that student. Susan skipped three grades at the elementary level, which accounts for her early matriculation. Although you can't get a certificate to teach in Illinois until the 19th birthdate, Miss Ernst will be that age on August 15, which will allow her to teach this fall.

Harold F. "Swede" Huston, local rural carrier, was recently awarded a 35-year award for safe driving. Although he has been carrying the mail on rural route one out of Cropsey for more than 40 years without any accidents, the awards were not issued the first five years he was the carrier. When he first began carrying the mail he had only 23 miles to travel, then later a few miles were added which gave him 26 and later another seven miles were added, making 33 at present. He has 77 stops on the route and serves a few less than 400 patrons.

50 Years Ago

June 19, 1975

Indian Creek County Club members recently built a shelter for their charcoal grills and vented them through the landmark chimney which has stood on the site for nearly a century. The chimney, on the old Munz farm, is all that's left from the old sorghum mill which once stood where the clubhouse does now. Club members say their grill "really draws."

A May, 1975 graduate of Eastern Illinois University and a native of Fairbury, James B. Munz, has joined the staff of Cornbelt Press, Inc., of Fairbury. Munz, with a major in marketing from Eastern, will have primary responsibilities in advertising and will work under the direction of Harold Vansickle, advertising manager for the six newspapers published by Cornbelt. Munz, a graduate of Fairbury-Cropsey High School in 1971, where he was president of the Student Council, is the third son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Hartzell Munz of Fairbury, and a member of the American Marketing Association.

Funeral services were held Monday, June 16, 1975 for William A. Wagner, 49. Mr. Wagner, former director of music education in the Fairbury-Cropsey School System, died Thursday at his home in Carson City, Nev. He was the son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Moser of Fairbury. He was born in Sikeston, Mo., Oct. 17, 1926, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Wagner, and graduated from high school there. He then obtained his bachelor's degree from Illinois Wesleyan at Bloomington, followed by his Master of Arts degree from Vandercook College of Music in Chicago. He also had post-graduate study at both the University of Illinois and at ISU. His first music education post was in the Fairbury-Cropsey schools from 1949 through 1955. Here, on Aug. 8, 1954, he was married to Karen Moser.

40 Years Ago

June 13, 1985

Art and Patty Fosdick announced Wednesday afternoon they have purchased property on the north edge of the Village of Forrest and will begin construction there next week on their turkey cooking plant. The couple last week saw the Fairbury City Council decline to give up their lease with the Santa Fe Railroad to Sunken Park, a site Fosdick wished to purchase for his proposed plant. Sunken Park lies directly across Locust Street from the Fosdick's processing plant.

Randy and Jill McCulloh are parents of their first child, Trevin Randall, born at 12:33 p.m. May 31, 1985 at St. James Hospital, Pontiac. He weighed eight pounds, 13 ounces and measured 22 inches. His grandparents are Stan McCulloh, Fairbury and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Steidinger, Chatsworth. Great-grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. John McCulloh, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Read, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Steidinger and Ernest Hofmann, Sr.

The new sun room at the Fairbury Dairy Queen was filled recently with first graders from Westview Elementary School enjoying an end of the year treat. Don and Nancy Gieselman have operated the Fairbury Dairy Queen for nine years. They recently added the sun room, which seats 20 persons, and remodeled the existing dining area. The Gieselmans also operated Dairy Queen facilities in Chenoa, El Paso and Eureka.

30 Years Ago

June 14, 1995

Prairie Central High School's Class of 1987 can now boast two doctors among its alumni. Heather Dameron Herr and Shanu N. Kothari now both have M.D.'s behind their names, as both graduated this spring from separate medical schools. Herr graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine on May 20 in Springfield. She will enter a family practice residency at the SIU affiliated hospitals in Decatur this July. Kothari received a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, and recently completed medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. He will enter a residency program in surgery at Gundersen Medical Foundation in LaCrosse, Wis.

