I'll still be home for Christmas

Ad that appeared in The Raymond News in December, 1961.

There’s only been a few times since 1964 that I have not been in Raymond, Illinois at Christmas. This year is one of them. It didn’t sound like such a bad idea at first, but of course as I sit here in New Jersey on Christmas Eve, I must admit that I’m feeling a little sad and a bit nostalgic. Earlier today, I began looking through some email messages that Mom once sent to me about things that had happened “back in the day.” In one message, she mentioned Christmas during the Vietnam era when both of my brothers were in the Army and were deployed overseas:   

"As time went on it was getting close to the holidays again and we spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with NO BOYS. It was a sad time, but we had dinner and tried to keep things normal." 

By normal, she meant the Rockwellesque type of Christmas that most of us who grew up in Raymond experienced. How many of you remember:

• Getting dressed up and meeting Santa uptown under the Cottonwood Tree.
• The excitement around town when the volunteer fireman put up the town Christmas lights, including the display next to the old water tower on Rt. 48 with the reindeers pulling Santa and his sleigh.
• Attending various church Christmas programs.
• Christmas parties at school, coordinated by our “room mothers.”
•  Saving money to go Christmas shopping at one of the many stores in Raymond.
•  Christmas caroling and Christmas concerts.
•  Browsing through the Sears Wish Book.
•  Driving around town looking at Christmas lights. (Back then, you knew who lived in every single house and almost everyone had decorations.)
• Playing outside in the snow, including tying sleds to the back bumper of cars/trucks and going on a joy ride through the streets of Raymond.  

Oh, my sweet hometown. Those were the good old days. 

This year, I’m with my two favorite guys and we’re having some friends over for Christmas dinner. The Butterhorn rolls are baking as I write, and the “pink salad” my mom always made is in the refrigerator in the special bowl she always used. Earlier today, I made the miniature cherry cheesecakes from her recipe in the Raymond Methodist Church cookbook. Our tree is up and it’s decorated with many special ornaments from my childhood. Not being home for Christmas this year is sad, but we’ll have dinner and try to keep things normal.

More "Citizens of Tomorrow"

Thanks to my sister, Susan Lebeck, for sending me another round of "Citizens of Tomorrow" for this week's TBT Blog. The photos appeared in The Raymond News in 1974.

Raymond Officials - 1971

Pictured below is the Raymond Village Board in 1971, when most of the board members were growing beards in honor of the Raymond Centennial celebration. At that time, Raymond M. Stewart was Mayor, Bert Martin was Village Clerk, and Raymond R. Hough was Village Treasurer. Board Members were Ronald (Pete) Henderson, Joseph Martin, Glenn Myers, Carl E. Peger, Verne Pinkston, and Kenneth Wagahoff. 

Seated from left: Pinkston, Stewart, B. Martin, Henderson; Standing from left, Myers, Wagahoff, J. Martin, Peger

The Civil War

This evening, I'm writing my TBT Blog from Gettysburg, PA where I'm attending the 2015 Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference. The conference is being held at the Wyndham Hotel, and like everything in Gettysburg, the hotel is all about the Civil War. My room is red, white and blue, complete with navy blue carpeting with a star pattern (hundreds of stars), and a bedspread and curtains with red stripes. Being immersed in this Civil War theme gave me the idea to feature some Civil War veterans who are buried in Asbury Cemetery and in the Raymond City Cemetery. As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, Pete Henderson had an extensive collection of information about veterans from the Raymond area and he shared the information with me in 1996 for Raymond's 125th Anniversary Book. I'm not positive about the source of the information below, but it's likely that these were obituaries that appeared in local newspapers.

George Frye - a Civil War veteran, died July 29, 1883 at the age of about 45. On Saturday evening, July 28, Fry was helping to market some wheat and had put on a quite a load of wheat in the sack and placed some sacks across the wagon and was seated on the foremost one when he started his team, and in some way or other, the sack he was sitting on rolled off in front of the wagon and in so doing carried him away with it. His mules, being rather fiery, started to run away, and as Mr. Henry Hitchings was in front of the team with a load of wheat, the mules broke the beast yoke and spread out; one going on one side and the other going on the other side of Mr. Hitchings' wagon, the tongue passing up over the top of the end gate of Mr. H's wagon, thereby letting both wagon come up close together which caught Mr. Fry between them and so injured him in the chest and bowels that he died about 12 o'clock Sunday night. He is buried in the Asbury Cemetery. He left two children, his wife having died the prior January. 

