OrganizationsEventsGood NeighborsA Day in the Life...Diaspora

April/May 2001


Thursday, April 26
SPONSORS: American Red Cross
WHO: Public
WHAT:
Blood drive
WHERE: Lincoln College
WHEN:
10 am - 3 pm

WHAT: "Salute to the Office Professionals" luncheon; for ticket information, call (217) 735-2385
WHERE: Knights of Columbus, 217 N. Limit St.
WHEN: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Saturday and Sunday, April 28 and 29
SPONSOR: Clark's Greenhouse Herbal & Country Gardens
WHO: Public
WHAT:
Spring Thyme Plant Fair
WHERE: One mile east of San Jose on Route 136, one-fourth mile south on New Holland blacktop

Thursday, May 3
SPONSOR: The Oasis, Logan County’s Senior Citizen Center
WHO:
Public
WHAT:
Open house to celebrate 16 years of service
WHERE: Oasis, 501 Pulaski St., Lincoln
WHEN:
4-6 pm

Saturday, May 5
SPONSOR: Living Alternatives, "A Crisis Pregnancy Center"
WHO:
Public
WHAT: Walk for Life

WHERE: Scully Park, downtown Lincoln
WHEN: Meet at park entrance by 9:30 am

WHO: Public
WHAT: Lincoln Community High School Prom Grand March

WHERE: Logan County Courthouse, downtown Lincoln
WHEN: 6 pm

Saturday, May 5
WHO: Public
WHAT: Elkhart Chautauqua

WHERE: Elkhart Hill
WHEN: 10 am - 4 pm

Friday, May 11
SPONSOR: St. John United Church of Christ
WHO:
Public
WHAT: Ice cream social

WHERE: 204 Seventh St.
WHEN: 4:30-7 pm

 

 

 

 

 


SPECIAL EVENTS:  Lincoln Police Department announces bicycle auctionOasis celebrates anniversaryWalk for Life prepares for annual eventBeta Sigma Phi awards car seat to Atlanta womanTeen volunteers can apply for summer work at hospitalGolf outing plannedSee Cards vs. Cubs; help local Habitat affiliateElkhart Chautauqua

REGULAR POSTINGS FOR ORGANIZATIONS:  American Red CrossGirl ScoutsHealthy Families Task ForceLincoln Park DistrictLogan County Joint Solid Waste Agency (recycling)Mason City Historical SocietyOasis


SPECIAL EVENTS

Lincoln Police Department announces bicycle auction

On May 19 at 1 p.m., the Lincoln Police Department will have a public auction at Kickapoo and Pekin streets.  The auction will consist of approximately 66 bicycles that are of various brands and conditions.  This is a cash-only auction.  The Lincoln Police Department will not accept any liability after the purchase.        


Oasis celebrates anniversary

The Oasis, Logan County's Senior Citizens Center, will celebrate 16 years of service this May! The Oasis has provided services, programs and activities to the citizens of Logan County since May 1985. An open house is planned for Thursday, May 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. A door prize, entertainment, cake, cookies, coffee, punch and a sampling of Oasis services will mark the event. The public is welcome to browse through the center, located at 501 Pulaski St., and witness some of the many programs and opportunities available.


Walk for Life prepares for annual event

Saturday, May 5, at 9:30 a.m. Living Alternatives, "A Crisis Pregnancy Center," will host their annual Walk for Life. This is their biggest fund-raiser of the year. It will be at Scully Park in downtown Lincoln this year.

The event greatly assists the center to serve many women (and men) facing crisis pregnancies each year. The walk is a two-mile distance. Sponsor pledges are to be for a set amount rather than per mile.

Walkers should meet at the park entrance at 9:30 for a 10 a.m. step off together. There will be refreshments and door prizes at 11 a.m.

Baked items and T-shirts will be on sale.

In case of downpour, meet at the Logan County Courthouse

If you would like to register or make a donation, print out the following and send to: 

Living Alternatives "A Crisis Pregnancy Center"

408A Pulaski, Lincoln, IL 62656

 


Name: _________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________

City: __________________________________________________________

Telephone: _____________________________________________________

Your Church Name: ______________________________________________

Registration for   q Child (11 & under) q Teen (12 – 18) q Adult (19 & up)

Date: _______________________

Signature: ______________________________________________________

q I will not be attending but would like to make a donation

If you have questions call (217) 735-4838.


Beta Sigma Phi awards car seat to Atlanta woman

Beta Sigma Phi’s Xi Mu Gamma chapter awarded a Century booster seat to Nancy Vannoy of Atlanta at the Health Fair on March 17. The Xi Mu Gamma chapter sponsored a fair booth promoting the need for older children to be in booster seats. Contrary to state law, which only requires children to be in booster seats until they are 4 years old or 40 pounds, the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety indicates that children are not sufficiently protected with seat belts until they reach 80 pounds. All children under 80 pounds should be in an appropriate car seat.


Teen volunteers can apply for summer work at hospital

Applications are currently being accepted for this summer’s teen volunteer program at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

Teen volunteers work throughout the hospital, performing a variety of duties in many different departments. To be eligible for the program, teens must be an eighth grade graduate and must complete an application form. All teen volunteers must also complete the training session scheduled on Wednesday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to noon at the hospital.

Applications are available at ALMH from Barbara Dahm, director of volunteer and special services. Applications should be filled out and returned in person to the volunteer office as soon as possible since the class size is limited to 12 participants. A brief interview will be conducted at that time. For more information, call (217) 732-2161, Ext. 184.


Golf outing planned

Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation has set Friday, June 29, for their seventh annual golf outing at the Elk’s Country Club in Lincoln. The format will again be a four-person scramble with a 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. shotgun start. The $75 entry fee includes greens fee and free cart rental, along with opportunities to win prizes and awards, including Hole-in-One, Top Foursomes, Longest Putt, Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin, for both men and women. Also provided are a continental breakfast and buffet luncheon.

