Good Living in West Frankfort Spring 2013

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Good Living In

West Frankfort

Spring 2013

Good Living In

West Frankfort

Publishers Letter

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ell, if there’s anybody I wouldn’t want to be this month, it’s that poor, much maligned groundhog in Pennsylvania. It’s been a long winter and everyone is eagerly waiting spring. It’s also been a long drought since the last Good Living in West Frankfort magazine too, and I’m pleased to say that from what we are hearing, people are eagerly waiting renewing their association with it as well. I hope this issue will be like a breath of spring chasing winter far away.

We went to Frankfort Community High School history to find some interesting info to pass on to our readers this time. Mike singled out one interesting personality to write about in James Marshall, a.k.a. “Laddie,” a spirited custodian loved by everyone who knew him. Laddie passed away in 1979, but many who read this will remember him.

Digging deeper into the Frankfort High School archives, we found the first three yearbooks of the school 1919, 1920-21 and 1922 to be exact. Actually we didn’t find them; Jayma McKee Cook shared with us copies that she had inherited. They are so interesting that it was difficult to be discriminating in what we chose to include here.

But the shocker? The 1922 version of the Redbird Annual was named “The Buddha.” Who knew?

The most important portion of this issue is dedicated to our H Group. I don’t know how familiar our readers are with this facility and the programs it provides to our community, but it is valuable to West Frankfort in so many ways. Not only is it important for the mental health services, counseling and rehabilitation and jobs for the developmentally disabled adults that it provides, but most of us never even think of the payroll it pumps into our community. Please take advantage of the open house on April 22 that is planned to show off the facility and the excellent recycling program that we have available. We’d also love to have you dust off your thinking cap and match wits with your friends and neighbors in the H Group Trivia Contest on May 3, at 7PM, at Trinity Methodist Church in West Frankfort as a fundraiser for the client activity fund. We promise great trivia, laughs, musical entertainment and good food. A delightful way to raise funds for a wonderful cause.

There are a few other thoughts that I hope will give you a chuckle while you’re waiting for next blast of cold air – in May? Really? I’m a little grumpy with companies that confuse me with more choices than I need or want. The day I wrote that article, I heard a comedian on the radio talking about mini M & Ms. “Like when was the last time you saw someone take a bite out of an M & M and say, “I just can’t finish this; can’t they make them smaller?” He gets it.

Sherri Murphy leaves us some thoughts about being a grandmother and all the excesses it leads you to. Nonna Sherri is quick to tell us that she “gets it” too. Warning: Spoiler Alert!

By the way, don’t blink your eyes when spring gets here. Before you can even think about it, we will probably be sweltering in the Southern Illinois humidity. Oh, and Happy Birthday Stotlar-Herrin Lumber Company.

Gail Rissi Thomas, Publisher

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Please support our advertisers.

They make this magazine possible: Aaron Hopkins, Attorney ..................... pg. 9 All American Hearing ............................ pg. 17 Banterra Bank ............................................ pg. 4 BFJ Interiors ............................................ pg. 25 Browning Clark Auto Repair ................ pg. 23 Calico Country Sew & Vac ...................... pg. 26 Coleman-Rhoads Furniture .................... pg. 13 Dr. Michael Clay, Dentistry .................. pg. 11 Dr. Stephen Ponton Foot Clinic............ pg. 18 E.R. Brown Furniture .............................. pg. 25 Frankfort Area Historical Museum ...... Back G. L. Williams Real Estate .................. pg. 14 Gandy’s Auto Body Shop ..................... pg. 31 Herron Chiropractic ............................. pg. 10 Howell Insurance ................................... pg. 11 J & S Professional Pharmacy ................. pg. 2 JenRuss Glass Design ............................... pg. 15 Johnson Realty ....................................... pg. 10 Kreative Design Showcase ........................ pg. 15 Larry Grimm Auto Repair .................... pg. 27 McCollom Real Estate ........................... pg. 31 McCord’s Market .................................... pg. 31 McDonald’s ............................................... pg. 11 Mike Riva, Attorney ............................... pg. 14 Nolen Chiropractic Clinic ...................... pg. 26 Origami Owl Custom Jewelry ............ pg. 24 Parker-Reedy Funeral Home ................ pg. 4 PDO Design Group ................................. pg. 31 Ramey Insurance .................................... pg. 9 Rich’s Applieances .................................. pg. 24 Rich’s Balloon & Party Shop ................ pg. 19 Rich’s Gold and Silver Shoppe ................ pg. 18 ReMax Realty .......................................... pg. 15 Sandy’s Flowers & Gifts ........................ pg. 15 Severin Garden Center............................ pg. 29 Southern Illinois Bank ............................. pg. 11 Stotlar-Herrin Lumber ............................. pg. 29 Union Funeral Home ............................. pg. 7 Weeks Chevrolet Buick GMC ............... pg. 26 Weeks Chrysler Dodge Ram ............... pg. 16 WF Chamber of Commerce ...................... pg. 31 WF City Hall ............................................. pg. 13 Contact Michael A. Thomas at 937-2019 if you wish to advertise in “Good Living in West Frankfort”.

