Minonk native Vicki Paloumpis Kupec had an interesting story after returning to Washington, DC Christmas eve on a flight from Rome on which she was one of the flight attendants.   One of the passengers on the flight requested a bottle of wine during the flight, to which Vicki replied there would be a charge for the wine.

Looking at the young man closer, who was a clean cut young American, Vicki asked if he was in the military to which the man said he was an American seabee returning to the States after a tour of duty from Sigonella, a naval station in Sicily.  Vicki told the young sailor she wouldn't charge him for the wine since he was an American military person.

Later in the flight the young sailor came to the back of the plane where Vicki was stationed and asked her if he could have another wine.  From there the conversation picked up and Vicki eventually asked the young sailor where he was from.  The sailor said he was from Illinois.

Vicki then asked him what part of Illinois to which the sailor said it was some small town you never heard of near Peoria.  Vicki then told him that she was from the Central Illinois area also and was familiar with small towns in that area.  So she pressed him for the name of the town.

When the sailor told Vicki he was from Minonk, Vicki about passed out and said she was from Minonk also.   It turns out the sailor's name was Luke Samuelson, son of Tim and Midge Samuelson of Minonk.  He said he was going to try to rent a car at Washington and then drive back to Minonk.

Luke's parents were contacted on Christmas day to see if Luke made it home OK.  His father Tim said Luke arrived at Minonk at 5:00 AM Christmas Day and had brought a friend with him, a dog he had rescued while stationed in Sicily.

So it really is a small world when two people from Minonk can cross paths on a flight from Rome, Italy to Washington, DC.