By Barb Koenig Osburn
I loved growing up in Wilmington. If you were around in 1962, you will understand why I say I thought I was a somebody—because my dad was Ed Koenig, the founder of Ed’s Dairy Bar. I was six years old when my family moved to Wilmington. The new Route 80 ended up going right through our living room at the same time Dad bought a piece of property on the corner of Route 53 and Kankakee Street, where he built his new store. It was a grocery store with an ice cream shop inside, selling dipped cones, milkshakes, sundaes—the whole works!
Our store was open seven days a week, which was unheard of back then, as big stores were never open on Sundays. It was a simpler time with no social media, iPads, or cell phones. Milk and soda came in glass bottles. An eight-pack of 16-ounce bottles was the choice of the day, though many were sold separately. Back then, you had a bottle of soda rather than a can. You paid a deposit on that glass bottle, and yes, people actually returned those bottles!
Business thrived, and my dad, always thinking of new ideas, came up with the “Milk Card.” Every milk-buying customer was given a number, which was kept organized in a card file box. The card had 30 numbers on it, and each gallon earned a punch; once it was filled, the customer received a free gallon of milk. Although it has been over 50 years, some people still remember their number.
My father loved seasonal marketing: pumpkins in the fall, fresh Ho-Ka turkeys in November, and fresh flowers in the spring. He was always coming up with something fun. Central Grade School was just a block away from the store, so every October, he would have the kids come to the parking lot in their costumes to parade around for a “best costume” prize while enjoying free ice cream, soda, and snacks. Spring brought the Easter egg hunt. Dad brought dozens of eggs out to the Boys’ Home (which at the time was the Soldiers’ Widows’ Home), where they were cooked and colored before being hidden on the North Island for any child who wanted to participate. The Mar Theatre used my dad’s big marquee sign to advertise what show was playing. His payment? His children got into the show for free! I thought I was a celebrity.
Ed was generous. He enjoyed making kids happy and never turned away a customer who couldn’t pay for their groceries. We had running tabs for many families who fell short from time to time. He loved his community; he was a member of St. Rose Church, sent his kids to St. Rose School, served on the school board, and was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the VFW, the Rotary Club, and served as an alderman. He wanted Wilmington to grow.
Always dreaming, he purchased the lot next to his and built a laundromat. He added on to the other side of his store with two offices, one becoming Key Realty—so naturally, he became a realtor, too. He dreamed that one day Wilmington would have its own medical facility. Ed’s Dairy Bar did some evolving over the years: we became the Greyhound bus stop, and we sold lottery tickets and later liquor. Through it all, though, you could still get your favorite flavor double-dip cone.
I was very fortunate to have good parents. My mom retired from her career as an RN to keep our home running smoothly, and we all worked at the store. There, we learned a sound work ethic and were taught what it meant to serve people. “These are the people who put bread on our table,” Dad would say. “Treat them with respect.”
I have lived in Wilmington for 64 years. I have worked with the public for all of those years and have come to know so many people. Ed’s Dairy Bar closed in 1987, yet all these years later, people still stop me to share a memory of my dad. Just recently, I met a woman who asked me, “Was Ed your dad?” She added, “He was the nicest man. He always gave me free ice cream cones when I was little.”
Thanks, Wilmington.
Braidwood Beginnings 