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Good Living In

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Good Living In

West Frankfort

No.18 Spring 2013

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Table of Contents

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Does it seem as if shopping for groceries has become an exercise in reading labels? Do we really need 13 kinds of Cheerios? We explore the issue.

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Before she became a grandmother, Sherri Murphy swore she would never be a ‘spoiler’. Now she discovers it is a good idea never to say never.

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The FCHS yearbooks from the earliest days were quite different from today. Introducing the Buddha and the Star and Crescent.

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James “Laddie” Marshall was a much beloved figure at FCHS from 1943 -1964 and was so much more than a bus driver and custodian.

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The H Group is one of West Frankfort’s hidden treasures. From counseling services to employment of the disabled, they do much to make living in West Frankfort good.

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West Frankfort Back In The Day has been receiving rave reviews from people. There are still copies available but the supply is limited.

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Good Living in West Frankfort is a magazine about the people, places and pride of West Frankfort. Our goal is to showcase interesting, unique and previously unpublished stories about the citizens, events and places in our community in a positive manner.

Good Living in West Frankfort provides businesses the choice to advertise in a high-quality full-color venue at affordable prices. This magazine is free to our readers because of those advertisers.

No portion of this publication, including photos and advertisements, may be reproduced in any manner without the expressed consent of Good Life Publications . ©2013 Cover photo by Michael Thomas: Duckville Island is in full bloom at the West Frankfort City Park on April 3, 2012. (What a difference a year makes!)

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Stotlar-Herrin Lumber Company has been a part of West Frankfort and Southern Illinois for over 100 years. Can you guess from this photo where their West Frankfort store was once located?

Good Living In

West Frankfort A production of Good Life Publications 309 East Oak Street West Frankfort, IL 62896 (618) 937-2019

E-mail Contact: GoodLifePublications@Gmail.com

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Graphic By Michael Thomas

think it was all Coca Cola’s fault. They were the ones who about 25 years ago had someone in the company who thought, “Gee, people have been drinking the same old Coke since 1886, I think it’s about time for a change.” And in an effort to create something new and better, they changed the taste of Coke.

In 1944, the company manufactured its one-billionth gallon of Coca Cola syrup, with only very minor changes over the years. Oh

Coke Blak was almost immediately withdrawn amidst accusations of racial implications.

Every soft drink has had to add a diet version, and Coke never seemed to have it easy again. I was looking for Coke in the store the other day, and like books on a library shelf, I had to browse through Coke, Caffeine Free Coke, Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, Coke with Lime, and Coke Zero, which I have never really figured out. At least I don’t live in some parts of the world like Samoa or Australia, where I would have to decide between Coca Cola with Orange and Coke with Green Tea. There’s also Coca Cola Citra, but that’s only available in Herzegovina. And that is not a joke. Who knew?

Well, I digress.

The Coke story was so interesting that I almost lost my way to for a very short while, the beverage was marketed under the name of making my point. My point: Why Yum-Yum and an even shorter can’t they just leave things alone? while under the name Koke, but Grocery shopping has always no one really tampered with the been difficult enough just trying to basic formula until 1985. That was please a small family, but now it is when someone decided to change overwhelming, especially if you’re the flavor. New Coke was born, trying to please your wife. For but met its demise when public example, I was standing in the bean backlash made the company return aisle of a supermarket recently and to the nostalgic drink, which had a poor, bewildered gentleman was to be given a distinguishing name, standing nearby clutching a small scrap of paper. We exchanged thus “Coca Cola Classic.”

