Dan Shickle

Larry Shoup, you sure do like to rub it in that you are in a warm and toasty place while we have snow on the ground.  Sounds like you are a fair weather classmate.  

Larry Shoup

Any place is fine when you're serving the Lord

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Larry Keeran !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milan Jackson

Happy Valentine's Day, Class of 1962 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Larry Keeran

Thank you for the birthday wishes all. It only happens once a year so I do appreciate the attention. This year was special since it was Marie-Antoinette's and my 30th Wedding Anniversary on the same day.  Sort of boring here in France with all the grapes to pick, the garden to hoe... opps I don't do that, the beautiful warm weather.  Barely freezing during the winter but the wind chill from the normal above-Illinois velocity of 15 MPH makes it cold enough to seem like Winter.  I do miss Illinois but according to Bloomington newspapers the city is spending more money than it should in some areas.  Higher taxes are expected.  Oh well, those of you left in Bloomington can decide what to do.  I'll pay my 300 Euro taxes a year and not complain.

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Sharol Ann Brooks Brandt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephen Ringler

Ref: J.C.Penney store.

Regarding your inquiery of the downtown JCP store move to the Eastland Mall, that store opened Nov. 10, 1966. Bloomington business men Robert Tate and Adlai Rust purchased the 38 acre Davis farm on the corner of Ill.9 & U.S.66 for the mall development. It allowed JCP to quadruple their square footage and increase the number of employees from 30 to 200. Sears, Walgreens and Rolands joined Penneys along with a few downtown shops. - Regards, Stephen R.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

The building of Eastland Mall was the start of the demise of downtown Bloomington.  We lost so much with that, Rolands, Klemms, Livingstons and a lot of other home owned  stores.  Progress can be very painful.

Carol Jones (Dennison)

not just the shops but the fun of going around the square from shop to shop and stopping at walgeens for a coke. When I was very young I liked going to the basement at McClellan's.

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Elsie Krueger Deatrick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Larry Shoup

Not being an urban development specialist may cause me to be wrong but I believe the problem with downtown Bloomington was parking. I delivered papers down there on two routes for several years and the one-hour limit to try to keep spaces open and having places for employees to park all kinda broke the whole thing down.

Carol Jones (Dennison)

I'm sure that was part of the problem but I'll bet the winter weather was also. So nice to stay warm and not fight the wind. Like we are having now.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

I worked in downtown Bloomington all of my working career and I'll admit parking was a big problem.  You just learned to park several blocks from town and walk.  Eventually you were able to get passes to park in the municipal lots for a price.  As far as keeping warm in the mall, it's great but back then we didn't know the difference, walking around outside was all we knew.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat if the situation arose.

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Delores Buttry !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Ted Allsup !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milan Jackson

I'm sad to report that we lost another classmate. Bill Squires passed away. I will have his obituary in our In Memory section soon. RIP Willy.

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday George Gilmore !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Bill Evans !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milan Jackson

Milan Jackson

Milan Jackson

Milan Jackson

Milan Jackson

Clinton and Washington

Carol Jones (Dennison)

1st one is Washington grade and jr high. I think the 2nd one is on the cornor of Center and Front.

Jane Ringo (Maupin)

Milan, I love those old photos you post.  The one of Montgomery Wards (corner of Front and Center) sure brought back memories.  That was where I had my first job while in High School.  Ken and I both worked there one summer while we were in college and that is where we met!   Jane Ringo Maupin