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Emails for August 2011
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Doodlebug - Some Comments and Observations | MDR Class of 1976 35th Reunion to be Held Oct. 1 | Minonk Senior Cntr additional contributors and winners | Minonk Senior Citizen Anniversary | Minonk Co-Op Preschool | Looking for Relatives of Michael Kaczmark | Bulk Recycling Opportunity Gone | Congratulations to St. Jude Runners | Minonk to Peoria St. Jude Run - this SATURDAY!! | Enjoy Keeping up With Minonk |

MDR Class of 1976 35th Reunion to be Held Oct. 1

The MDR Class of 1976 will be holding it's 35th reunion on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Tall Oaks Country Club in Toluca. The dinner will be at 7:00 p.m. catered by Capponi's. Cost is $15.00 per person. cash bar at 6:30 p.m. Please R.S.V.P. by September 15th to Debra (Koch) Cruise at idacruise@ilstu.edu. Invitations have been mailed, please contact me if you have not received one. We hope to see you there!

Thank you!!

Debra Cruise


Minonk Senior Citizen Anniversary

The Minonk Senior Center celebrated their one year anniversary on Aug 3 at the South Haven Community Center. Heritage Manor sponsors the Senior Center weekly by providing beverages and snacks for the participants and prizes for the games that are played. Door prizes and gifts donated by many Minonk businesses and individuals helped make this celebration a great success. Thank you to the contributors and congratulations to the winners.

Heritage Manor-food and beverages
Woody's Restaurant-Gerry Manning
Durre Bros- Betty Pinkham
Woody's Restaurant-Marge Kettwich
Minonk IGA-Vada Hahn
Woody's Restaurant-Perle Tjaden
Bushert's-Dave Shirley
Minonk VFW Post 7185-Pat Ryan
Casey's-Nancy Robertson
Meyer Jochums-Alma Wilcox
Casey's-Marge Shirley
Cunningham Candies-Marilyn Juers
Casey's-Dot Wilson
Uftring Automotive-Lucy Cummings
Herman's-Dot, Mary R, Adele & Liz
SMF-Lucille Mueller
SMF-Nancy Arndt
Spring Green/Jim Richards-Ruth Schneider
Ruestman Harris Funeral Home-Joanne Vaughn & Nancy Robertson
Ruestman Harris Funeral Home-Mae Copp
'Chop' & Lou-Marlene Falk
Bill Herman Sr-Jeff Arndt
Meierhofer Const-Mernie Milashoski
Stoller's Joanne Vaughn
Meierhofer Const-Adele Stalter
Minonk Community Bank-Jeannie Barth
Sweet Shop-Liz Hvizdos
Country Florist-Lola Samuelson
Sweet Shop-Mary Rechlin

Mary Lou Jacek


Looking for Relatives of Michael Kaczmark

Hi. I am the great-granddaughter of Michael Kaczmark and am looking for any relatives that might be able to give me more information about his family. This is what I know for fact:
His father was Andrew Kaczmark. Born 9-27-1873 in Poland. Came to America in May 1889. Died 9-18-1932 in Windemere Township, near Sturgeon Lake, MN. At the time of his death, his obituary listed two sisters and three brothers living in the Minonk area. Married Stella McLevis. Had 11 children. My grandfather was Frank Katchmark. Also arriving in America on 5-11-1889 was Josef Kaczmarek. I cannot tie him to the family, but chances are he's a brother.

I am looking for Michael's mothers name, his grandparent's names, sibling's names. Funny stories. Anything anyone might have. My email address is karseneau@yahoo.com. I would love to hear what you have to say. Thank you!

Kathy Arseneau


Congratulations to St. Jude Runners

Congratulations to the Minonk to Peoria St. Jude runners for a job well done !!!!!

Betty Barth


Enjoy Keeping up With Minonk

I was raised in Minonk (1946 – 1958), at 204 Walnut Street and 238 Walnut Street, before moving to Florida. I return to Minonk every few years to see what is going on there and to drive around and remember how things were when our family left the area. Last year I spent several hours at the museum and thoroughly enjoyed looking at the various items, papers, etc. that they have on display. I look at the website often and enjoy seeing what is going on.

Emerson Burrell


Doodlebug - Some Comments and Observations

Hello,

I recall riding the Doodlebug to visit my grandparents in Eureka in the 1940s and 50s. We traveled from Highland Park, via Chicago. I found your webpage:

http://www.minonktalk.com/doodle.htm

and did a bit more searching. Thank you for the photograph which fits my memories.

I eventually found a

Google book
with an entry that confirms my recollections.

On page 613 is a schedule for the Doodlebug run. I've attached a jpg copy I created from a screen dump. Note that it lists Streator as mile 0 on the run. This fits my recollection that on this trip involved a change of trains in Streator. I'm no longer sure what train we took to get from Chicago to Streator. Curiously, I do not see Minonk on the schedule, but I do see it on a rail map on page 607. I've attached a selection I made in Photoshop.