It gets a little confusing after that. glances a couple of times before I Coke tried a few variations, which felt sympathetic enough to venture, were very short-lived. In the Sixties, “Excuse me. Having trouble finding

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By Gail Rissi Thomas

Good Living In

West Frankfort

something?” He jumped at the opportunity to lay down his burden.

“My wife only wrote baked beans down here,” he said showing me his list. “Do you know what kind she might want?” Well I didn’t say, “that’s what cell phones were made for,” but gave a kinder, gentler answer, herding him over to where the beans were actually shelved.

“Brooks is probably what she wants. Oh here we are.” Even I was astonished when I scanned the choices in front of us. There were Original, Boston Recipe, Country Style, Home Style, Honey, Maple Cured Bacon, Onion, Vegetarian, and Bold and Spicy. He looked at me questioningly. Before he could yell “Help,” aloud. I suggested, “Well, you can’t really go wrong with original. I’d just stay away from Bold and Spicy, or maybe not vegetarian. Well, unless of course you are vegetarians. “ Ahh, a question he could answer. “No, no we’re not,” he laughed, as he deposited a can of Original Baked Beans into his cart. He thanked me and we parted ways just as a huge display of Bush’s Baked Beans caught my eye. Right out front was Jeb Bush’s Grillin’ Beans. I didn’t say a word.

Even I, a seasoned grocery buyer with 40 years experience, have to pause and be careful in making choices to be sure I really go home with what I want. Campbell’s Soup: Oh my gosh! Do I want healthy, healthier or healthiest? Well, what I want is the same old unhealthy Campbell’s Soup I have always bought. Mushroom Soup says, 100% Fat Free. Hmmm. Is that new stuff that will taste like wallpaper paste, or has it always been fat free and they just decided to brag about it?

Orange Juice can be a real

challenge. When I was a kid the only time I ever tasted fresh squeezed orange juice was if we crossed the Florida state line and stopped at the visitor’s center. Not so anymore.

Every carton is fresh squeezed.

There’s no pulp, pulp, lots of pulp.

In looking for “Just a little bit of pulp,” I realized that I also had to choose between calcium, Vitamin A, B, C, D and calcium or just Vitamin A, C, and D. Seriously.

My husband, who isn’t a grocery buyer, has also complained recently about changes in products which he refuses to acknowledge as improvements. “Do we really need peanut butter Cheerios?” he asks. “And speaking of peanut butter, what have they done to Ritz Crackers? I try to spread my peanut butter on them and they crumble in my hand. And Frosted Flakes. How could they possibly mess up Frosted Flakes? Well they did, Who would want to eat Chocolate Frosted Flakes.”

I ran to the store before dinner the other night to get a bottle of V8 Juice. This gets tricky. V8 now comes in various flavors, Original, Spicy Hot, Lemon,

Picante, Roasted Chicken, LowSodium, and Organic. We’re not even talking about the V 8 Fusions here. Far too numerous to mention them all, Fusion flavors include combinations of strawberries, bananas, sweet potatoes, white grapes, pomegranates, blueberries, purple carrots, mangoes, acai berries, limes, cranberries, raspberries, and goji. Don’t ask me. I have no idea. I looked for my own favorite of everything, “Original,” and as I gave the label a quick review on my way to the checkout, I saw it was printed, “Original, With Just a Hint of Black Pepper.” I backtracked to the V8 department and returned it to the shelf next to “Original, With Just a Hint of Lime.” It happens to be the preview of their new “Original Line” with just a hint of…..”

Come on, Guys. That’s not original. Original is original. But V8 is made by Campbell’s Soup where they are probably having a staff meeting right now, to decide if there might be someone out here in Middle America that would like fatfree potato soup with just a smidge of goji.

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Graphic By Michael Thomas

By Sherri Murphy

such as the many instances when I’ve rolled my eyes as I’ve witnessed an overly-doting grandparent parading their “angelic” grandchild y mother always around for all to see.... whether told me to never say or not people want to look. Yes, I “never”. And I’ve vowed to NEVER be one of “those always remembered grandparents”. that, except for a I promised never to wear a T-shirt few years there when I was a bearing the photo of my grandchild, teenager and thought I’d already proudly declaring “Grammy’s learned all there was to know Girl” on it (or something equally as and didn’t need her to add to corny). my genius. I usually heeded her I made a declaration that I would advice, mainly because I found it never carry a “War and Peace” sized to be spot-on.

