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Eighty years in Lincoln
. . . except for three years, nine months, and 27
days
[APRIL
15, 2000] Ray
Leesman says that he has lived in Lincoln for 80 years, "except for three
years, nine months, and 27 days, when I was in the military." It was the
Air Force, to be exact. "Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, and I
was drafted on February 13, 1942." On November 26, 1944, on a brief
"pass" from the Air Force, Ray married a young lady named Gertrude
from Mount Pulaski. They had met six months before the start of World War II. He
was shipped overseas in April of 1945, only six months into their marriage.
During his time in combat, Ray served his country and the world as a gunner
scanner, flying 13 missions over Japan in a B29 Super Fortress bomber.
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When
Ray completed his military service, the Leesmans settled back in Lincoln and Ray
started selling furniture. Then in 1952, he heard about a place opening up
called Pittsburgh Plate and Glass. He says applying for a job there was one of
the smartest things he ever did. He worked at P.P.G Industries as a purchasing
agent for 30 years and retired in July of 1982.
[Resident raises a 'milk-toast' to Ray Leesman.]
But,
for Ray, retirement was an open door for further activity and interaction with
his community. He started volunteering, looking for places and people to serve.
[Ray Leesman serves hot coffee
to St. Clara's Manor resident.]
Virtually
every Friday for 18 years, Ray has gone to St. Clara’s Manor and served coffee
to the residents as they wait for their breakfast. He walks about and cheerfully
fills their cups while conversing with them and the staff members. He has become
a part of the team. George Davis, St. Clara’s administrator, says, "We
would be lost without him. He’s been a volunteer here for 18 years and was on
our board for six years." Ray obviously enjoys these Friday mornings at St.
Clara’s. He says, "I haven’t missed too many unless I was ill or out of
town. There’s a lot of satisfaction in helping somebody and making life a
little more pleasant for people."
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Ray
and Gertrude Leesman keep very busy with their volunteer efforts. They are
active in the local American Association of Retired Persons. They volunteer
twice a month for Meals-on-Wheels through St. John United Church of Christ,
delivering prepared meals from C.I.E.D.C. to elderly people and shut-ins.
Gertrude volunteers for the Red Cross during blood drives. Ray transports cancer
patients from Lincoln to Springfield for treatments at St. John’s Hospital and
Memorial Hospital. He also serves on the board for the Logan County Housing
Authority, is active in the Kiwanis Club, and they are both very active in their
church. Whew! People half their age don’t do that much!
When
asked what volunteering means to them, Ray responds, "It’s better than
just sitting in a rocking chair!" Gertrude says, "It’s better than
sitting and staring at the TV!"
The
Leesmans have three children and seven grandchildren, and live the lives of
happily retired people. Very active as volunteers for all sorts of agencies,
services and causes, they are truly good neighbors!
[Curtis
Sutterfield]
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Glenna
Smith, who will be 90 years old in June, has worked as a telephone
operator, a schoolteacher and a grocery retailer. She lives in San
Jose, on the Logan side of the county line. She began working for
the Pink Shutter Thrift Shop in 1973 as a paid employee, and though
she "officially retired," she still works there as a
volunteer, averaging about eight hours a week. Glenna says, "It’s
always been fascinating because you never know from one day to the
next what you’ll find in the boxes! I think the Pink Shutter is a
real community asset, and over the years it’s been a great service
to the community." She adds, "I’ve made a world of
friends here that I really treasure. They’ve been so good to
me."
[Donna Griffin rings up a sale at the Pink Shutter]
Donna
Griffin, another volunteer, is 77 years old and has lived in Lincoln
since 1940. She retired from Lehn & Fink after working for 42
years as the secretary to the plant manager. When she started
working there, it was known as Sterling Drugs. She has volunteered
at the Pink Shutter since 1991, when a newspaper article about the
shop caught her attention. As a member of the Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Board, Donna serves as a liaison between
board and the thrift shop. She also serves on the board of the
American Cancer Society of Logan County.
She
says that working at the thrift shop gives her "something
worthwhile to do, and I enjoy the auxiliary." She recalls a
memorable experience when the wife of a state congressman brought in
one of his suits and returned later to see if she could get it back.
"She said he wasn’t finished with it yet, but it was too
late. It had already sold."
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Thanks
to volunteers like Glenna and Donna, the Pink Shutter
Thrift Shop has raised $514, 337.00 since 1986. This has
enabled the auxiliary to finance projects and purchases
for Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital such as cardiac
rehabilitation equipment, mammography grids, an EKG page
writer and a surgical laser. Currently, the profits from
the thrift shop’s retail sales are pledged to a new
labor/delivery/postpartum room for the OB floor at the
hospital.
The
Pink Shutter opened on Pulaski Street in November 1961 and
moved to 210 S. Chicago St. in 1968. The shop has been at
its present location, 129 S. Sangamon, since February
1973.
There
are just three paid employees: Jennifer Heidbreder,
manager; Nancy Puls, assistant manager; and Ruby Doyle, a
full-time sales associate. All other operations are
covered by 40 regular volunteers. This March the Pink
Shutter had 1,750 customers and sold 10,475 items.
Barbara
Dahm, director of volunteer and special services at ALMH,
acknowledges the volunteers’ part in their success.
"We appreciate everything they do for us. We just can’t
thank them enough. Volunteers really are very special
people. We (the Pink Shutter) are a part of the hospital,
and in helping here, they are making a great contribution
to the community."
[Ruby Doyle and
Glenna Smith mark prices]
Manager
Jennifer Heidbreder says, "The volunteers are a
unique group of individuals from different walks of life.
I think some of them, if they didn’t have this, they
wouldn’t know what to do. It’s been a lot of fun
working with these ladies. I’ve learned a lot from them
talking about the old days."
[Curtis
Sutterfield]
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