|
 Bartelmay
was active in seeing to it that the beloved historic site in Lincoln
with direct ties to Abraham Lincoln was saved when the prospects
were looking grim due to state funding cuts. Bartelmay stepped up
and rallied the troops in the form of volunteers to take over the
care of the courthouse and promoting it as a premium tourist
attraction in Lincoln and Logan County.
Shirley was an accountant in Lincoln for more than 25 years, she was
an active member of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce and a
charter member of the Chamber Ambassadors.
In 2009, Shirley was the Personality of the Week in Lincoln Daily
News. Excerpts from the article entitled “Shirley Bartelmay and
volunteers save Postville Courthouse – twice,” include her history
with the courthouse.
“Perhaps it was chance, but right after
Shirley sold her business and then had a little more free time, she
was asked to attend a meeting regarding the fate of the Postville
Courthouse State Historic Site. Bob Coomer, Illinois Historic
Preservation director, met with 15 local citizens in 1999 to explain
that state funding under then-Gov. George Ryan would no longer be
available to keep the facility open.
“Shirley had not been active in historic preservation but felt that
the site should stay open.
“It was through this meeting that
Shirley became chairman of a group of volunteers to man the
facility, with the state's only help being in paying the utilities.
“Shirley was quick to state, and said again several times during the
interview, that the 40 volunteers who help man the site should
receive all the credit. But it was, and is, Shirley's organizational
skills and desire to make sure the facility is manned and open as
promised that brings us back to giving her measurable credit for
keeping the site from closing.
“Noted Lincoln historian Paul Beaver doesn't feel any need to hedge
on his words. "Shirley Bartelmay saved Postville Courthouse," he
said. "It's as simple as that."
“Tourism director Geoff Ladd said that Shirley and her volunteers
saved the site again just recently by having an organized and
reliable volunteer group in place. "Shirley is the reason that we
were fortunate in keeping Postville Courthouse open when the
governor announced several historic site closings earlier this
year," said Ladd. "I am grateful to her, and our community should be
as well!"
“As Bartelmay talks, her enthusiasm for Postville is catching. "If
we lost the courthouse, I believe it would have a big impact on our
community," she says. "It's a chance for people to enjoy the
history, but not just people from here. We had visitors from 25
foreign countries last year visit us." Shirley says that the foreign
visitors, even if their English isn't that good, are enthused about
Lincoln, and when they visit they want to see and hear everything.
“She's also seen that the historic
Route 66 revival has helped Postville. She says that many of those
coming in are driving the historic route.
“When Shirley isn't stressing how important the volunteers are to
the historic site, she spends time giving accolades to the city and
county, as well as the tourism bureau, for their help in keeping the
site attractive and presentable.”
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Family members on hand on December 10th included
Shirley’s daughter Toni Gibbs, daughter-in-law Denise Bartelmay,
grandson Nathan Bartelmay, granddaughter Nicole Price, and great
grandson Kalen Price. Also joining the group was Stu Churchill and
Denise Martinek.
Churchill was one of Bartelmay’s volunteers and went on to take on
the management of the courthouse after Shirley. When Churchill
decided to step down from the directorship of the courthouse, he was
replaced by Denise Martinek.
On that Saturday, as the family gathered together with Churchill and
Martinek, they enjoyed a time of remembering the lady who saved
Postville Courthouse. They spoke of her commitment to the
preservation of the courthouse and their relationship with their
mother/grandmother over the years.
The gift presented to the courthouse were four solid wood hand hewn
benches fitting to the era when Abraham Lincoln would have
frequented the courthouse.
Shirley’s daughter-in-law Denise said that her mother-in-law had
passed away on October 2, 2020. During her time of rest at
Fricke-Calvert-Schrader funeral home, memorial gifts were accepted
in Shirley’s name to the Postville Courthouse. Denise Bartelmay said
that with the large sum that was given, the family wanted to do
something significant that would be a long-lasting tribute to their
loved one.
The benches came to mind, and the search was on to find something
that would be just right for the courthouse.
The onset of the pandemic slowed things down a bit,
and even as the benches were presented, Denise pointed out that
there are going to be brass plaques on the end of each bench, but
right now, only two are done of the four benches given.
The benches are placed in the large gathering room on the first
floor of the courthouse.
Denise Martinek, the current director at Postville, said the benches
were a very welcome and greatly appreciated gift. She noted that
what had been in the gathering room was functional and served the
purpose nicely for quite some time, but the new benches are a better
reflection of the time when the courthouse would have been filled
with people seeking seating as they attended trials or awaited their
turn to be heard before a judge.
Indeed the benches are a wonderful addition to the courthouse and
provide nice seating for those who attend special functions at the
courthouse, or just stop in as they travel Route 66.
Thanks to the family for honoring Shirley Bartelmay is such a nice
and appropriate manner.
[Nila Smith] |