William H. Guthrie - died July 26, 1914 at the age of 73. He was a private in Co. H. 143rd Illinois Infantry. He was born and raised in Green County near Roodhouse and came to Montgomery county in the year 1858. In the fall of 1865 he married Elizabeth Martin of Green County. They were the parents of six children: three sons and three daughters, one son having died at the age of 1 1/2 years. The children who survived him were Rev. John O. Guthrie, Eureka Springs, Ark; Dennis E. Guthrie, Laura Guthrie and Luella Cook all of of Raymond, and Mrs. Elizabeth Buchanan, Wharton, Texas. He also had a brother Joseph of Bentonsport, Iowa and D.M. Guthrie of Hillsboro, Iowa. He was known as "Uncle Bill" and owned one of the best farms in the county before moving to town. He was a member of the G.A.R. and had seen many hardships in army life. He is buried at the Asbury Cemetery. 

William Haarstick - died February 19, 1888 from pneumonia at the age of 57 at his home, one mile west of Raymond. He served as a private in Co. A 1st Missouri Calvary. Haarstick was born in Hanover, Empire Germany in June, 1831 and came to this country as a young man. He entered the Union army as a private in Capt. Sterling's Co. A, 1st Mo. Cav. Vol, and served through the war. After peace was declared, he returned to Illinois and resumed his occupation as miller. He was respected as an honest man of undoubted integrity. He was survived by his wife and three children. He is buried at the Raymond City Cemetery. 

Abel A. McGown - died May 30, 1899 at the age of 63. He was born in Green County Illinois on April 6, 1836 and at the age of 14 years came with his parents to Montgomery County. He enlisted on August 14, 1862 in Company B, 117th Regular Illinois Volunteers and served three years. He took part in the battles of Fort Russey, La; Pleasant Hill, La; Tapelo, Miss; Nashville, Tenn; and Bakley and Mobile, Ala besides being engaged in 33 skirmishes, capturing in the battles and skirmishes two stands of colors, and 442 prisoners and 8 pieces of artillery. After the war he returned to Montgomery County and settled on a farm near Raymond. He married Mary E. Hacker of Indianapolis, on February 27, 1873. They were the parents of four children, two who proceed him in death. He was survived by his wife and two children, John P. and Mabel E. John P. was an employee of the Raymond Independent. Abel suffered from rheumatism and was confined to his home the last 16 years of his life. If was said of him, "He was kind to all who needed help and more than one person in Raymond can say they own a home now in and through the help of him." He is buried at Asbury Cemetery. 

About the James Haynes Post #504 Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.)...

The Grand Army of the Republic was a national organization of Civil War veterans (Union army) that was first organized in Illinois by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Stephenson, a surgeon of the 14th Illinois Infantry assisted by Rev. W.J. Ruttger, a Methodist clergyman and chaplain of the same regiment. The two organized the G.A.R. in the Decatur area. The local group at Raymond met Wednesday evenings on or before the full moon of each month in meeting rooms above Booth's Dry Goods and Clothing Store. 

It happened in April

Do you remember these events that made the news during the month of April?

1974
Rev. Thomas Gorman, pastor of St. Church celebrated his Silver Jubilee of Priesthood.

The first ABC Fair benefiting the Lincolnwood Reading Center was held.

1975

Lighting was installed on the Raymond Park ball diamond.

1977  

The LHS Band, under the direction of Darrell Cannedy, was invited to compete in the first state-wide contest of "sweet 16" bands.

1985

George Weatherford, an employee of Myers Standard Station at I-55 and Rt. 48, was shot and killed during a robbery. 

The Veteran's Memorial was erected in April 1995.

1986

Panhandle School Board votes to move all district 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to Raymond at the end of the 1986 school year. At that time, the Waggoner Grade School, Farmersville gym and ag shop, and one building at Raymond Grade School were closed. 

1987

The Village Board agreed to accept Southern Meadows subdivision, developed by Merrill Wernsing. 

1988

A severe spring thunderstorm struck Raymond, blowing out windows at the laundromat and destroying the roof on the Jim and Colette Herrmann residence, as well as doing other damage. A hail storm one week later damaged numerous roofs in the area. 

A drought from late spring though summer and fall resulted in low crop yields. Local communities kept a close watch on water levels. 

1989

Village and township elections were held with the race for township road commissioner between James Mackay, Democrat, and William Vanzant, Independent, ending in a tie with each candidate receiving 233 votes. A coin toss conducted by the canvassing board gave Mackay the seat. Vanzant challenged and called for a recount which resulted in the same tie vote. 

Doyle Memorial Reading Center and others benefited from the generosity of Mae Sorrells who bequeathed $5,000 to the library, $5,000 to the Montgomery County 4-H Foundations, $2,000 to the Raymond Cemetery, and $10,000 to Hillsboro Hospital. 

1990

The Raymond Village Board voted to ban skateboarding on Main Street.

1994

Many area residents turned out to tour seven homes that were featured in the "Parade of Homes" held to benefit the Raymond-Harvel Community Fund. 

1995

The Veteran's Memorial at Veteran's Memorial Park was erected by members of the American Legion and Village Board and employees. 