Thanks again for putting some history on the web.
John Baum
Palo Alto, CA

_


Minonk Senior Cntr additional contributors and winners

Following is an additional list of contributors and winners from the Minonk
Senior Center anniversary celebration. A big thank you and congratulations to all.
Eastside Grooming/Max & Carol Hood-Mary McNamara
Tjaden Construction-Mary Ann Sokol Jurczak
Minonk Legion Post 142-Edmona Lohr
Country Florist-Theresa Harms
Minonk Unocal-Ruth Steinhilber
Minonk Autobody-Dot Wilson
Jay Hurd Ins-Mary McNamara & Liz Hvizdos

'Chop' Jacek


Minonk Co-Op Preschool

Minonk Co-Op Preschool is currently enrolling for the 2011-2012 school year. Classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-11am for 3 year olds and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8-11am for 4 year olds. Anyone interested, please call Tami Tallyn at 309-432-2253. Classes begin on Tuesday Sept. 6th. Thanks!

Tami Tallyn


Bulk Recycling Opportunity Gone

I want to thank all who continually violated the rules for the open-top bulk recycle container that was placed behind City Hall for the benefit of the people of this city. There was a sign clearly visible at the site, stating permitted specific and similar authorized articles and even some non-permitted specific and similar unauthorized articles.

When I recently asked at City Hall about the container, I was told it will no longer be available to the City for recycling metal and other authorized articles due to the the excessive volume of unauthorized articles in the container. The real sad thing about this service was that it was being provided to the city or the people at no charge and still a sufficient number of people violated the rules, resulting in loads being rejected at the recycle center, and being diverted to a landfill which the contractor was forced to pay landfill dumping fees at his own expense without benefit of receiving anything for his time and work.

The only way the contractor was to make any money for the service provided was payment he would receive based on at the declared values of items he delivered to the recycling center. The City nor the people of this community was not spending their own money for this service.

Each time I did take materials to the container, I found it to be very disturbing to see all the unauthorized materials that had been placed in the container as well as unauthorized articles laying outside of the container. I know had I been the provider of the container, and especially providing it at no charge to the city or people of Minonk, I would have pulled it out of town long ago.

Now, thanks to actions of a few in the city not abiding by the rules pertaining this service, everyone in the City now has to suffer the loss of this service that was being provided -- "at no charge to the city or you the people of the city".

David A. Shirley


Minonk to Peoria St. Jude Run - this SATURDAY!!

This is just a reminder that the Minonk to Peoria St. Jude runners will be leaving Millennium Park at 7AM. Prior to leaving, we will have a group prayer at park (the public is welcome to attend). We would love to have as many supporters as possible lining the streets as we leave! The following is our schedule for the day:

7am- start at Millennium park 1 mile to Durre Brothers (all runners will run)
7:15am 1st leg- 2miles on 51 to 116 sign
7:35am 2nd leg – 2 miles ends right after 1st house on R on 116
7:55am 3rd leg – 2.1 miles Radio tower on L of 116 right before Benson
8:17am 4th leg- 2.1 miles Through Benson on 116 to Clayton Cemetary
8:42am 5th leg – 2.2 on 116 to curve just after 117 intersection
9:04am 6th leg – 2.1 miles on 116 Rt 116 and 1500 N intersection bridge
9:25am 7th leg – 2 miles Through Roanoke to 4th St (Christian Home sign)
9:49am 8th leg – 2.2 miles on 116 (1508 house on R)
10:02am 9th leg – 1.1 miles to Parson for lunch
10:10am-11:30am (we will hold up here longer due to Chicago)
11:35am 10th leg – 2.1 miles on 116 to 1200 E (sign service on L)
11:57am 11th leg – 2.4 miles on 116 to Brolkehodder lumber
12:25pm 12th leg- 2.1 miles main drag of Metamora on 116 to Rigger Road
12:47pm 13th leg – 1.6 miles on 116 to Preferred Reality
1:06pm 14th leg – 2 miles on 116 to Fandel Road (before stoplight)
1:26pm 15th leg – 2 miles on 116 (right before curve)
1:46pm 16th leg- 1.8 miles on 116 to Thorton gas station (Spring Bay Sign)
2:04pm 17th leg – 2miles on 116 just past Cintinial Stoplight
2:24pm 18th leg – 1.8 miles on 116 to Highview Rd
2:42pm 19th leg – 1.6 miles to camp rd, turn R on Camp. Chase van to pick up runners at the China Buffet to ride through construction
2:58pm 20th leg- 0.8 miles All runners from embassy suites parking lot to Bob Michael Bridge to the Cat parking lot.

We are scheduled to present our team fundraising check at 8:45 PM.


Christine Cunningham