It is said that "gardens nourish the soul, providing sanctuary where reflection comes easily and the outside world fades away." The residents and staff of the Helen Lewis Smith Pavilion will soon have quite a bit of sanctuary in their own garden thanks to a committee of co-workers and volunteers. The garden, beginning as a seed of an idea from Carol Meints, Supervisor of Environmental Services Technicians, will be completed entirely using volunteer labor and materials donated from the surrounding communities.

Doctors Shawn and Robin Coady of Fairbury are the parents of a daughter, Tara Nicole Coady. She was born at 2:38 a.m. on May 26, 1995 at Covenant Hospital in Urbana. She weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 20½ inches long. Maternal grandparents are Walter and Martha Stevenson of Jacksonville, FL. Paternal grandparents are Tom and Wanda Coady of Paxton. Paternal great-grandmother is Marie Hicks of Paxton.

20 Years Ago

June 15, 2005

On Tuesday, June 7, glass was mounted inside the frame that holds the numbers for the tower clock at old city hall in Fairbury. The backside of the glass panels were sandblasted to give a frosted look. According to Fairbury City Superintendent Leroy McPherson, the city is waiting for repair on the clock mechanism to be completed so the historic clock will be in operation once again. McPherson said that the clock should be operational by June 21. City employees were assisted in mounting the glass by Koehl Bros.

Dave's Supermarket, Inc., in Fairbury, has it's third generation on board. Illinois State University graduate, Justin Steffen, son of Mark and Kanda Steffen, has recently joined the Dave's Team full-time. He has worked at Dave's throughout his high school and college years. After receiving degrees in business and administration and marketing, Justin Steffen will continue to work in the produce department and assist with the store's marketing. Dave Steffen and his wife Emmy opened the store in 1950. All four of their children – Vicki, Alan, Mark and Brian, have since followed in their footsteps, creating a true family business. In the past year, a total of 12 Steffen family members have worked there.

A few rain clouds failed to materialize Sunday afternoon, but they did keep the sun at bay, so the heat and humidity weren't a factor in the 100th birthday ice cream social and celebration for Dominy Memorial Library. The birthday party featured opening remarks by librarian Joan Smeltzer and Mayor Robert Walter. State Senator Dan Rutherford and State Representative Shane Cultra also presented a few brief remarks and extended congratulations to the City of Fairbury and the library staff. Smeltzer highlighted the afternoon by reading a letter from First Lady Laura Bush, who was unable to attend (she really was invited), but extended her greetings to Fairbury and Dominy Library on its 100-year existence.

10 Years Ago

June 17, 2015

The Citizen's Bank of Chatsworth has been home away from home for Priscilla Lang Agner since she was 19 years old and recently graduated from Chatsworth High School. Agner is retiring after nearly 46 years of service to the Citizen's Bank of Chatsworth. Some of her favorite aspects of the job included working with the customers, numbers and keyboards. She still uses her typewriter on occasion and will always love numbers. Her retirement plans include spending more time with her daughter, Kathy Robertson, and grandchildren, Kallen, 9, and Kacely, 7. Agner has been working on scrapbooks for each of the kids and has three volumes for each of them. Her mother, Veva Lang, is still in Chatsworth and going strong. A retirement reception was held at the bank so long time customers could say good bye.

The Prairie Central High School girls' track awards banquet was held June 4 at the high school with a meal and then awards. Receiving special awards were Caitlyn Ifft, MVP; Ashley Maurer, Most Improved; and Ellie Hartke, Hawk Spirit Award.

Futures Unlimited held its annual awards and appreciation night May 14, in Pontiac. Futures was established in 1970 by a group of parents of children with disabilities who recognized a need for a workshop and activity center for adults with disabilities. The agency evolved over the years to assist adults with disabilities to reach their maximum potential and achieve independence. Sam Tauber of Chatsworth was the president of the parents group that had the foresight to see a need for an agency that would fill the needs of their disabled children as they matured. After Sam passed away in 1979, his wife, Verla, continued an active interest in the special needs of others and has been a constant supporter of Futures. In honor of the 45th anniversary of Futures Unlimited and Verla Tauber's 100th birthday, Tauber was recognized for her support and dedication to the mission.