In addition to golfing, a variety of sponsorships are available, including Tee, Cart and Prize Sponsorships. Appropriate recognition and benefits are provided for each sponsor.

All funds raised from the golf outing support the ALMH Care-A-Van service. The Care-A-Van is a specially equipped van, custom-built to provide non-emergency transportation for individuals who are wheelchair-bound or need transportation assistance to get to necessary appointments.

For more information on player registration or sponsorship opportunities, please call Cynthia Kelley at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 405.


See Cards vs. Cubs; help local Habitat affiliate

Logan County Day, Cardinals vs. Cubs, will be sponsored by the Logan County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. The game is Sunday, May 13, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Game time is 1:10 p.m.

Tickets are available at A.G. Edwards, Lincoln; Union Planters Bank, Lincoln; Farmers State Bank, Mount Pulaski; Hartsburg State Bank, Hartsburg; Lincoln Elks Golf Shop, Lincoln; Illini Bank, Lincoln and Elkhart; Bank of Chestnut, Chestnut; and Atlanta National Bank, Atlanta.

  The cost is $20 per ticket, and checks should be made payable to Habitat for Humanity. Each ticket includes a $2 donation to Habitat.

 


Elkhart Chautauqua planned for May 5

Lincoln look-alikes, ‘painless history,’ petting zoo, craft demos

The Elkhart Chautauqua for the year 2001 will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 5. Abraham Lincoln on horseback will be escorted onto the parade grounds by the Illinois 7th Cavalry Unit.

At 1 p.m. a Lincoln look-alike contest will be judged. The committee is encouraging young, beardless Lincolns to take part in the contest, as well as older, bearded Lincolns. A prize will be awarded to the winner.

A "Painless History Alert" is being released to encourage teachers and students to attend the festivities and learn history while having fun. Nancy Torgerson will explain "How Children Lived in Lincoln’s Time." She will tell about games children played in Abe Lincoln’s day, the chores children were required to do and the clothing they wore. This will be a great opportunity for young children to look back in time and see how different their lives might have been if they were born in 1830.

At the petting zoo, youngsters can pet angora rabbits, goats, a mini-horse and a variety of other small animals.

The Logan County Craft Guild will give demonstrations on a variety of crafts, including quilting, bobbin lace, candle-making, soap and spinning.

Workers in the sheep industry will give a herding demonstration on containing sheep and the production of wool. There will also be a goat-milking demonstration.

The American Legion will have a food booth for the sale of pork chops and rib-eye sandwiches. In addition, there will be other vendor booths selling sandwiches.

For more information, call Gillette Ransom, (217) 947-2238.

[Kathleen McCullough]


REGULAR POSTINGS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

American Red Cross

First aid and CPR classes this month

A Community First Aid and Safety class will be given April 25 and 26 at the Logan County Red Cross office, 125 S. Kickapoo St. in Lincoln. This class includes adult CPR, infant and child CPR, and first aid. Hours the first evening are from 6 until 10 p.m. and the second evening from 5 until 10 p.m.

On Saturday, April 28, there will be a Challenge class for those who need to be recertified in CPR. This class will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Preregistration is required. For further information, call 732-2134 between the noon and 4 p.m. any weekday.

Blood drives in April

Lincoln College will be the site for an American Red Cross blood drive Thursday, April 26, with hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Blood donors reach goals

During March, the following people reached goals in their blood donations:

R.W. Shanle, 24 gallons; Maurice Doolin, 12; Helen E. Hoagland, eight; Daniel Jones, five; Cathy J. Renfro and A. Kay Thompson, four each; Amy S. Eads, three; Shawna L. Sisk and Vivian Worthey, two gallons each; Aimee Dierker, Maribeth Lauth, Donald D. Wolpert and Julie Piatchek, one gallon each.

Congratulations to these who continue to give the gift of life.


Girl Scouts

Upcoming local activities

•  Leader appreciation dinner at Guzzardo's, Wednesday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m.

RSVP to Marcia Phillips.

•  Service Area 1 lock-in at the Rec on Friday, May 4

If you have questions, call Cindy Newhouse, your troop leader or Gina at the Land of Lincoln Council.

•  Day camp at Kickapoo Creek Park on Monday and Tuesday, June 11 and 12

For more information, call Gina at the council or ask your leader.

Links

Websites with lots of ideas that Girl Scout leaders, families or kids can use:

makingfriends.com

crayola.com

elmers.com 

See the website for Girl Scouts, Land of Lincoln Council, at http://www.girlscoutsllc.org/.

You can send questions and suggestions to the council by clicking here: gsllc@girlscoutsllc.org.

Also, see the national Girl Scouts site at http://www.girlscouts.org/.


A program of Healthy Families Task Force

‘Safe Stops’ help children in emergencies

Dear Editor:

The Healthy Families Task Force would like to thank the people of Lincoln for their support of the "Safe Stop" program. A "Safe Stop" is a home or business where a young person may receive emergency assistance when a family member is not available. A "Safe Stop" emblem is posted in a window or door where it can easily be seen. The Lincoln Police Department screens all applicants as well as provides the educational connection in the schools.

We currently have 15 "Safe Stops" located in our community. Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, CEFCU, Jenkins Insurance, Lincoln Christian Church, MKS Jewelers, Abe’s Carmelcorn Shoppe and West Lincoln-Broadwell School are our non-residential "Stops." The rest are located in residential homes throughout Lincoln. We would like to request that parents look for the red stop sign emblems in areas where their children walk, ride bikes or play. Discuss the locations of these "Stops" in your area and when they should be used.

It is because of the volunteers and organizations who devote their time, effort and dollars that Lincoln is a community many choose as their home. It takes many committed people to run the agencies and organizations that make Lincoln special. One person can make a difference. We are still in need of more places to help. Become a "Safe Stop!" Applications are available at the front desk at Heartland Community College or by contacting Rich Montcalm at the Lincoln Police Department.

