Author: braidwoodguy

Born and raised in Braidwood, Illinois. Worked in secondary and higher education since 1962. Have 5 kids and 14 grandkids. Avocation is writing and genealogy.

Letter to Grandkids: Reverse the Engines

On October 26, 2018 on the advice of my friend Allan Service, I published my first blog on https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/braidwoodguy.com/16. Since that time, 80 blog articles have been published and promulgated via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter with viewers coming from many countries. The primary focus of these articles has been, and continues to be, on our 14 … Continue reading Letter to Grandkids: Reverse the Engines →

Letter to Grandkids #4: A Learning Time

Dear kids: There are very few times in our lives that will literally change you as a human being. There are the usual anticipated events: graduation, spouse selection, new jobs, children, etc. But other events, unexpected and traumatic, come along with perhaps even more impact. I think about three assassinations: John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther … Continue reading Letter to Grandkids #4: A Learning Time →

Letters to Grandkids #3: Other Racial Incidents in the 1960s

Dear kids: The last two letters about racism during my college days were focused on events off the basketball court and away from the Lewis campus. I am reasonably sure that racial bias was at Lewis, but it never was obvious to me.  I haven’t said much about racial discrimination in sports because my roommate, … Continue reading Letters to Grandkids #3: Other Racial Incidents in the 1960s →

Letter to the Grandkids #2: Racism in College Years

Lewis Basketball 1958-59 This is the second of a series of letters to my grandkids. I try to convey my reactions and emotions to the world that I was encountering as I grew older, and why, at age 79, I have these convictions. I share these letters with the public with the hope that other … Continue reading Letter to the Grandkids #2: Racism in College Years →

Records Show that Gordie was the Greatest Coach in American Sport: A “Coach for All Seasons.”

Special thanks to Pat Sullivan for his research on Gordie records and more than a few hours of discussion. Past blogs on Gordie Gillespie have focused on teaching and coaching athletes, not on his statistics. It was an effort to document how he directly and indirectly influenced thousands of young people’s lives. By sharing these … Continue reading Records Show that Gordie was the Greatest Coach in American Sport: A “Coach for All Seasons.” →

Letters to the Grandkids # 1: Intro to Racism

This is the first of a series of letters to my grandkids. I will try to convey my reactions and emotions to the world that I was encountering as I grew older, and why, at age 79, I have these convictions. I share these letters with the public with the hope that other grandparents consider … Continue reading Letters to the Grandkids # 1: Intro to Racism →

My Great Grandfather, Blacksmith in the Civil War

C.C. Augustus Ginter II (b. 9/28/1837 – d. 9/19/1892) Growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, I don’t remember my mother or her siblings talking about the Ginter family history or the fact that their grandfather had served in the Civil War. Mom’s parents, Oscar and Minnie (Becker) Ginter, were virtually unknown to me. Minnie … Continue reading My Great Grandfather, Blacksmith in the Civil War →