They grow up so quickly...

This is one of my favorite photos from Raymond's 125th Anniversary book that was printed in 1996. The photo was taken in 1994 at the water treatment plant in Raymond. Nathan Broaddus (left) and Adam Pennock were in Kindergarten at the time.

It's hard to believe that this qualifies as a throwback!

Crisis Averted

We had a really close call at our house this week.

The Electrolux

On Sunday, Jon was cleaning his room when the Electrolux lost suction and suddenly shut down, displaying a warning symbol that I had never seen before. It also appeared to be overheated. I panicked. Could this be the end for the beloved vacuum cleaner my parents had purchased back in the early 80’s?

The Electrolux had served them faithfully all those years. I inherited it when Mom died. The vacuum, along with some of Mom and Dad’s other stuff, was delivered to me in New Jersey a few years ago by Reuben Smith, who happened to have some extra room on his moving truck when he was relocating a client to the East Coast. I remember Reuben’s puzzled expression when I asked him to be extra careful with the vacuum, noting that it was just as fragile as my mom’s glass curio cabinet and the china set that was given to my great-grandparents on their silver wedding anniversary over a hundred years ago. I wasn't kidding.

Paul and Jon give me those kinds of looks too, when I tell them to be careful with it. They think it's a little odd that I worry about it so much, but I can’t help it. It belonged to my parents and it has always been there for me. Break a glass, get the Electrolux. Knock over a plant, get the Electrolux. Cat hair on the chair? No worries, bring on the Electrolux.

And now it just sat there on Jon's bedroom floor. Lifeless. I pulled the plug and sat down next to it, slowly tracing the outline of the orange warning light with my finger. That telltale electrical smell permeated the room. Not a good sign. Not a good sign at all.

Mom and Dad bought the Electrolux when I was in high school and I didn’t use it that much back then (okay, I never used it). I just wasn’t into cleaning like my friend, Pam Mitts, who bought one of those fancy Kirby vacuums when she was only sixteen years old. That was Pam for you, always practical and organized, keeping a little notebook in her car to track her gas mileage, and already preparing for her future with Larry Lanter. Of course she would need a good vacuum to clean up after him and the little tots they would have. I don’t know how much she spent on that thing, but it involved monthly payments, and it was a constant source of frustration to me. For example:

Me: “Hey Pam, let’s go to the movies.”
Pam: “Oh no, I can’t. I have to save up for my vacuum cleaner payment.”

Next month.

Me: “Hey, Pam, wanna go to the State Fair?”
Pam: “Oh, no it’s almost the 15th of the month, and I have to make the vacuum payment.”

And this went on and on, and I just didn’t get it.

I wouldn’t get it for many more years, not until I was in my twenties and married. Family friends, Carl and Phyllis Peger, had purchased a fixer-upper on McGown Street, just two doors up the street from their own house. Peger, who was in the construction business, remodeled the house from top to bottom, and when he was finished, it was in pristine condition. The Pegers agreed to sell it to us contract-for-deed, but before we could take it over, there was one stipulation: I had to meet with Phyllis to discuss how to properly clean and care for the house. Now, anyone who knew Phyllis will remember how she kept her house. We’re talking eat-off-the-floor-clean. Everything had its place and was in its place. When you visited, regardless of the time of day, announced or unannounced, you would find their house to be in immaculate condition. Phyllis herself had once told me that if you really want to know how clean someone is, just check behind their toilet. Believe me, you would never have found a speck of anything behind the Peger’s toilet.

I clearly remember our meeting at the new house. Phyllis marched in armed with a bucket of cleaning supplies. She asked to see my vacuum and I proudly produced my Hoover upright. Surely, a respectable brand like Hoover would impress her. She shook her head in disapproval and told me that this house would require a better quality vacuum with several different attachments. Then, over the course of the afternoon, she proceeded to give me room by room cleaning demonstrations on everything from using lemon oil on the oak kitchen cabinets to removing and cleaning the furnace filter. She also covered window washing, proper tub and tile cleaning, and gave me tips for dusting ceiling fans and blinds.

Those first few months living in Phyllis’ shadow were not easy. She would call and let me know if there were smudges on the front windows or weeds growing in the yard. When I would get frustrated with her, my Dad (who had been friends with her since childhood), always reminded me that “P. Peger would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it.” I can still hear him saying that. Eventually, I figured out that there was a lot more to owning a home than my twenty-something self had realized, and Phyllis was right about many things. Every couple of weeks or so between Hoover cleanings, I would borrow the Electrolux from Mom and give the house a good cleaning from top to bottom, just like Phyllis had taught me. And if you were to look in my closet today, you would find a bottle of lemon oil among the cleaning supplies. I always smile when I use it.