Louella Moreland

"Safe Stop" Chair

Healthy Families Task Force

Healthy Community Partnership


Lincoln Park District notes

March 31 was the last day to sign up for boys baseball and girls softball at the Lincoln Park District.  Any sign-ups after that result in a late registration fee.

A lot of people have called wanting to know when sign-up is for men's and women's softball.   Registration began Monday, April 9, and will end May 4.  The fees are the same as last year. 

Tee ball sign-up begins May 7 and ends May 27.  Tee ball is for boys and girls entering kindergarten through second grade.  We are very pleased to have Curt Nettles and Bob Jones returning as coaches again this year.  They did a great job last year, and we look forward to another "winning" season.

The plans for summer are nearly finalized.  The summer brochure will be out early in May.  We encourage you to keep this brochure as a reference so that you will know what is coming up at your Park District.

We have some new and very exciting programs to offer this summer.  One of our new ones will be horseback riding lessons hosted at Liesman Stables.  Longtime horse enthusiast Ann Liesman will be our instructor.  This class size will be limited, and early registration is strongly advised.

Another new twist for summer will be our Crafts Program for Kids. Andrea Niehaus will be our instructor, and she will feature painting on wood or terra cotta pots.  Each age group will make something different.  Andrea returns to our area after spending many years in South Africa, where she owned and operated her own art gallery.  Mrs. Niehaus will also offer a two-week session for adults. The first week will be spent making a predetermined object, and the second week you will be able to select from two or three different choices of what you want to make.

[Roy Logan, program coordinator]


Click here for detailed information on recycling in Logan County

Includes "How to Prepare Recyclables?";
 "Logan County Recycling Sites"; "Where Can We Recycle??";
and a link to Logan County Joint Solid Waste Agency site


Mason City Historical Society

Free dance lessons in Mason City

The Mason City Historical Society is happy to again offer free dance lessons for people who want to attend the military ball during Mason City’s Living History Weekend in May.  The venture proved to be a lot of fun for those participating in the free lessons last year. 

The Civic Center, 120 N. Main St. in downtown Mason City, will open each Thursday evening at 7 for two hours of fun and instruction.  The first session was Thursday, April 5. Instructors are Mr. and Mrs. David Kneiriem.

Have you ever noticed that when people dance, they wear a smile?  You'll be surprised at what dancing can do for the soul.  You'll be even more surprised what dancing can do for your figure.  A slow waltz, which will be taught, triples your metabolism.  Folk and square dancing increases your metabolism by 5˝ times.  The Virginia reel, grand march, broom dance, other period dances and simple squares will be part of the fun.

MCHSociety is going to get you ready to strut your stuff to the music of the 133rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band at the Civil War Ball on Saturday, May 26, in the beautifully decorated Mason City Illini Central School cafeteria.  Though period attire is not a requirement, free admission will be granted to those in costumes of the era.

Don't worry if you don't have a partner. Come learn the dances, get your outfit and a partner can be arranged just for you. While reliving history, this fun event will allow you to make history.

[MCHSociety news release]


117 years later it’s time to restock a new time capsule

Items to seal into the new capsule that will replace the 1884 time capsule recently discovered in Mason City Soldiers Monument are currently being considered by the Mason City Historical Society.  The public is invited to take items of current interest to the city clerk’s office until the 4 p.m. deadline on April 10.

On April 13 a new and somewhat larger time capsule with copies of the 1884 historic items plus selected 2001 items will be embedded into a bit larger cavity of the old stone by Arnold's Monument, the company now in charge of re-carving the Civil War soldiers’ names for the local "Save A Site" project.

The newly restored Civil War Soldier's Monument with capsule intact will be set by the restoration company in time for a May 26, rededication ceremony during Living History Weekend in Mason City's Memorial Park. 


Oasis update

The Oasis, Logan County’s Senior Citizen Center, is located at 501 Pulaski St. in Lincoln. The center is open weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and for Friday and Sunday night pinochle and other table games. The center is closed on holidays. Activities are open to all Logan County senior citizens.

Free legal assistance is available through the Oasis and Lincoln Land Services each fourth Thursday of the month. Call to made your appointment for Thursday, April 26.

Free blood pressure checks are available each Friday between 10 and 11:30 a.m. Volunteer nurses will track your pressure readings so you can provide this valuable information to your attending physician.

White elephant bingo will be Thursday, April 26, at 1 p.m. The games are sponsored by AARP. Please bring a white elephant gift for Bingo prizes.

A Veteran’s Administration representative is available to assist you each Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oasis craft group is stocking the gift shop with Mother’s Day gifts. The group is working on new and creative gifts for this important holiday. Please remember your daughters and daughter-in-laws when shopping.

Free hearing screening is available on the first Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. Please call for an appointment on Wednesday, May 2.

Oasis celebrates 16 years of service this May! The "Oasis" has provided services, programs and activities to the citizens of Logan County since May 1985. An open house is planned for Thursday, May 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. Door prize, entertainment, cake, cookies, coffee, punch and a sampling of services will mark the event. The public is welcome to browse through the center and witness some of the many programs and opportunities available.

"Think Tank" meets each Wednesday at 9 a.m. and is always interesting. Guest speakers, lively discussions, ideal social setting, and coffee and doughnuts are always available.

Those who choose to have a Friends of the Oasis membership receive a bimonthly newsletter in the mail. Call the Oasis, 732-6132, for further information.


Relay for Life celebrates life

Walkers have many stories

[APRIL 25, 2001]  "This is a community celebration of hope. Life is a gift, and each day is a celebration."

[Click here for more photos]

That was the message cancer survivors, family members of those who survived and of those who did not, as well as others eager to help a cause they believe in heard from Mary Ellen Martin Saturday morning at the fourth annual Relay for Life.

More than 700 people participated in the weekend event at the Lincoln Park District Recreation Center, which began at 8 p.m. April 20 and ended during the afternoon of the next day. The event raised more than the Logan County chapter’s goal of $58,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Those dollars, according to Martin and Kathy Blaum, co-chairs of the event, will stay in Illinois, and most will be used for research in cancer centers in the state. A few dollars will go to the local chapter to help pay for programs such as mileage for volunteers who drive cancer victims to out-of-town treatment centers.

