Georgia Green chosen Grand Marshal for Atlanta Fall Festival

[September 22, 2019]     Lifelong resident of the Atlanta community Georgia Green was chosen to marshal in Atlanta's Fall Festival Parade. Georgia and her family's interests and skills have benefited the community and extended beyond, including to our cherished veterans.

Georgia’s family has been in the Atlanta Community since the 1870’s and their impact can still be seen today. Her great-grandparents immigrated from Germany. They arrived in Peoria, IL and began a search of the area for clay soil. They discovered the clay soil that would make bricks and support the twigs of grapevines they brought with them for a winery. They chose Atlanta, IL, on the banks of Kickapoo Creek. Many of the bricks in the buildings of Atlanta are from her great-grandparents Kiln. They were avid supporters of the Atlanta Fair, showed livestock and competed in the baking and jam competitions.

Georgia parents were Joseph and Lucille Pech. She was born in St. Clara’s Hospital in Lincoln and then attended both Atlanta and McLean Schools. After graduating from high school she entered nurses training at St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing. Following graduation, she worked as a Registered Nurse at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital for 18 months before returning to St. Joseph Hospital as a head nurse on a medical floor.

During this period of time, Harold Green returned from four years tour in the United States Marine Corp. He and Georgia dated eight months before they married in 1964.

The Greens have three children - Wesley (Martha) Green, Atlanta; Shawn (Tammy) Green, Chatham; and Rebecca (Scott) Hembrough, Sherman; seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. The Green family has been active in the community with Cub Scouts, Atlanta Town & Country 4-H (club leader 45 years); and school sports. ]

Georgia served on the Atlanta Rescue Squad as it was being established under the direction of Mike Brown. She was the Training Officer for 10 years teaching CPR and CPR Instructor Trainer classes.

In her medical profession, Georgia worked at St. Joseph Hospital for 17 years as a head nurse and Assistant Director of Nursing. She then worked for 15 years as Health Care Administrator at Lincoln Correctional Center as it opened.

And then she worked for Correctional Health Care as a Regional Director flying from Philadelphia to Denver bidding on contracts and initiating set up of Correctional Health Care Units for prisons.

Georgia and Harold began an embroidery business in 1993. The business has grown with the addition of screen printing, engraving and long arm quilting.

Georgia’s true passion and ministry is in sewing and quilting. She is a talented seamstress with wedding gowns and prom dresses as her specialty.

She has taught and judged quilting for many years. She taught quilting at New Salem for 10 years and founded local Quilt Guilds.

In 2005, St. Mary’s and Friends Quilt Guild was established. A group of ladies have met once a week at Sew Personal Embroidery shop to piece quilts for the veterans in nursing homes and a group called HOOAH from Stanford, IL. HOOAH brings wounded soldier to Central Illinois for turkey and deer hunts, and fishing weekends. Each HOOAH soldier is presented with a quilt. St. Mary’s and Friends make 100 to 150 quilts each year for our veterans. Green says, "It is an honor to give back to those veterans who gave so much defending our 'Freedom.' "

[Reprinted with permission of Georgia Green/LDN]