A Ritchie Hills Mystery By Bill Butcher So as the story wound down, our sense of adventure and curiosity kicked in... someday we should go look for it. Could it still be out there? A Strange Breeze on Channel 9 So summer continued on, and the heat built as the days grew longer and the … Continue reading The Legend of the Goonie Goo Goo (Part Two)
Tag: fiction
It All Started in That Summer of 1988
A Memoir of Small-Town Childhood, Evening Stories, and the Unexplained Part 1 By Bill Butcher Lazy Days and the Ritchie Grain Elevator It all started in that summer of 1988. It was a fairly normal summer—days and nights spent fishing, camping, and hanging out as we did back then. But that was, unbeknownst to us … Continue reading It All Started in That Summer of 1988
The Legacy Behind the Bar: The Lockwood Garage
By Todd Lockwood “Gone for parts. Back soon.” Screenshot I would like to comment on the new bar in town called “The Garage on Water.” That bar was actually built in what used to be a real garage. My Dad, Keith Lockwood, relocated the family back to Wilmington in 1961. He had previously been employed by … Continue reading The Legacy Behind the Bar: The Lockwood Garage
The Legacy of Ed’s Dairy Bar
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 … Continue reading The Legacy of Ed’s Dairy Bar
Wilmington: Earliest Memories through Eighth Grade
Jim Gassensmith Jim in St. Rose 8th grade: tallest boy, middle of 4th row (I'm on far left) (Editor's note: Jim Gassensmith and I both graduated from St. Rose in 1954 and then from Joliet Catholic High School in 1958. He remains a friend of mine and lives in Florida. Jim has written an autobiography … Continue reading Wilmington: Earliest Memories through Eighth Grade
The Standard Oil Man (Part One)
By Bill Butcher Grandpa Herman P. Reardanz I began my adult life working for Amoco or—as it was called back when my grandfather Herman P. Reardanz worked there—Standard Oil. Because it was the standard. There I was out on my job, new here in Minnesota having recently transferred from Illinois. I was at a job site … Continue reading The Standard Oil Man (Part One)
The Day My Father Was in the Sunday Homily
By Loretta Kennedy Tulley June 12, 1996 Following is a letter from my relative, Loretta Kennedy Tulley. Loretta’s father was James Kennedy, a brother of my grandfather, Dan Kennedy. Dear Tom and Family, I’m enclosing information from an abstract. Maybe some of the dates or the information will help you. We have been very busy … Continue reading The Day My Father Was in the Sunday Homily
A Story of My Mom’s Garden Legacy
by John Kalec In the heart of the South Side of Chicago in 1935, on a narrow street lined with brick homes and the hum of distant streetcars, lived a little girl named Evelyn. Her home at 5246 Hermitage was modest and often bustling with the sounds of her older brother Fritz, her younger brother Rich, … Continue reading A Story of My Mom’s Garden Legacy
Elena’s View of Braidwood
Elena Bergman Hibler I attended the East School and Murray Scott was the principal. I also had Josephine Donna (wonderful teacher) in the 5th and 6th grades. In 3rd and 4th grades I had Kate Fallon. She was remembered as wearing long dresses all the way to the floor. We moved to Braidwood from South … Continue reading Elena’s View of Braidwood
Braidwood from Another Perspective
Richard Shaw Richard had read some of my blog articles on Braidwoodguy.com and informed me that as a couple of years my senior, he could add some insights and respectfully offer some differences as he saw things. I completely accept these opinions, perspectives, and insights. Aside from formatting the following letter, I didn’t make any … Continue reading Braidwood from Another Perspective