 

From the opening ceremonies at 8 p.m. Friday to the final lap on Saturday afternoon, 64 teams kept walkers on the track in the tennis courts. The track was outlined in white paper bags that, at the end of the Relay for Life, would become luminarias in memory of those lost to the disease. Throughout the relay, entertainment was provided by local groups and individuals, all of whom donated their time and talents.

A highlight of the event came at 9:30 Saturday morning, when other walkers cleared the track for the 92 cancer survivors who were present. Wearing their medallions on purple ribbons, many with pins on the ribbons indicating they had walked in previous years, the survivors did their laps, accompanied by the applause of the crowd.

They included both men and women, and they encompassed all ages, from children to senior citizens. Every walker had a story, and here are some of them.

Viola Rickey

At 80 years old, Viola doesn’t find walking easy. There are a lot of other things she doesn’t find easy either, because of a knee replacement and two hip surgeries. But Viola, who has lived in Lincoln for the past 23 years, walks her laps because she believes the Relay for Life needs to be supported. For one thing, she wants to see a cure found for brain cancer. A few years ago, she lost a granddaughter to that form of the disease.

A six-year survivor, Viola is the exception in her family. Along with her granddaughter, who was 11 when she died, nine other family members have been cancer victims.

Viola wants to emphasize the importance of breast self-examinations for women.

"The kind of cancer I had would not have showed up on a mammogram," she says. "The whole thing is finding it early."

Kayla Meister and Tabatha Weidhuner

Kayla, age 7, of Mount Pulaski, and Tabatha, age 6, of Middletown, probably didn’t begin playing together Saturday because they are both cancer survivors but simply because they are both friendly, happy little girls. Their families are working hard to keep them that way.


[Two young cancer survivors, Kayla Meister, age 7, and Tabatha Weidhuner, age 6, joined the walkers at Relay for Life on Saturday.]

Kayla was only 3˝ when she had a malignant tumor removed from her brain. "On Dec. 15, 1997, we found out she was paralyzed on her right side. The tumor was removed on Dec. 18 at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. She went through four rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant," her father, Gary, told the Lincoln Daily News.

"She had 10 days of massive chemo, and on the 12th day they gave her her stem cells back. They had taken them out of her blood and frozen them ahead of time. Ten days later she was able to come home."

The type of cancer Kayla had is very aggressive, and initially her parents were told she had only a 35 percent chance of survival. Chances became much better when she got through the chemotherapy, which made her extremely ill, and the stem cell transplant.

"Lots of prayers later, she’s doing well," her father says. She has some residual damage from the chemotherapy, a "substantial" high frequency hearing loss, but she’s coping with it well. "She’s sharp as a tack," he adds proudly.

At first Kayla had to have an MRI every three months, but now it’s every six months. She’s due for another soon.

"With her, any illness is dramatic," mother Jennifer explains. "You just never know."

Tabatha Weidhuner is a two-year survivor of lymphosarcoma, a cancer that was found when she had a tonsillectomy. In kindergarten at New Holland-Middletown Primary School, Tabatha still has a checkup every month or six weeks.

She came to the Relay for Life with her great-grandmother, Esther Boward. "We get scared every now and then, but she’s doing very well," Esther says.

Brenda Tibbs

On October 17 of last year, the day after her 33rd birthday, Brenda Tibbs had her left hip, femur and knee replaced because of a rare type of bone cancer. The radiation that followed her surgery damaged tendons and ligaments in her leg, so she did her laps in her wheelchair, pushed by her good friend Teresa Oltmanns. Both live in Lincoln.

Brenda can walk a little with crutches but becomes very tired. She’s in physical therapy and hopes to see a lot of improvement in her ability to get around.

 

 

[to top of second column in this article]

She had been a volunteer in the Relay for Life even before she herself became a cancer patient. "My grandfather and a friend both passed away from cancer, and it was important for me to be part of the Relay for Life," she says. "It was important for me to help find the cure.

"Now I’m one of those they’re finding the cure for," she adds.

Teresa was more than happy to come to Relay for Life and push Brenda’s wheelchair. "There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for her. We’ve been best friends since seventh grade, and now she’s my hero," Teresa says.

Bob Jeckel

"We can’t do this alone," says Bob Jeckel, at age 55 a 10-year survivor of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He credits his family, their support and their prayers, with helping him return to health.

 


[Survivor Bob Jeckel]

His two daughters were in high school when he learned he had the disease, and they and his wife helped him get through his chemotherapy and keep the cancer in remission.

His neighbors helped, too. When the cancer first struck he was farming, and his neighbors, following the age-old pattern of farmers helping each other, came over and did the farm work Bob wasn’t well enough to do.

He also credits his oncologist, Charles Wabner of the Cancer Center in Springfield.

"He said, before we started the chemo, ‘What we are doing is important, but what goes on between your ears is even more important than what the chemo does. Stay as positive as you can,’ he told me. My family helped me do that."

Bob is a member of the Lincoln Rotary Club, and a group from that club helps support the cancer research fund-raiser.

"Our mission in life is to be of service to others. I think it is great that this community puts on this Relay for Life."

Kathie and Ann Elliott

Mother Kathie Elliott is a two-time survivor who has already outlived at least one doctor’s prognosis.

"My first bout with abdominal cancer was in 1990 and 1991," she says. "In April of 1999 I had a reoccurrence. A doctor in the area told me I had only six months to live, and he didn’t want to treat me."


[Two-time survivor Kathie Elliott and her daughter, Ann, also a survivor, participate at Relay for Life, selling CDs of music Ann and other LCHS students recorded.]

Not satisfied with that opinion, Kathie went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "I said to the doctors there I was told I only had six months. They said, ‘We think we can turn those months into years.’"

