Child Stars

I had a nice time visiting back home this week. Some of the highlights included being with my family, hanging out with old friends, going to the Fireman's Picnic, and learning about some Raymond history at Doyle Public Library and the Raymond Village Hall.

I ran into Bob Pennock a few times, and he asked if I was planning to post my blog this week. It so happened that on my last visit to the library yesterday, I came across the article below about Bob and a few other Panhandle kids. The article appeared in the March 15, 1979 issue of the The Raymond News.  I had no idea Bob was once a celebrity, and I would love to hear what "stumper" questions he and the other children were asked.

We'll Meet Again

This week, I had the opportunity to visit Doyle Public Library in Raymond and read through some of the past issues of The Raymond News. During the WWII years, the front page of the Raymond newspaper was full of letters like the one below, as well as updates about individuals who were serving in the war and other war related news. As I read through week after week of the paper from that era, I was amazed at how everyone back then sacrificed so much, yet they kept a positive attitude and always tried to make the best of things.

The following appeared in the March 30, 1944 issue:

VJ Day

Elmer Carriker

On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victory Over Japan Day,” or simply “V-J Day.”

The following information appears in Raymond's 125th Anniversary book:

Raymond celebrated V-J Day on Tuesday, August 14, 1945 shortly after 6:00 p.m. when the official announcement came over the radio that Japan had accepted the Allied terms of unconditional surrender. The fire siren sounded continuously, and the church bells rang out the good news. Automobile horns sounded without ceasing and gunpowder and firecrackers added to the noise. Many Raymond people went to church Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Stores in Raymond were closed all day Wednesday.

Elmer Carriker of Raymond was witness to the signing of the Japanese surrender in World War II. Carriker was in the U.S. Navy stationed aboard the USS Wren which saw engagements in Okinawa and the Aleutian Islands with the Third Fleet. on the morning of August 16, 1945 the Wren was among a combined fleet of over 100 ships near the Japan shores. Carriker watched through binoculars as the Japanese taxi boat drew near the USS Missouri and saw the Japanese officers sign the surrender documents in front of General MacArthur and Admiral Halsey.

Special thanks to Janna Carriker Lawrence and Keith Carriker for providing Elmer's photo.  

Home Economics

This week I've been thinking about Home Ec. I had a text the other night from a 217 number that I didn't recognize. The person was asking about the best place to buy souvenirs in New York City. When I texted back and asked who it was, I got the following reply: It's Mrs. B. from Raymond, IL!

Ah, Mrs. Bruntjen, my beloved high school home ec teacher. One of the most cheerful and patient women I have ever known. It's been 35 years or so since I was a freshman in her home economics class and I still feel bad for being such a pain in the you-know-what. I remember how she taught us to thread a sewing machine, and I think I cried everyday while muddling through our first basic assignment: sewing place mats and napkins for an eight piece place setting. I remember later that semester too, when she ripped out the crooked seam on my homemade vest and helped me sew it back together properly just a few hours before our Future Homemakers of America style show. Thanks to Mrs. B., I didn't go out on the stage looking like a complete dork (just a dork). As you might imagine, the cooking portion of the semester did not come easily to me either, but my domestic awkwardness was less obvious since we worked in groups. I volunteered for things like grocery shopping and dish washing; those kinds of chores were right up my alley.  

Let's face it, everyone knows that my sister, Susan, ranks right up there with Martha Stewart and my other sister, Nancy, has this cool knack for home decorating and arranging things. Even my brothers turned out better than me. Joe makes a mean pot roast with gravy and all the trimmings, and brother Bob, known as the Kitchen Bit--, is popular on Facebook and often shares his recipes and cooking tips with everyone. As for me, over the years I have managed to learn to cook a few things (okay, there's five) for special occasions, but I've just never really caught on to whole domestic concept. Our Mom was a wonderful cook and I have great memories of the special dishes that she used to make. I've often wondered what Jon might someday say about my cooking. "Oh boy, my mom made a mean grilled cheese. Ummmm ummm. And did you see her crank open that can of tomato soup? She was a whiz in the kitchen."

Anyway, back to Mrs. B. It turns out that she was in New York City for a girls' trip with her daughter and granddaughter. When Mrs. B texted me, they were visiting with her high school classmate, Elissa Lebeck, who was born in Harvel and has lived in Manhattan for over fifty years. We texted back and forth for a few minutes and Mrs. B. explained that they were in town for a very short visit and it was their last night in the city. I was so excited to hear from her that all of the sudden I blurted out a text: "Too bad you're not staying longer, I would invite you across the Hudson for a visit to New Jersey." 