Dad was right too. Phyllis did have a good heart and she helped me many times over the years. Phyllis and Peger were good folks who worked hard and did a lot for the community. They were nice neighbors, and their yard, just like their house, was immaculate. They have both been gone a few years now, but when I visit Raymond and drive by their house on a summer evening, I still expect to see them sitting on the patio, smiling and waving.

Back on the floor I thought about what to do. I decided I would call the Electrolux repair number, even though deep down, I knew it was finished. I pulled on the cord and let it gently retract one last time, and I gingerly removed the attachments. When I opened the back compartment to remove the bag, about a dozen or so rocks from Jon’s rock collection came tumbling out. Apparently they had fallen off his shelf and in true teenage boy style he had decided to vacuum them up rather than pick them up. I removed the rocks, plugged in the vacuum, and tapped the on button. It came back to life and it seems to be working as good as ever.

Imagine that. It’s funny how a seemingly hopeless situation can turnaround in an instant, and how something like a vacuum can give you some good material for your TBT blog.

By the way, Pam was right too. She married Larry and they had two kids. They are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary this April, and they still have the Kirby vacuum cleaner. I guess it was a wise investment after all.

Grocery Shopping

Do you remember when Raymond was able to support several grocery stores at the same time? Our family patronized all the stores in town, and I remember the Raymond Food Market well, especially the meat counter in the back where Perry Donini wrapped up meat in white butcher paper and tied it with a string. Although Perry was super nice and friendly, as a kid, I had trouble understanding his thick Italian accent. I  always just smiled and nodded a lot when I visited his store. Perry sure was a colorful character on Main Street, and when business was slow, he kept things interesting by playing practical jokes on Merle Berle.

Below is a picture and article that appeared in The Raymond News on 10/12/78 when Perry and Isabel sold the store after over forty years of business. 

(From The Raymond News, 10/12/78)

(From Raymond's 125th Book published in 1996)

Perry Donini at the Raymond Food Market

Carlo Donini, born January 4, 1889; his wife, Valentina, born April 28, 1893; and their son, Paride (Perry), born May 4, 1912, lived together in Italy. In 1922, Carlo left his home and came to the United States along with thousands of other immigrants in search of a better life. Carlo settled in West Frankfort, where he found work in the coal mines. He was joined by his family in 1926. On October 6, 1927, Carlo and Valentina's daughter, Dorothy, was born. Carlo continued to work in the coal mines of West Frankfort for eight years.

In 1930, Carlo moved his family to Kincaid where he continued to work in the coal mines. His son, Perry, found work at the "My Store" grocery in Taylorville. Perry moved to Raymond in 1936 to start his own grocery store, the Raymond Food Market. His family joined him in 1939. It was here in Raymond that the family settled permanently. Carlo and Dorothy spent many hours helping Perry at the store. On June 8, 1948, Dorothy married Verne M. Pinkston. They also made Raymond their home.

Perry became involved in several community activities including the Raymond Volunteer Fire Department and the Raymond Gun Club. He was also involved in many area bowling leagues. He and his family were members of St. Raymond's Catholic Church.

Valentina died on January 2, 1967, and Carlo died on November 2, 1973.

On August 4, 1968, Perry married Isabel McNeal. For many years, Isabel had worked as a telephone operator for Illinois Bell. Later, she also worked in her husband's grocery store. In the summer of 1978, Perry sold the store and began his retirement. Perry died on August 14, 1986. Isabel died in November, 1992.

Birthday Memories

Homemade Noodles!

I hope my readers will excuse me if I seem a little self-indulgent this week. I'm still recovering from a whirl-wind trip back home, just me alone, last weekend. My oldest brother, Joe, retired from Pioneer after 34 years of service and a celebration was held in his honor last Friday in LeRoy, Illinois. I caught an early flight to Chicago on Friday morning and rode the Amtrak "Lincoln Service" to Bloomington. I loved riding the train through Illinois, and seeing miles and miles of nothing but big sky and snow covered fields.  

It was so wonderful to hang out with all four of my siblings and their families, as well as see so many old friends at the Fireman's/Legion's dinner dance on Saturday night. Since I was home so close to my birthday (51 -- yikes!), sister Sue and her husband Tim, hosted a special Sunday dinner on the farm and Sue made Mom's homemade chicken and noodles, as well as mashed potatoes and corn (both grown on the farm) and a Texas cake. I realized that I had not been back home around the time of my birthday for many years, and it was such a treat.

For this week's throwback, I pulled out a picture from another memorable birthday way back in 1967. 

This was taken at a party celebrating my third birthday. The two girls in the back row are Lisa Graham and Nancy Reineke. Renee (Frazier) Sheedy is on the left, I'm in the center, and the two boys in the front are Eddie Arnett and Scott Pinkston. 

How it all got started...