Kathie now takes chemotherapy every day, in tablet form, and will probably continue to take it as long as her body can tolerate it. She says she has to push herself to get going, but she walked twice around the track. She considers herself "somewhat productive," even though she has to rest a lot.

She was being very productive on Saturday, staffing a booth where a CD, "The Music of Hope," was being sold to benefit the Cancer Society.

Kathie’s daughter, Ann, a senior at Lincoln Community High School, is also a survivor, having had ovarian cancer when she was 10 years old. Oddly enough, only one other person on either side of the Elliott family has ever had cancer.

Ann is a member of the LCHS choir, and she and three other students, Allison Leonard, Jason Yarcho and Kyle Pepperell, along with choir director Kim Peterson Quinn and her husband, Tom Quinn (who teaches music at Carroll Catholic), put together the inspirational music for the CD.

Ann, whose vocal music was part of the entertainment at Saturday’s event, will graduate in May and plans to go to Illinois Wesleyan University, where she will major in speech communication and minor in vocal performance.

Fran Lessen

Fran, a five-year survivor of renal cell cancer, was also told she had only six months to live. That was in l996, when her right kidney was removed.

 


[Fran Lessen, a five-year survivor of renal cell cancer.]

"Mom has been with us since then, and she’s doing very well right now," her daughter Susan said. "We feel like this Relay for Life is our celebration."

Mrs. Lessen’s mother-in-law, Patsy Gehlbach, also died of renal cell cancer.

The Lessen family’s booth, "Angels all Around Us," staffed by family members and friends, took first place among the many exhibits set up around the walking track. To help bring in extra money for the Cancer Society, the Lessens had drawings for angel dolls and other items.

Also walking Saturday morning were a group of fourth-graders from Chester-East Lincoln Elementary School. These students, along with teachers Pam Woith and Jean Dumouchel, walked in support of a classmate who is battling cancer. The school has had several fund-raisers to help the boy and his family.

The Relay for Life is a celebration for those who survived, but it also honors those who did not. At the closing ceremonies, Judy Awe, chairman of the memorial committee, read the names of the 900 cancer victims represented by the luminarias surrounding the track.

[Joan Crabb]

[Click here for more photos]

ABE LINCOLN

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People all across this country and, in fact, around the world, claim roots in Logan County. They have very interesting stories to tell, and some of them like to connect with those of us who stayed at home. Logan County Diaspora publishes the stories of former Logan County residents. With their permission, we also include their e-mail addresses so that old friends might be reunited.  If you wish to be part of the Logan County Diaspora, e-mail ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.  


Reunions


Leigh Henson, now a college teacher in Missouri, remembers Miss Jones, Jefferson School principal

I graduated from LCHS in 1960, attended Lincoln College for a year and then transferred to Illinois State (then Illinois State Normal University).  I taught at Pekin Community High School for 30 years before taking early retirement in 1994.  Since then I have taught technical communication at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.  For more information about my career and teaching activities, please visit http://www.smsu.edu/english/dlhpages/dlh.html.

The move to Missouri has increased my appreciation of the diversity of our society.  I always wondered what people meant by having to deal with "culture shock" in moving to a different section of the country.  Here in the Ozarks, there seems to be a blend of Midwestern, Southern and Western cultural influences. Let me cite an example of the Western influence. Missouri is nicknamed the "Show Me" state, and that often seems to translate as an attitude of "so what?" or "prove it."  The good thing is that here rugged individualism is alive and well.

As a teacher for nearly 37 years, I have been especially interested in communities composed of students, teachers and parents. Thus, many of my most vivid Lincoln memories have to do with school experiences. For example, I attended Jefferson School from 1949 through 1954 and remember being taught in fourth, fifth and sixth grades by the principal, Miss Bernadine Jones.  She kept us together as a class because she had taught most of our parents, aunts and uncles and so took a special interest in us. 

 

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Those were the times in which many students regarded teachers with awe.  At the beginning of fourth grade, I was so aware of Miss Jones' reputation for strictness that on the first day of school I attempted to avoid her class by enrolling myself in the other fourth-grade teacher's class.  About an hour or so went by, and I began to relax, thinking I had escaped.  Suddenly, Miss Jones walked briskly into the room.  She sternly asked if I were there and then escorted me to her classroom-office.

Fortunately, she did not take me to the nurse's office, where her infamous wooden paddle prominently hung on the wall, handy for private lessons.  When she took someone for those lessons, we often heard the results.

For three years, our class learned values as well as the "three R’s."  In the way she taught and ran the school, she exemplified discipline and responsibility and got respect for it. 

I would be interested in exchanging other stories with classmates.  For this reason, I have collaborated with other LCHS classmates in the creation of an interactive LCHS Class of 1960 site at http://www.geocities.com/lincolnhigh1960/.

On behalf of my classmates, I am grateful to Lincolndailynews.com for helping us use Internet communication as a way to re-establish our community. 

Leigh Henson

(3-29-01)

 (Note: A link to the Internet site for 1960 graduates of LCHS is available regularly under "Reunions" in the LDN Diaspora section.)

 

 


Wants info on LCHS class reunion

I think LDN is just great. I live in San Antonio, Texas, so LDN is the only way I can keep up on what's happening in Lincoln.

I have just one request. Does anybody know when the class reunion for 1966 is going to be this year? I would really appreciate the information.

Thanks.

James Chandler  (Doc)

415 Pemcanyon

San Antonio, TX  78240

(210) 561-9505

doc@texas.net


(3-8-01)

 


Foreign Service officer recalls
infamous Valentine's Day '79 in Tehran

By George McKinney

Valentine’s Day brings back memories for all of us — the sweethearts we gave flowers to or chocolate candy or kind words to our mothers.

Valentine’s Day for me awakes the memories of being taken hostage in Tehran that very day. We at the American Embassy in Tehran nicknamed it the "Valentine's Day Massacre."