As soon as I hit send, my knees became weak and sweat formed on my brow. OMG, I thought, what would I do if she said yes, and my high school home ec teacher was actually coming to my house for a visit? I began to panic. I had visions of Mrs. B's flight being cancelled, and could see her at Penn Station hopping on the first train headed west. I heard a train whistle at the station a block from our house and I felt dizzy, my mind was racing. What would I serve? Do I have enough matching dishes? What about utensils? Is there dust in the refrigerator vent? How do I get that stain out of the tablecloth? Do I even have a tablecloth? I would be forced to cook all five of my special occasion dishes at the same time. That means there would be lasagna, Texas Potatoes, pink salad (with cottage cheese and marshmallows), miniature cherry cheesecakes, and of course my specialty at all holiday family get-togethers: frozen corn. This stuff doesn't even go together. What would she think? 

Well, it turned out that I did not actually get to see Mrs. B. and her family during this visit, however, she did teach me another valuable lesson after all these years: always be sure to keep the number of a good caterer handy just in case your high school home ec teacher comes for a visit. I'll be ready for you next time, Mrs. B.!

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I searched through my photos to try to find a picture from my home ec days but had no luck finding one, so I'm sharing this photo of the Boys Home Economics class at Raymond High School that was taken in the late 1930's, before Mrs. B's time. My dad, Charlie Bandy is the back row, fifth from the left. If you know any of the other people in the photo, please let me know.

Raymond Sports Trivia

The Raymond High School track team of 1906 was the Montgomery County Champions, winning the county meet held at Hillsboro. Team members included Harold Henderson, Roy Reineke, Joe Egelhoff, Joe Beatty, Otto Wiegreff, Henry Munstedt, and Percy McGown. 

Harold Henderson was responsible for organizing the first basketball team at Raymond High School in 1905. The team played its games in Doc Heren 's Opera House and then in the Creamery. Harold gradua ted with the Class of 1907 (there were seven in the class) and then attended Northern Illinois College of Ophthalmology and Otology graduating in 1913 with a degree of  Doctor of Optics. He served in World War I in France and was president and adjutant of the American Legion Post in Raymond after the war. He moved to Lit chfield in 1937 to practice optometry there continuing until his retirement in 1968. In those days, athletic teams traveled by train, buggy or surrey to get to competitions. Often when traveling out of town by train, they stayed all night at the homes of rival players returning to Raymond the next day. 

Following the 1907 county track meet, held at Nokomis, rain and muddy roads forced the team to stay overnight. The team members slept in a livery stable and the girls who attended the meet stayed in the home of the owner of the livery stable. Other track standouts from Raymond High School were Henry Bitterberg who held the state record at one time in the shot put and Robert Seward who won second at the state track meet in the 440. Henderson also held a second place

finish at the state track meet in the 220. 

      Football as a sport was briefly offered at Raymond High School beginning about 1915. Games were played in Luking's  pasture. Some of the outstanding football players were Herman Higginson , Toke Herman, and Fred Bowsher . The sport died out in a few years and was never resumed.

A Murder in Town

Matthew Gamlin  (1879-1949)

I was probably around twelve years old when my Mom showed me an article from the November 19, 1914 issue of The Raymond News about the death of my grandfather's first wife (the original article is below). I was surprised to learn that my grandfather was married to another woman before he married my grandmother, and was shocked to learn that the "other woman" was murdered by one of my own family members. I have been fascinated by this story ever since.

The woman who died was Mary Bechtel Carriker Gamlin. She was known as "Molly" and she was the aunt of Phyllis (Bechtel) Peger. Joe Gamlin (my grandfather), had known Molly for a few years because she had courted and eventually married his best friend, Jess Carriker. Molly and Jess lived in Decatur where Jess was in the restaurant business. Jess was hit and killed by a train in 1912. When Joe got word of Jess' death, he contacted Roscoe Hough right away, and the two of them traveled to Decatur in Hough's horse drawn black hearse to bring Jess Carriker's body back to Raymond. It was Joe who comforted Molly, Joe who brought Molly back home, and Joe, who became her second husband. As you might imagine, the intricacies of Joe and Molly's relationship with each other did not go unnoticed by the townsfolk.

Wilma and Joe Gamlin in the 1940's

Joe and Molly were married on November 4, 1914. They had just returned from their honeymoon and were staying at the home of Joe's parents in Raymond, a large two-story house on the edge of town (in the vicinity of the present day West End). One of Joe's brothers, Matthew Gamlin, lived at home with his parents. In 1908, Matthew had attended a seminary where he was studying to become a Presbyterian minister. While away, he was overcome with an illness and high fever that led to brain damage. His condition was so severe, that he had been institutionalized before eventually returning home to his parents.