It's hard to believe, but this week marks the one year anniversary of my Throwback Thursday blog. I have always been interested in the history of Raymond, Illinois, and had the opportunity to learn a lot about it when I served on the committee that published Raymond’s 125th Anniversary Book back in 1996. Prior to that in the late 80’s/early 90's, I worked for The Raymond News shortly after John and Sheryl Bandy sold the newspaper to The Hillsboro Journal. Each week, I included a column called “Flashbacks” that featured interesting news items from the past. I spent a great deal of time at Doyle Public Library in Raymond perusing archived issues of The Raymond News. I copied articles that I thought would be of interest to the community, and shared them in the paper each week.

I also copied news items pertaining to my family and friends. I found the article to the right in the November 26, 1942 issue of The Raymond News. It features a letter to to the editor that was written by our family friend, Raymond "Jiggs" Hough, when he was serving in the Army during WWII. (Jiggs enlisted in the Army on October 6, 1942 and served until December 23, 1945). I love this letter and I think it captures the true spirit of Raymond. I dug it out on a Thursday in December of 2013, and posted it on my Facebook status for "Throwback Thursday." My Facebook friends from back home also loved it and I received many comments. That's when I got the idea to launch a TBT blog. My very first Throwback Thursday blog post appeared on February 20, 2014. Now, one year later, I am happy to report that my little weekly blog about Raymond, Illinois (population 950), has had over 22,500 page views. It has also been viewed by people in over twenty different countries (see the full list of countries below).

When I started out blogging just for fun, I did not anticipate such an overwhelming response. I have heard from so many people -- classmates from elementary and high school, former colleagues, a long lost cousin, folks from New Jersey who have ties to the Panhandle area, and even from complete strangers who read my blog and either have some connection to back home or are simply interested in the subject matter. I would like to thank all my readers for your kind words and weekly encouragement. I love hearing from all of you and enjoy reading about your memories as well. It's a great feeling to know that something I enjoy doing so much helps keep the history of our little hometown alive.

And now, here's a little more on Jiggs...

After the war, Jiggs did “make a beeline” back to Raymond. He married Marjorie Trinkle on February 23, 1946 and returned to his job at the First National Bank of Raymond where he worked his way up from cashier, to vice-president, and then to bank president. He served in that capacity until he retired in 1986, and then remained on the board of directors until 1991. Jiggs had a genuine concern for the folks in Raymond, and through his job at the bank, he helped many people get a start in life and survive some tough times. Jiggs will always be remembered as one of the great leaders of our community.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Jiggs Hough. It appeared in Stars and Stripes magazine during WWII:

-- SIGNAL CORPS PHOTO

RAYMOND MAN IN CHINA – Tech. Sgt. Raymond R. Hough of Raymond, a veteran of the Salween river campaign, is pictured at a Chinese training center directed by the U.S. army forces somewhere in China, with his youthful Chinese friends. The Raymond soldier was recently decorated with the Bronze Star for his service at one of the American portable surgical hospitals on the Salween front. He is the son of Mrs. Clara P. Hough of Raymond. 

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One

More Citizens of Tomorrow

Well, I'll probably catch a lot of grief over this week's post, but they sure were cute, weren't they? This appeared in The Raymond News on 6/11/64...

Last week, my blog was viewed over 500 times, breaking an all-time record. Looks like those Beelers are even more popular than I suspected! It's hard to believe, but next week will mark the one year anniversary of my TBT Blog. Be sure to check back to read a special post related to how the whole thing got started. It's a great story that, in my opinion, captures the true spirit of Raymond.

Country Kids

Earlier in the week, I saw this recent picture of Carl and Martha Beeler's kids on Facebook (from left -- Rosemary, Moe, Resa, Phillip, Margy, Tom, and Joanie). I swear those Beelers never change and they are all just as cute as ever. Even though they were “country” kids, I've known them for as long as I can remember -- at least 45 years now. Tommy Beeler sat at my table in Kindergarten. Seeing their photo reminded me of a couple of funny stories from when we were growing up. 

It was sometime during grade school that I was invited to a boy/girl party at the Beeler farm in honor of Tom’s birthday. I remember that Martha, and I believe Rosemary and Joanie, were trying to corral all of us. It was mid-March and the spring thaw was underway so there was mud everywhere. After we had cake, they sent us outside (I’m sure Martha was relieved to get us out of the house). All the girls at the party immediately proceeded to pile up together on the porch swing and the chains gave away, tumping us all on the ground. After that, all hell broke loose with girls chasing boys, boys chasing girls, people having cooties, and everyone running amok all over the farm. Being the “city” girl that I was, I didn’t realize that when I fell into the pig pen that the brown stuff in there wasn’t just mud. I proceeded to run through it. Many times. They had to call Mom to come and get me and I was lucky that she let me ride in the car on the way back to town.