At about 10 a.m., Feb. 14, 1979, three vehicles pulled up at strategic locations around the embassy compound and opened fire with machine guns. Iranian fanatics under the Ayatollah Khomeni were attacking our embassy with the intent to close it and do serious bodily harm to the occupants, American and Iranian employees. Our Marine detachment was able to return fire and hold them off for about three hours, but were outnumbered and outgunned.

I was caught under heavy gunfire while setting up a "secure" telephone system in the embassy administrator's office on the first floor of the embassy. Through the grace of God, I was able to get upstairs to my own office, located in our communications vault, which I was in charge of. My staff were already in the process of destroying sensitive equipment and classified documents under the direction of my deputy communications officer. During this same time frame, as many employees as possible were making it to the vault, which was also the embassy's "safe haven" location.

Numerous firefights were taking place throughout the embassy at this time, as the Iranians had successfully gotten onto our compound. Some of our Marines were wounded, some were captured and taken away, and some people suffered the ultimate — death…

As our ambassador was doing what he could to assure the safety for as many as possible, there was no doubt we were going to have to surrender the embassy.

He yelled to me, "How much more time do you need?" (to destroy necessary equipment and documents).

I told him, "Thirty more minutes," but because of the atrocities taking place and to save as many lives as possible, we didn't get that 30 minutes.

 

[to top of second column in this section]

At that time, I was on one of our HF radio systems informing our embassy in Kuwait that we were under attack, surrendering the embassy and for them to inform the Department of State in Washington, D.C. The ambassador swung open the vault door and the Iranians busted in, saw me on the radio and bashed me in the head with an AK-47. As I got hit, I spun the dial on the radio so they would not know our radio frequency.

When I regained consciousness, armed Iranians were everywhere and were in the process of removing us from the vault. As they removed us, they body-searched us and forcefully took us to a large area to physically control us. They had us get on our knees with our hands behind our heads. We were held there for some time and physically abused at their whim.

We were later removed to the outside of the embassy and placed in front of a machine gun that had been set up. Many things took place at this time that I won't go into, but the international press (numerous) showed up, and that most likely saved our lives. I had been injured earlier, besides being hit in the head and again beaten when taken outside of the embassy. We were later taken to the ambassador's residence, located on the compound.

Some employees were released during the next days and weeks, but I did not leave until all of my staff were safe and accounted for and also safely gotten out of Tehran.

This was not my first encounter with terrorism, as I had been kidnapped in Fort Lamy, Tchad, in 1968. I believe my prior experience in the Marines, having served in unstable countries prior to being assigned to Iran, most likely prepared me for what took place.

Of course, not learning from these experiences, I continued to volunteer for the trouble spots around the world during the rest of my career in the Foreign Service.

It is one Valentine’s Day I will never forget.

[George A. McKinney, Pharr, Texas]

(2-15-01)

 

 


Tom Renner writes in

As a native Logan County resident, after high school in Mount Pulaski I went to the Navy in 1956. After getting out of the Navy in 1960, I moved to Southern California and spent most of 17 years working as a construction welder working out of the Boilermakers Union. Got tired of looking through a dark lens, so went to driving a truck cross-country for KLM out of Jackson, Miss., but now retired and living in Sun City, Ariz., enjoying the heat and the fishing.

So if any of the old bunch are still around, get in touch. I hear from George McKinney from time to time (alias Buster). I am sure he will like that.

All three of my girls live in Lincoln. Oldest is a nurse; No. 2 works in a factory in Lincoln; No. 3 — don’t know what she is doing.

Godspeed to all of my old classmates in Mount Pulaski, and live long and prosperous.

To contact me send e-mail to renner1@juno.com.

Tom Renner

(2-6-01)

 


 Franz writes home

Although I have visited the Daily News several times, this was my first time in this section — really like it. Like many others have said, this column is a good place to get in touch and find friends you have not seen or heard from for years.

I am Wayne Franz:

—Graduated from LCHS in 1956 and left almost immediately for a career in the United States Air Force — almost 22 years, and [I’ve] seen a good part of the sphere we live on.

—Retired from the service in 1979 and settled in the Great Northwest — Everett, Wash., to be exact.

—Joined the Boeing company and, as part of the AOG (Airplane on Ground) team, managed to see quite a bit more.

—Retired from Boeing this past August.

—Married a wonderful California woman 42 years ago; have two daughters and three grandchildren.

Have not been back to Lincoln as often as I probably should have, but do think of it often. We are planning a visit this coming summer. Still have sisters in Atlanta and Springfield and a brother in Charleston. I have many fond memories of Lincoln.

I can be found at wefranz@aol.com.

(1-2-01)

 


Greg Schriber hopes to find old friends from Lincoln

Hello, Lincoln:

I live in Liberty, Mo., just north of Kansas City. I left Lincoln around 1984 and spent some time in Montana and now here. I miss Lincoln at times and hope to find some of my old friends from there. I keep in touch with only one to date. This website is the first link I have had with Lincoln other than my family and I appreciate it.

Greg Schriber

gregschriber@hotmail.com 

(9-12-00)

 


Nancy Eichelberger still gets homesick for the Lincoln area

I graduated from L.C.H.S. in 1956 and would love to hear from some classmates.

We have been gone from the Lincoln area for over 20 years. I still get homesick even after so many years. I lived in Lincoln for eight years and then moved to a small town (Emden), where we lived for the next 22 years. We lived in Clearwater for 16 years and moved to Odessa Fla., which is really northwestern Tampa several years ago, as we wanted to be in the country again.

Both my husband, Wayne, and I are farm people and my parents lived in Lincoln until their deaths. The city was fine for a while but as they say, you can take us out of the country but you can't take the country out of us. We have over an acre of land here and really like living where we can hear the birds and see the horses and llamas daily. Yes, I did say llamas, our neighbor has six of them and they are beautiful.

It would be nice to hear from people that I used to know.

Nancy (Hatfield) Eichelberger

ike3@aol.com 

 

(7-7-00)

Former residents Len and Rita Remmert "sure enjoy reading LDN"

Hello everyone in Lincoln/Logan County.

