By Bill Butcher Grandpa Reardanz Serving Customers This is part two and truly it's about life, neighbors, and caring for people because it's right, even if it means you have to swim against the stream. It's about how even great American companies like Standard occasionally get it wrong. So grab a coffee and let's get … Continue reading The Standard Oil Man (Part Two)
Tag: writing
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 Magic of St. Rose School
By Brenda Rayburn St. Rose "Clowns" My memories of growing up in Wilmington are filled with the incredible freedom and creativity we shared as children and families. One of my absolute favorite stories to tell my grandkids is about my days at St. Rose School. It was such a small parish, yet we always managed … Continue reading The Magic of St. Rose School
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
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
Like It or Not, We are All Connected
“Nothing exists by itself alone. We all belong to each other; we cannot cut reality into pieces. My happiness is your happiness; my suffering is your suffering. We heal and transform together.” Thich Nhat Hanh Consider the workings of the internet, a vehicle we use in our everyday communications and functions by which we connect with … Continue reading Like It or Not, We are All Connected
TRANSCRIPT OF ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW WITH GORDIE GILLESPIE
Professor Gordon A. Gillespie Former Athletic Director and Coach, Lewis University Interview: July 15, 2010 Br: Br. Bernard Rapp, interviewer Br: So, would you like to start... Gordie: Well, in going through the outline that you were so kind to send to me, Brother…I’ll start with my early days. I’m a Chicago guy, and very proud of … Continue reading TRANSCRIPT OF ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW WITH GORDIE GILLESPIE
The Humanity Canopy
“Canopy defined: A canopy is a type of overhead roof or else a structure over which a fabric or metal covering is attached, able to provide shade or shelter from weather conditions such as sun, hail, snow and rain." Place: Braidwood Recreation Club (BRC) Date: Summer, 1954 People: Tommy Ray (age 13) and Carole Ann Kennedy (age 11) … Continue reading The Humanity Canopy
Braidwood News 1871-1872
August 19, 1871 – People’s Advocate We are reliably informed that surveys have been made for a canal from the Kankakee River to the Braidwood coal fields. The stakes are driven at a point on the west side of the river near the “Camp place”, about one mile above the guard lock and upper dam. The … Continue reading Braidwood News 1871-1872
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
Braidwood Beginnings 