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Emails for June

Looking forward to visiting Minonk

I am the son of Donald Harri Schneider and the grandson of Henri Harri Schneider and Margaret Memmen Schneider, all deceased but of Minonk/Benson. Henri came to Minonk in the 1880's and married Margaret Memmen (daughter of Henry Behrens Memmen) in 1895. Donald was born in 1910, the last of six children (Maude Schneider Harms, Rachel Schneider Harms, Ruth Schneider Jochums, Esther Schneider Woltzen, and Mina Schneider).

Don (my father) was born November 18, 1910 to Henri Harri Schneider and Margaret Memmen Schneider in Benson and graduated from Minonk in 1928. His two best friends were Bob Morrison and Judson Gaisford. He attended Bradley University and graduated with a BBA degree. He was an auditor and accountant, working for Brunswick, Riviana Foods, and Coca-Cola throughout his career. He retired in 1980 and deceased on October 5, 1989 in Houston, Texas.. He is buried in Cumby, Texas.

My mother (Lucille Schneider), my sister (Donna Schneider Sharp), my half-sister (Denise Schneider Riley), and myself will be in Minonk from September 5-8 to visit many of my cousins and relatives in the Minonk area. We look forward to your community's hospitality.

Steve Schneider
16221 Capri Drive
Jersey Village, Texas 77040

Website rekindles memories for former residents

While searching for an obituary for a former neighbor of ours, I happened upon your web pages and have spent an enjoyable afternoon reading about Minonk. My husband managed the Kroger store in Minonk from March, 1949 thru August, 1952. Three of our six children were born when we resided in your town. I really enjoyed the picture of "Babe" Smith as he was our next-door neighbor for a year. Also, our three daughters who were born when we lived there were baptised in the First Methodist Church by Rev. Young. Thanks so very much for all of the good memories you have brought back for us.

Elwood (Al) & Dorothy Breidenbach

Update on Breidenbachs

Dave;

Thank you for answering--we really had not expected any answer. After leaving Minonk in 1952, we were with Kroger's in several towns. In 1957 we joined up with Eagle Food Stores and we were sent to Clinton, Iowa. Al completed 30 years with Eagles in 1987, all of those years spent in Clinton, Iowa. In August of 1999 we moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (We have three daughters living in this area. We also have a mobile home in Montverde, Florida and we spend our winter months there. We have another daughter down there. We have 6 children now--all grown. We also have 18 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. We really enjoyed our years in Minonk and met many good friends. When Al ran the Kroger store there, his employees were--Gertrude Dishinger, Gertrude Onken, Elizabeth Ioerger and Frank Decker. They were a great group. They are all gone now--We do remember having to get used to the water in Minonk--any time my parents came from Champaign to visit my dad always brought his own water for coffee. He would fill up his jugs with Minonk water to take back to Champaign for my grandmother. We would love to hear from anyone in Minonk who remembers Al's time at the Kroger store. Thanks again.

Elwood "Al" Breidenbach & Dorothy.
eob8@webtv.net

Recipe for the family

Dave,

I have a recipe that's just a little different that I'd like to summit this week. I think that sometimes people get a little wrapped up in everything around them and they forget that keeping your own family happy should be most important to you instead of being wrapped up in everyone's else's lives.  I think that the Minonk residents could all benefit from making this recipe in their own homes......                      

A HAPPY HOME

4 C. of LOVE
2 C. of LOYALTY
3 C. of FORGIVENESS
1 C. of FRIENDSHIP
5 spoons of HOPE
2 spoons of TENDERNESS
4 quarts of FAITH
1 barrel of LAUGHTER

Take LOVE and LOYALTY, mix it thoroughly with FAITH.  Blend it with TENDERNESS, KINDNESS and UNDERSTANDING. Add FRIENDSHIP  and HOPE, sprinkle  abundantly with LAUGHTER. Bake it with SUNSHINE. Serve daily with generous helpings.

Thanks and have a great weekend,

Kevin & Dee Stimpert

Reply to Steve Schneider letter

I believe my parents, Garhard (Babe) and Olive Schmidt, bought your family home and farm on the east side of Minonk in 1943. Daddy had grown up in Minonk and was moving the family "back home" during the war when it was impossible to get truck parts for the four or five big trucks and the business he owned in Ottawa.

I remember Henri, Margaret and Denise. I also remember that it took two weeks after we moved into the big house to get the electricity going which was a very big adventure to a 12 year old who had always lived in the city and probably an even bigger adventure for my 6-year old brother, Gerry. The house had been wired when built but the electricity had never been brought in from the road and then all the wiring had to be checked and inspected. Howard and Leeta Jury lived in the only other house on that road.

Betty (Schmidt) Wheatley
(Mrs. Thomas A. Wheatley)
355 Timber Place
Decatur, IL 62521

City needs another engineering firm

Dave,

I agree with your comments for the editorial on Farnsworth. After attending several council meetings and listening to the Farnsworth suffle, I felt the city of Minonk should have been more active in the past 2 to 3 years in search of an engineering firm that works for the citizens. I would challenge you and the city of Minonk to publish the dollars spent on Farnsworth per year for the past 5 years. Chances are the pavillion at City Park could have been built.

I know there are state and federal issues that need addressed, but it burns you to sit at a council meeting and hear the aldermen say we can't afford a worthly project, because of money being spent else where.

I think the city needs to get a committee of average citizens to do a long range project want list. I'll even throw out the first stone: Minonk needs a sales tax revenue cash cow, like a NEW car dealer. We need some cash to work with.

Jerry A Welch
204 N Walnut Street
Minonk IL 61761

Editor's reply: According to the Treasurer's Report that covered May 1, 2001 to April 30, 2002, the city paid $87,244.54 to the Farnsworth Group. We could have built the pavilion with that amount of money. It takes a lot of effort to change engineering firms. Sometimes it is easier to do nothing and live with the devil we know rather than the devil we don't know. Its up to the city council to decide how much effort they want to put into it.

Military training cannot fulfill parental duties

I enjoyed the articles on reestablishing more patriotic thinking for our youth. I agree with the concept and feel U. S. History more important than learning about Attila or the Greek Gods. I also believe that using the draft to "set" our youth straight is not where we should begin. Too often we have taken our Youth to the recruiting office and "signed them up" in order to put some discipline and meaning into their lives. I know parenting is a very consuming task to raise children. BUT, duty, honor, caring, and respect are parent's responsibility. The schools may help, church may help, teachers may help, and even friends may help. Please don't entertain the notion that it is the responsibility of the U.S. Army, Navy, or Marines to fulfill our parental duty. Both my wife and I come from a long line of Veterans, several who served in combat. Raise the child to believe in responsibility and they will react that way when needed.

Albin Johnson, San Clemente, Ca

Thinks starting draft again good idea

Hi Dave,
It was a most refreshing editorial! I have been wondering if we shouldn't start the draft again- we have militarily spread ourselves so thin that I think we are in a very serious position. The other thing that should be included with that is a more basic study of the history of our country - not one to just "pass high school" - but one that tells the real basis of the founding of our country and helps young people to understand better who and what sacrifices were made for them to have the freedoms we have today. As one song says - "FREEDOM is not FREE." Thanks for the editorial - it says a lot of what I have been thinking and more!

Martha, formerly of Secor