Len and I have lived in Henderson, Nev., for 16 years now and get back to Lincoln quite often, but I check the LDN every day to see what's happening. I was thrilled when my sister, Lana Miller, told me about this.

We used to co-own Landauer's in Lincoln. I sell real estate in the Las Vegas valley, and Len is sales manager for a ready-mix concrete company. Our son, Chad, is married with one daughter and expecting a son in November. He and his wife, Sandee, work for Southwest Airlines here in Las Vegas.

We attend Central Christian Church, where Gene Appel, former Lincolnite, is senior pastor. We just moved into a brand new church building that seats approximately 3000 people.

I would like to see more letters from people who have moved away from Lincoln/Logan County, so let's hear from you.

Rita Remmert

RitaRemm@aol.com 

(7-13-00)

 

 


Needs copy of local birth certificate

I was born in Lincoln but moved away quite a few years ago. I recently moved and can not seem to locate my birth certificate. I am going on a trip to Canada in a week and would like to have my certificate. Can you tell me who I should contact about getting this? Thanks!

Philip Gehlbach

 - - - - - - - - -

Philip,

You can get that information from the county clerk's office, (217)732-4148.

Jan Youngquist

 

(6-15-00)

Brad Boss serves with the Army in Kentucky

As a person who is lucky enough to call Lincoln my hometown, I just wanted to say what a great Web site you have.

I am a resident of Lincoln not currently living there, because of my job. I'm serving on active duty with the Army at Fort Campbell, Ky.

I was born and raised in Lincoln, and have come to appreciate just what kind of community I come from. Lincoln isn't the biggest town I've lived in, and actually I guess it's about the smallest town I've lived in. Both of my parents, Roger and Connie Boss, and for that matter most of my immediate family, still live in Lincoln.

My mom routinely clips out sections of the Courier and sends them to me so I can keep up on what's going on back home. Recently they showed your Web site to me, and Mom, I think you can retire the scissors. It's great that I can just pull it up on the Web and see what my friends and family are doing, no matter if I'm in Korea or Kentucky.

You have a good thing going here. It helps all of us out here from feeling so homesick when we can't go take a walk around the courthouse square or down Broadway to the Depot.

Thanks again for a great Web site, and keep up the good work...

Sgt. Brad Boss

(7-6-00)

 


Brad Dye would like to communicate with classmates

Hello, my name is Brad Dye and I graduated from LCHS in 1960. I attended the old high school, near downtown, for two years and then the new high school at the edge of town when it opened.

I have hardly been back to Lincoln since I graduated. My parents moved to Decatur and I went off to see the world. So far, that desire to see the world has taken me to about 55 countries. I often think of Lincoln and wonder what has happened to my old friends in the last 40 years.

I live in Dallas now and work for a radio paging company, which will be no surprise to those who remember me as an avid ham radio operator.

My sister Pam, who lives in Miami Beach, and I are both wondering if there will be a class reunion this summer for the class of 1960? We would like to attend. If anyone knows about this (date, time, place, etc.), please let me know by e-mail to: BradDye@swbell.net [address updated 3-27-01] and to Pam at: pgoldfaden@aol.com. 

I would love to communicate by e-mail with any of my former classmates.

I have a homepage on the Internet at: http://braddye.com 

Best regards,

Brad Dye

(6-7-00)

‘Doc’ Chandler lists memories of Lincoln

I have fond memories of Lincoln as I was growing up...

The Lincoln Lakes was the place to go in the summer time.

I used to play basketball pickup games at the Central School outside courts. I couldn't believe the last time I was home in Lincoln…The drinking fountain is still by the basketball courts.

I can remember the racetracks and the A&W root beer stand.

Riggs Dairy was on Woodlawn Road…the old football field on Woodlawn…

The watermelon festival in the summertime... I was in my 30s when I found out that Lincoln used watermelon juice to christen the city with the name Lincoln. As a matter of fact, I am related to Abraham Lincoln, very distantly. My father (Warren Chandler), whose mother’s name was Edna Lincoln, was the connection.

The Logan County Fair, where, if you are by the beer tent, you might meet someone you haven't seen in a long time…

I also have fond memories of all my sporting endeavors at Lincoln Community High School (LCHS).

I still come back for my high school reunions

"Hi" to Sharon Webster and Tim Harmon … good friends.

I am glad that Lincoln has stayed about the same size. I live in San Antonio, Texas, and believe me, if I could, Lincoln would be the place for me.

James Chandler (Doc)

doc@texas.net

(6-7-00)

 


Where is everyone?

I am an avid reader of Lincoln Daily News. The reason for this is because I no longer live there, but was born and raised there, and it always remains in my mind. I am always looking to see something or someone I may remember from when I was there.

I really enjoy Diaspora, but not enough people are getting into it. I wish there was something I could do to raise that interest.

Come on Lincolnites, get on that computer and let us know what and how you are doing. (Go Railsplitters.)

Thank you,

George McKinney

Pharr, Texas

(5-11-00)

 

 


Brainard recalls Lincoln Skateland

Charles Brainard moved to Lincoln with his family when he was in sixth grade. He graduated from LCHS in 1979 and lived here until 1986.

He likes to remember the Indian summers and the skating rink, which his parents owned from 1972 to 1979. He thinks he misses the winter least and the summer most. "Compared to where I spend most summers, Lincoln’s weather is mild and wonderful," he says.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1986 and has been stationed in Georgia, Germany, Korea and Arizona. He was deployed to the Iraq area for Desert Storm. "Each station and area has had its own beauty," he says, "but not one of them was home."

"I am still on active duty in the Army. My specialty is communications. I work as a satellite communications network engineer and all-around communications techie. I enjoy several veterans associations – especially the American Legion and the 3rd Armored Division veterans (Spearhead) association."

