Suzie Gross (Kiesewetter)

Bob & Diane Cosentino (bctrav@comcast.net)To:you Details

From: Bob & Diane Cosentino <bctrav@comcast.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2021 10:17 AM

Subject: Miss Selk - UPDATE

August 24, 2021

Good morning BHS singers.

            I have tried to keep up with the ‘goings on’ at Westminster Village to find out their thinking, regarding Covid 19.  Yesterday I emailed my contact and she gave me some bad news.  As of yesterday, they have decided to ban all singing groups/concerts until October 31 of this year. At that time, they will re-evaluate the situation.   She said they do have a gazebo outside that could hold a microphone and small piano.  Some of us have seen it.  That’s about all it can hold.   Following our conversation, I spoke to Miss Selk.  She has decided she wants to postpone our ‘get-together’ until things clear up.  She was concerned about the weather, the sound etc.   She maintained her good spirit, while I wanted to cry!

            Anyway, I would ask you to contact anyone who may not have received an email from me, initially, and let them know of this turn of events.  Those of you who have notified your entire class, please send out this correction.

            If anything changes, I will notify you as soon as I hear. If Covid 19 miraculously disappears from Bloomington/Normal, I’ll let you know!   

            I am so very sorry to have to write this note.  If you would like to send Miss Selk a note, visit or give her a call, below is her information.  If you have any ideas or just want to vent, please feel free to email me.

In the meantime, “keep singing”.

Diane Tyler Cosentino

Mary Selk

2025 E Lincoln

Apt. 1211

Bloomington, IL 61701

309-454-8649

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Karol Lowery Bowser!!!!

Karol Lowery (Bowser)

Thank you Barb for the birthday greeting and always keeping us informed.

I enjoy the the history of Bloomington you share.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

I'm showing pictures of two businesses which are no longer here, the first being Eureka Williams.  My Dad and other family members worked there, I know Bill Butler said his Dad worked there and Connie Bush Bandeko's Dad also was there.  Did anyone in our Class put in their time at Williams?

The next picture is of General Electric.  When they built it it was way out in the Country but as time went on it's had a lot of buildings push by it.  Anyone from our Class work there? 

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Carroll Funk McCormick!!!!

Dan Shickle

My dad worked at the Eureka Williams during the war when the war was over he was was out of a job.

Ron Williams

Barb:

I worked at GE in the late 70's in sheet metal, second shift, doing machining and TIG/MIG welding for about 2 years.  There were 3 shifts, but GE hired Proudfoot Consuting who came and leaned on supervisors to pressure the workers for production ,and they eliminated jobs and people.  When I got let go there was 1 shift, and they were sending work to Puerto Rico.  They eventually closed.

The end of the American Dream for many of my friends.

Ron

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Ron, that's what happened at the Eureka Company.  Both my brother and his wife worked there and they were sending work outside the Country and they both ended up without jobs.  They were close to retirement age but had worked there for years, my brother started there when he was 18 so he had a lot of years under his belt.  They weren't the only ones but it still hurts when it happens.

Larry Keeran

Hi all, I spent six years at Eureka Williams Advanced Science division. I worked in the quality control lab building test apparatus and writing reports.  I was introduced to all sorts of electronics including a RTL computer.  It had just resisters and transistors.  Intergrated Circuits weren't used in that type of computer.  Too many stories to tell about work.  One other BHS classmate worked there with me in the last years of employment then.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Breakfast this Wednesday at Shannon's at nine o'clock.  Please come and join us if you want some laughs and entertainment!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

We have lost another classmate, Ron Heck's obituary is in the  In Memory Section.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Sue Foley Noe!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

This is a gas station which was located at the corner of Oakland and Hannah Street.  It was razed and for a few years a liquor store was in there and I'm not sure what's there now.

and if you continued down Hannah Street there was the Admiral Corporation where quite a few people were employed.  It's a shame that the Eureka Company is gone from that area, the Coca-Cola Plant and Admiral Corporation are all history.

8

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Masahide Matsuoka!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Sheryl Hulva Punke!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

How many guys went to Washburns to get a corsage for their sweetie for Homecoming or Prom?

Was anyone into hobbies that required a trip to Hobbyland on North Main?

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

I have been updating the Class List in anticipation of a 60th Reunion next year and I have a few classmates I have no address for or a partial one.  I'm listing them below but I'd also like to add if you know of someone who is no longer with us please let me know.  I'd also like to add if you've moved within the last year please update your information on the Website.

Barbara Baum Burress

John Becker

Ronald Gardner

Paul Hardin

Elizabeth Jones                   Found

Maureen Joseph Bushey

Darwin Klinger                      Found

Anna LaFever

Masahide Matsuoka

Donna Morris

Stephen Ringler

Lloyce Shipp

Michael Smith

Ron Smith

Richard Stewart

Sue Taylor Cousins

Jane Wallace Isenberg

Margaret Whitecotton Kraft

Ron Williams

Barb:  I worked at Admiral in the late 60's in the summer between semesters when going to college.  I worked packing TV tubes and shipping.  I also worked at Eastland Sears another summer when it was new and booming.  I worked in the back in the warehouse unloading hot 18 wheelers , the catalog area, and driving a forklift.  Great folks.  All "Gone Like The Wind."

Ron 

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday John Schwulst!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Jane Wallace Isenburg!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Edd Marks!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Sandra Cox Thompson!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Remember the neighborhood grocery?  This is DeMents which was on the East side of Oakland School.  Over the years it's housed  a number of different businesses.

The next one is Snyder's  Grocery which was located on East Jackson Street.  This picture is a current one but it too has housed many different businesses.  Mrs. Snyder just passed away this week.

Susie Dowell (Emery)

Thanks again for all of the memory joggers, Barb. I went to both of them since this was my neighborhood.  We lived three houses from Oakland on Woodland Avenue, and I frequently went to DeMent's, and occasionally to Snyders. I believe there was a hair salon across the street from Snyders for a while. I went there once or twice. Several guys from our class lived on Jackson near Snyders. Jim Yeager and Steve Thompson, I think. 

Patti Perry (Daubs)

Thanks, Barb. You have found some great photos. Before DeMent's moved to Oakland Avenue, they had a really small neighborhood store on State Street, about 1/2 block from our house. Some salesman was there one summer day, selling yoyos - encouraging a bunch of neighborhood kids to buy a yoyo - with all of his fancy yoyo tricks. I don't know if any of us had any money to buy one. 

Before the store was Synder's on Jackson it was a Piggly Wiggly market, where our family did weekly grocery shopping. In the 70's, my mother lived a couple of houses across the street. And, when we came back home (from Iowa) to visit her, my kids when they were pretty young loved going to Synder's to buy candy by themselves. 

According to legend, In the 40's (or maybe earlier), Casey's never had locks on their doors because they were open 24 hours/day when Mr. Casebeer started the business. My mother worked there after Wonderlin Galleries closed.

I really appreciate whatever digging you're doing to find the pictures.