In 1977 when I was in 8th grade I volunteered, along with my friends, Pam and Sherri, to be a school cafeteria helper. This meant that every day we got to go over to the high school side of the cafeteria and help serve lunch. That's when we met high school senior, Maurice “Moe” Beeler.  Moe would come through the line and flirt with us. I thought he liked us but he really just wanted extra mashed potatoes and dessert (obviously he was cute AND smart). Pam and I had a major crush on Moe as did probably most of the girls in the school. After all, he was a mysterious older man and he was tall, dark, and handsome.

One day there was quite a commotion in the lunch line and it turned out that Moe was giving away wallet-sized senior pictures. By the time he made his way through the line and got up to the counter, he only had one picture left. He flashed his last senior picture in front of us, and held it there just long enough for us to admire his adorable sideburns and blue leisure suit. Pam and I both asked for the picture, begged for it, while he tantalizingly waved it back and forth in front of us. And then… he… gave it to…PAM! I was crushed. I begged her to give it to me, but she said there was no way she would ever part with that picture.

Moe Beeler's Senior Picture

Later that day, Pam and I walked Sherri home and then the two us continued on to the other side of town. We stopped at Mizera’s Market. Pam didn’t have any money on her and I selfishly bought a Hostess Apple Pie for .30 cents. It was fresh off the truck and the Hostess delivery man had just put it on the shelf. It turns out that Pam was really hungry. As we were walking down Main Street toward home, I told Pam I would trade the Hostess Apple Pie for Moe’s picture. She thought about it. Nope, no way would she do that. I crinkled the package, um-ummm, look at this nice fresh apple pie. No, she would not part with that picture. I opened the corner of the package and waved it under her nose hoping that the aroma of all that wholesome apple pie goodness would influence her. And boom, it did. It got to her. She caved. By the time we got to Convery’s corner, I was holding Moe Beeler in my hand.

And that’s the story of how I got Moe Beeler’s last senior picture. To this day, almost forty years later, when Moe sees Pam and me together, he always tells us that he can’t believe that he’s worth less than a Hostess Apple Pie.

I kept the picture on my bulletin board in my room for a few years. In fact, I still have it somewhere, but in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I could not locate the original for this week’s blog. A special thanks goes to Terri Lanter Olack for working some magic and sending me a yearbook copy.

Harvel Grade School

This photo was taken at Harvel Grade School sometime around 1927. I love looking at the expressions on the children's faces. I've always heard that back in the day, photographers instructed people not to smile when they were being photographed, so I guess that's why they are such a sober looking bunch. 

My Dad, Charles Bandy, is in the first row, second from the right. It's possible that one of the other boys is Bob Hendricks but I can't say for sure. If you can identify someone in this picture, please let me know.

A little more on the Raymond P.O.

Last week's blog featured the dedication ceremony for the new Raymond Post Office back in 1962. Since that posting, I have heard from all three Carriker kids (Janna in Iowa, and Ken and Linda who both live in Texas). Linda mentioned how she loved going there on "those hot summer days when the air conditioned post office felt like heaven," and how the marble floor always "felt nice and cool when I slipped off my Dr. Scholls." 

I had forgotten all about those days when I rode my bike to the post office and probably stayed there a while, despite the No Loitering sign in the lobby. The place was always so bright and tidy, and I loved the smell -- a combination of cleaning products and important papers. I faithfully read the FBI's "most wanted" bulletins that were neatly posted on the walls, and I always made a special effort to remember the faces of the criminals, you know, so I could identify them if they ever happened to travel through Raymond.  

Linda also reminded me about the combination locks on the mailboxes (she even remembers their combination which is amazing -- I-B-F/G). While I don't recall our combination, I do remember our box number (146) and the day I learned how to open it. Not only had I finally achieved the same level of knowledge and responsibility as my older sisters, but I would be using this knowledge for my new Saturday morning job at Dad's store. In addition to dusting the merchandise, my duties included going to the post office to buy stamps and get the mail. This required crossing main street with large amounts of cash (as much as $10) and then transporting the valuable stamps, change, and important mail back to the store. It was such a huge responsibility that it's no wonder I was paid so much -- a whopping $3.00 (cash) per week! It was comforting to know that if I forgot the combination or had difficulty getting the box open, I could always go to the counter and Mr. Convery would be nice enough to just hand the mail to me. It makes me a little sad to think about how someone else now has P.O. Box 146 in Raymond. I sure hope they're nice. 

When I visited Doyle Public Library in December, I came across the following photograph and article that appeared in the Raymond News on Thursday, December 28, 1978. I thought it would be a good follow-up to last week's blog. 

John J. “Jack” Convery, Raymond Postmaster, will retire tomorrow, December 29, 1978 after giving over forty-two years of courageous and efficient service to the Raymond community. He started with the post office in June, 1936 on a part time basis when his aunt, the late Miss Mayme Convery was postmaster. Following her death, he was appointed acting postmaster on April 15, 1952 and was later appointed postmaster on August 5, 1953. At that time the post office was located in the building now occupied by WelBrak Builders, Inc. The present post office building was erected in 1962, having been dedicated in September of that year.