His local family members are his parents, Charles and Carol Brainard; his brother, David, who just bought a house in Lincoln; and a sister, Laurie Armstrong. "My folks still live there at the homestead," he says. "The rest of us have scattered across the nation." Linda Jamison, another sister, resides in Shirley, Ill., and his sister Susan Conver lives in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area.

In closing, he tells us, "Enjoy your freedom? Thank a veteran!"

(3-16-00)

 

Weindorf remembers Lincoln Lakes

Donald Weindorf lived in Logan County from 1934 to 1946 and then from 1957 to 1959.

Of his years in Lincoln he says, "I like to remember my friends, the Arcade soda fountain, the old Recreation Center, the Lincoln Lakes and much more."

"I was pretty much raised in Boys Town outside of Omaha," he explains. "I got an opportunity to run Omaha Magazine and so I returned to Omaha."

He now owns and operates a group home for 20 at-risk boys.

"I love the range of weather we have here, the marvelous steak houses, the museums and the outside recreational facilities," he says.

Weindorf still has relatives living in Lincoln and gets back for a short visit every few years.

You can contact Weindorf via e-mail at weindorf1@juno.com.

(3-16-00)

 


"Nothing compares with e-mail and Web pages" to keep friends in touch

I have lived in the Fort Myers, Fla., area for the last 14 years. I have tried to keep in touch by phone, mail, etc. with my friends in Illinois. Nothing compares with e-mail and Web pages to accomplish this! Many thanks to the people who started lincolndailynews.com. It is firmly placed in my favorite places and I check it every day.

Thanks again.

Bill Horn
Fort Myers, FL
Bill3567@aol.com 

(3-3-00)

 


LDN makes Germany closer to home 

We just heard about the lincolndailynews.com and are enjoying keeping up with latest. We are currently living in Germany and now we don't feel so far from home.

Tom and Kristy (Smith) Yarcho
Haupstuhl, Germany
tkksk6@bunt.com 

(2-16-00)

 


Lincoln remains close to her heart

Thank you so much for the opportunity to stay posted on the happenings in my hometown! I am currently living in the North Georgia mountains, but my children spend the summers in Lincoln visiting their grandparents, and they love to look at the pictures of places in Lincoln and stay familiar with their "summer surroundings" After viewing the message board that one other Lincoln site has, I think I will stick with lincolndailynews.com, where I can see the news that I want to see....how things are progressing, and the good that still comes from my little hometown. Keep up the good work! Lincoln may be 700 miles from my home, but is much closer to my heart!

Traycee Ritchhart-Pirkle

Traycee87@alltel.net  Traycee@americashomeplace.com

 (2-16-00)

[to second column of letters]

World traveler keeps up on Lincoln

Thank you for lincolndailynews.com. My name is Denise and I am living in the Port Charlotte, Fla., area. I am getting established in real estate here in Southwest Florida after moving to this area within the last year from the north of England.

I lived in Lincoln until I was 27 in 1983, before starting a world traveling lifestyle. Although living thousands of miles away (i.e., Texas, California, Australia, England) over the years, I have managed to return to see my family, friends, and just to see Lincoln every six months on average. Now that plans have it that visits will be less often, it is absolutely great to have lincolndailynews.com for that Lincoln connection.

My parents are down here for 'The Season." January to April. They are enjoying the benefits of the new lincolndailynews and the latitude of Florida, that of sun, warm, wildlife and the new pool construction going on in my back yard with the golf course view. Ya' all come down now! :o)

Now you won't miss out on any Lincoln area news either! I am so excited about lincolndailynews that I am starting a classified ad to help readers learn more about wintering in Florida.

Many thanks.

Denise Radcliffe Wood
Sunnybreeze, FL
e-mail: floridaliving@hotmail.com   

 (2-11-00)


Alabama resident likes Lincoln photos

Great Web page. My brother just sent me the link to the website so that I can keep up with the news from back home. I left Lincoln back in 1963 for the Air Force. I currently reside in Alabama but Lincoln is never far from my mind. I truly enjoyed seeing the pictures of the different places around town and what is going on. Keep up the good work.

dlowe@ispchannel.com  

Dale A. Lowe
Huntsville, AL

(2-8-00)

 


Reunions

Looking for class of ’76 members

[APRIL 18, 2001]   Reunion planners still need updated addresses for the following LCHS classmates who graduated in 1976:

Terri Allen, Terry Hyde, Pam Gill, Joe Palmer, Virginia Parmer, Charles Krueger, Cindy Imlay, Randy Letterle, Kathryn Beach, Liz West, Monica Wyland, Rebecca Turner, Janet Schroyer, Rick Rohlfs, Kelly Cordrey, Terry Fisher, Mike Fox, John Frye, Doris Dews, Wayne Denney, Mike Short, Debbie Johnston, Bonnie Freese, Robert Hinton, Dave Rice, Clayton Reed, Arthur Merritt, Mike Kavannaugh, Tim Armstrong, Tony Young, Dave Buch, Sabrina Simmons, Mark Loughmiller, Brian Hackett, Mary Check, Don Prince.

If anyone knows the address, or a person to call to get the address, of a classmate listed, please call or e-mail Janice Greer at (217) 735-2621, jjmm@abelink.com.

Saturday, Aug. 4, is the date set for the class reunion. A golf outing and dinner at the Elks Lodge in Lincoln is being planned.

Thanks to those providing updated information.

ILLINI BANK
2201 Woodlawn Rd. in Lincoln
1-888-455-4641 or 735-5400
Ask for Terry Lock or Sharon Awe

Mortgage Refinancing
Ag Lines of Credit
Low Auto Rates
Free Checking - Debit Card
Money Market Index Account

Claire's Needleworks
and Frame Shop
"We Frame It All"
On the square
217-732-8811
M-F 10-5  Sat 10-4
cmstitches@aol.com

Tell a friend about

Lincoln Daily News.com


Ongoing class reunion in cyberspace for 1960 graduates of LCHS

http://www.geocities.com/lincolnhigh1960/

 

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