As the Gamlin family and a neighbor gathered around the kitchen table for breakfast, cheerfully discussing the honeymoon and the charivari hosted by their friends the night before, Matthew Gamlin walked downstairs carrying a double-barrel shotgun. With no warning, he shot Molly in the face at close range. My great-grandmother's warm kitchen turned into a murder scene that morning. The force of the blast pushed Molly against the back of the chair and into the wall. She came forward again, in slow-motion, her torso crashing down on the kitchen table, silverware, glass, and bits of china flying in all directions. In a matter of seconds, a massive amount of blood began soaking into her white lace blouse, and trickled down onto the floor, pooling beneath her black, high-buttoned boots. The gunshot shook the house, rattling the teacups in the china cabinet in the sitting room. 

I've often thought about the lives that were changed that day. Poor Molly who suffered so much pain in her short life was gone, and the man who would become my grandfather was left with nothing but memories and a photo of a young, pretty woman with jet black hair that he would carry in his wallet for the rest of his life. And then there was the Bechtel family who lost a young daughter, and the Carrikers' who, within a span of a couple of years, had lost their son and former daughter-in-law.

Matthew Gamlin was sent to the Asylum for the Insane at Jacksonville. Joe personally accompanied his brother to Jacksonville, just the two of them traveling alone in Joes' horse and buggy.

In 1918, Joe Gamlin married Wilma McCallum, and they farmed south of Raymond for three years before moving to what was later known as Anderberg Hill (located on the Nokomis Blacktop, opposite of Mulch's hill). Their only child, Eileen (my mother), was born there in 1924.

Security at the mental hospital in Jacksonville was relaxed, and Uncle Matt would sometimes wander off. On these occasions, the hospital would notify my grandparents that Matt was missing. Grandma was terrified that he was on his way back to kill her, just like he had killed Molly, and she refused to be in the house alone. When grandpa was at work, grandma would take my mom outside and they would sit on the well on the top of the hill, scanning the fields, watching for any sign of him. My grandma's torture went on for years, until Matthew Gamlin died on November 1, 1949.

Joe did not want Matt to be buried anywhere near Molly's grave in Asbury Cemetery, so his body was placed a few rows away in an unmarked grave near some of our other Gamlin relatives. Shortly before my Mom died in 2008, she had a small grave marker placed at the site. I was glad she did that.

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Although this story is tragic, I'm thankful that the events happened exactly the way they did, and that I am here to talk about it!

It happened one summer...

Grain bin mishap at Sorrells' Elevator in 1994

1973

July - Westwood Acres Subdivision was developed by Gerald and Carl Murphy. The two new streets were named Lincoln and Maple.

July - The Hough family celebrated 75 years in the funeral home business in Raymond.

1978

July - The First National Bank celebrated their 75th anniversary. Raymond "Jiggs" Hough was President.
August - Construction began on the new ambulance shed on Rt. 48 near the water tower. 

1980

July - Bernard and Margaret Jenkins lost their home to a fire.

1983

June - The Raymond-Harvel Kiwanis celebrated their 25th Anniversary with a special dinner and awards program.

1986

June - Frank Doyle died, leaving bequests that benefited the entire community.

1987

June - The LHS Band went to Washington, D.C. and performed a concert for 5,000 people who were waiting to tour the White House. 

1990

July - Raymond won the "Governor's Home Town Award for volunteer work on Shoal Creek Golf Course.

1992

July - A propane tank blew up at the Pork Producers stand during the Raymond Independence Day Celebration, injuring Roy Weitekamp and Jeff Hampton.

Summer of 1993

The Mississippi and Illinois rivers rose to record levels over the summer. Many Raymond residents participated in sandbagging operations, and donated money, food, clothing, and supplies for flood victims.

Melvin and Helen Bruntjen were busy enjoying their seven new great-grandchildren who were all born within five months of each other.

1994

June - The community mourned the loss of Jessica Cray, the daughter of Joe and Judy Cray, who was killed in a farm accident. She had just completed 6th grade at Raymond Junior High.

August - The underground gas tanks at LHS were removed under the supervision of the EPA and State Fire Marshall. The cost of the project exceeded $197,000.

August  - A 28,000 bushel grain bin filled with wheat at Sorrells' elevator buckled and leaned toward the railroad tracks.

August - St. Raymond's Knights of Columbus #4696 dedicated a memorial at St. Raymond's Cemetery honoring all unborn children.

Lester Walch tending to the community planter in front of his store.

1995 

June - The Village Board purchased planters to "beautify" the downtown area.

June - Members of the Raymond United Methodist Church commemorated the church's Centennial year by burying a time capsule that was donated by the Hough family. Items placed in the time capsule included memorabilia from the Centennial celebration, Sunday School notes and class lists, and the present membership list. The church members hope the capsule will be opened in 2095.

August - The Pleasant Hill Christian Church sponsored a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico. Those who attended from Raymond included Evelyn, Natalie, and Sarah Boehme; John, Patty, Lacy, Dustin, and Dane Fletcher; and Judy Miles.

1996

July - Raymond celebrated "125 Years of Memories."