Due to the increase in the volume of business the status of the Raymond office was changed from third class to second class in 1963.

During Jack’s term in the office he has seen many changes in the postal service. For example, he saw the mail come in by train (five times daily for a number of years). Later the mail came in by Star route carrier from Taylorville twice daily. Now the Star route delivers mail only once daily from Springfield.

Jack’s wife is the former Rosalie Weitekamp and they are the parents of six children, Kathleen Spence of Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Patricia Pope of Harvel; Mary Ellen Gentry of Tampa, Florida; Angela Smith of Chatham; Ronald and Mark, both of Raymond. They have seventeen grandchildren.

Someone will be appointed to be acting postmaster who is already in the present postal service elsewhere. In due time a permanent postmaster will be appointed.

Jack is interested in all sports and now will have more to enjoy them. He and Rosalie plan to travel some and will welcome the opportunity to become better acquainted with some of their grandchildren who live some distance away. Of course, they plan to live in Raymond.

Good and best wishes Jack, on your retirement from a job well done. The entire community greatly appreciates the many years of fine service given them.

Raymond's 125th Anniversary book, published in 1996, reprinted the Raymond Centennial book information that I posted last week as well as the following update:

John Convery retired in December of 1978. He was followed by Louise Westcott of Morrisonville, who held the position until 1988. Temporary “Officers in Charge” took over until February of 1990 when Bob Herman became Postmaster. A Raymond native, Bob resides in Harvel and was the Postmaster there from May 1980 to February 1990. He began his postal career in 1978 as a part-time clerk at the Raymond Post Office. In May of 1979, he transferred to the Carlinville Post Office for a year before taking the Harvel position. In addition to Postmaster, there are four other employees at the Raymond Post Office: Bob Langen: rural route #1 carrier; Terry Brockmeyer, rural route #2 carrier; Julie Millburg, clerk; and Connie Langen, custodian.

The Raymond Post Office

Here's another item I found a few weeks ago when we were going through some of Mom's photos and other scrapbook items that have been in storage. This is a program from 1962 when the new Raymond Post Office was dedicated. The event occurred a couple of years before I was born, so of course I don't remember it, but judging by the program, it must have been a really big deal. A fellow from Chicago spoke (the real estate chief for the Chicago regional post office), as well as a congressman, the mayor, and the postmaster. The American Legion Color Guard participated and the high school band even played. Mr. Crum served as the master of ceremonies and Angie Convey sang "Ode to the American Flag." I'm sure almost everyone in town dressed up in their Sunday best and attended this event.

Front Cover 

Back Cover

The following information about the Raymond Post Office appeared in Raymond’s Centennial Booklet, published in 1971:

(Written by W.S. Kessinger)

The Wabash Railroad was built from Decatur to St. Louis in 1970, but it was not until the following spring that anything like the town of Raymond had sprung into existence. Charles Davis of Litchfield opened a general store and became the first Postmaster. Mr. Davis had been Deputy Postmaster at Litchfield. The Post Office was known as Lula, there being another Post Office by the name of Raymond in the state, near Chicago. The name of the office was changed about 1865 and the town of Raymond and Post Office has since been called Raymond.

The railroad runs through Raymond from the Southwest in a Northeasterly direction and W.R.W. O’Bannon platted the town with the railroad instead of a compass. About half of the town lies on what is called the West side and the other half on the East side. Mr. Davis had built his store on the West side and the location of the Post Office pulled the business of the town in that direction. Two elevators on the East side gave the end of town some impetus. Mr. Kessinger moved the office of his store in the Odd Fellows building on the East side and for nine years that part of town was in the ascendency. In August, 1881, a midnight fire wiped out the business district on the West side. The owners rebuilt of brick. In 1885 when Thomas J. Parrott succeeded to office, he moved it to the West side and prosperity again reigned in that direction. Mr. Tilden later moved the office back to the East side and it has since remained.

On January 1, 1902, W.L. Seymour was appointed Postmaster. Mr. Seymour held the position longer than any of his predecessors and saw the business grow until it was raised from 4th to third class on April 1, 1904.

Mr. Seymour was followed by Anthony R. Gorman, Harold J. Henderson, Mary Convery, and in April 1952, John J. Convery, the present Postmaster was appointed. The local office was raised to 2nd class on July 1, 1953.

A new building was erected and dedicated in 1962. Mr. Convery’s present staff includes Yolonda Hitchings, Helen Engelman, Dorothy Cloyd, Edwin Hofmann, Hugh Halford, Lloyd Pope, Wayne Henderson, Edna Redfern, and Leona Carriker.

The Raymond High School Band

I spent a wonderful New Years Day with both my sisters and one of my nieces, going through photos and old clippings that our Mom had saved over the years. This is a photo of the Raymond High School Band taken during the 1940-1941 school year.

Clarinets
1. Anna Gorman
2. Eileen Gamlin Bandy
3. Paul Seals
4. John Murphy
5. Henry Allen
6. J.P. Hough

Cornets
1. Jack Convery
2. Jimmie Bowsher
3. Marjorie Trinkle Hough (President)
4. Elbert Brown
5. Lynn Graham

Saxophones
1. Mr. Chausse
2. Mary Ellen McReynolds (Librarian)

Base Horn
1. Henry Reish (Vice-President)

Baritone
1. Hugh Halford

Horn
1. Ted Greenfield

Trombones
1. Mr. Bielma
2. Lucille Gilbert

Bass Drum
Marjorie Poggenpohl

Snare Drums
1. Bud Pence
2. Charley Weitekamp
3. Dick Carriker

Bells
Lolita Bockewitz Johnson

The names and instruments are written on the back of the photo in pencil and are very difficult to read. I called Marge Hough who served as president of the band that year and asked for her assistance with identifying the band members. Even though Marge could not see the actual photo, she helped me figure out the names that are written on the back (yes, she is that awesome!). Thanks Marge!

The early days of the 217

From The Litchfield News Herald in 1966...
TRY IT OUT: First direct distance dialing call from Raymond was placed by the village president, Ned Bockewitz, when the new system went into operation last week. At left is Gary Clifton, manager of Litchfield exchange, which handles Raymond and Harvel toll calls, and at right, Charles Bandy, Raymond businessman. 

(taken from the Raymond Centennial book published in 1971)

The telephone was introduced to Raymond in 1901, when a Mutual Telephone Company was formed with the office above Preston’s Drug Store. The first telephone operator was Mrs. Jett. In April of 1901, the town had 33 phones, most of them in the businesses. A little later, the Bell System installed a telephone exchange, with the office located near the old firehouse. Most business establishments had two telephones, one for each exchange, and people serviced by one exchange had to pay a toll to cover the other. About 1915, service was provided by the Montgomery County Telephone and Telegraph Company. The property was acquired by Illinois Consolidated Telephone Company in 1924. The People’s Mutual Company was sold to General Telephone Company and later acquired by Illinois Consolidated Telephone Company in 1930. Approximately 100 telephones were in service at that time.

In 1964, a new exchange building was constructed at 212 South O’Bannon Street for the installation of dial equipment. The exchange was converted to dial operation on August 31, 1964, and at that time,  Raymond became part of the Direct Distance Dialing (DDD) network, which enabled customers to dial and receive long distance calls to more than 80 million telephones in the United States. On the same date, the Raymond exchange boundary was expanded to include the Village of Harvel and surrounding rural area.

In 1971, Illinois Consolidated Telephone Company served nearly 1,000 telephones from the Raymond exchange. 

While we cannot deny the value of automation, the citizens of the Raymond area will long remember the local telephone operator. By merely lifting the receiver, the caller was in contact with a friendly voice who would call the doctor, the fire department, give you the correct time, or put your long distance call through for you. Miss Emma Younker gave more than fifty years of service in the Raymond office. Miss Anna Kelmel spent eleven years as the night operator, handling many emergency situations. Mr. Roy Huber was the local serviceman for over forty years.

Before the office was converted to the dial system, the following were employed as operators: Isabel Donini, Chief Operator; Beulah Miller, Mary Fern Halford, Hilda Cade, Bea Moore, Delores Lange, Dorothy Hough, and Helen Hartman.

Pete Henderson started working as the local serviceman in 1963. 

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As the Centennial Book pointed out, the local telephone operators provided excellent service to the folks in the Raymond area back in the day. Dad told a story about calling home when he was returning from the war. It was the middle of the night when his ship docked in New York and he placed the call to the Raymond Exchange. My Grandma, Anna Bandy, was living in the apartment above the Raymond Cafe, and the operator on duty that night ran from the telephone exchange to Grandma's apartment to wake her up and tell her the news. Grandma got so excited that she ran over to the telephone exchange wearing only her nightgown. She spoke to Dad and everything was fine until she hung up and realized that she was not wearing any shoes. Grandma had issues with her feet and she wore orthopedic shoes at all times. The problem was so severe that she could not even walk around the house barefoot. In all the excitement, she had somehow managed to run almost two blocks without her shoes! The night operator was nice enough to go back over to the apartment and retrieve them for her. Talk about service! 

Low Prices

I was browsing through some of the old issues of The Raymond News at Doyle Public Library and found the following West-End Grocery advertisement. Too bad we can't go back to 1967 prices!

Happy New Year to all my readers. During my recent trip back home, I was able to find a lot of great material that I look forward to sharing with you in 2015!