However, there are those few photo album full of grandbaby photos instances when no other adverb to the grocery store just hoping that correctly conveys the sentiment, an unsuspecting shopper would see

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me and ask, “What’s new?”

I also solemnly swore that I would never be the type of grandparent who catered to every whim of a tiny infant/toddler that would surely ruin them for life.

I felt confident enough to use the word “never” because I was fairly strict with my own children.

I mean, they were by no means perfect, however, we were able to take them out in public, usually without incident. I was proud of them, but never found the need to sport a t-shirt with their sweet little mugs on them.

Then I became a grandparent...I am “Nonna” to Lia Rose...and I’ve been eating lots of words, lately; breakfast, lunch and supper, and I will be the first to tell you that the word “never” is a hard one to swallow, however, it goes down much easier with a quick gulp of humility.

I noticed that during my daughterin-law’s pregnancy, my excitement and attachment to this grandbaby of mine was beginning to change the way I saw things...my words were also changing. I noticed that I began prefacing my “nevers” with, “I hope I never....”

“I hope I never publicly gloat over this baby.” “I hope I never bore people with tedious details of her every move, and bombard them with photos.” By the time Lia actually made her entrance into our world, my phrasing changed to “Lord, help me to never...” Yes, it’s that bad.

Because I try to be a woman of my word, I have made a sincere effort to keep those earlier (foolish) vows regarding grand -parenting.

Because I vowed to never wear a t-shirt with Baby Lia’s picture on it, I chose instead to wear a shirt to the hospital on the day of her birth that said, “First-time Nonna”, with a big

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(Photo provided)

heart that bears Lia Rose’s name, but that’s waaaayyyy different. Isn’t it?

And I can’t go back on my word of never carrying around the huge photo album with my angel’s face on it, no way! Instead, I upload hundreds of photos onto Facebook

Baby Lia Rose makes a fashion state-

ment

for my random 1200 or so friends to view at their leisure...when they have the time. I don’t want to intrude.

As far as never catering to her every whim, I’ve kept my word on that one, too. I normally only cater to every OTHER whim...I don’t want to spoil her.

I recall seeing my future flash before me as I walked in on my mother one day to catch her holding the hand of her then 3 1/2 year old great-granddaughter, Courtney, to help her jump on the bed. Yes, I said HELP HER jump on the bed.

I’m certain that’s the very same bed which I was disciplined for jumping on when I was a small child. When

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I walked in I said, ‘Mom! What is wrong with this picture?” She smiled and said, “Just you wait....”

I think I get it now, Mom. And as I watched my husband engineer a device to pull Baby Lia through the house in her walker, (for entertainment--she was getting fussy), I smiled as I said to myself, “He gets it too, Mom.” Before I became Nonna, I asked my mother to share what she thought made grand parenting so grand? She shared many wonderful anecdotes but more importantly, she said she believed it was God giving us a second chance at parenting...when we are older, and wiser and know what is really important in life. Not that we love our grandchildren more than our children, but maybe we enjoy and appreciate the little things

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with them more. Mom was spot-on once again.

I’ve probably taken thousands of photos of Baby Lia during her five months. I kiss her, love on her, sing to her constantly. She’s in the kitchen with me when I cook; she’s in OUR bed when she spends the night. I have cleared my calendar for her, and I even quit a part-time job so I can devote more time to her.

Did I mention she is perfect?

She’s an angel! She’s the smartest, the best, most adorable....oh, please forgive me for getting carried away.

Once in a while, I lose control. Roll your eyes if you must, but NEVER say “never”, because hopefully one day, you’ll get it too.

They don’t call ‘em grandbabies for nothin’!

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By Gail Rissi Thomas - B - B - U - D !

D-D-D-H-A! B-U-D! D-H-A!” Waaaaaait a minute. That doesn’t sound like the good old FCHS spirit cheer. We’re not sure what the FCHS spirit cheer sounded like in 1922, but we’re pretty sure there were no Redbirds involved. The Redbird cheer we all came to know and love came later.

As would be expected, an unbelievable number of changes have come about at Frankfort Community High School over the past 92 years, but one that would not be expected—and one nobody seems to know much about—is the fact that the 1922 FCHS Redbird Annual (well, guess we can’t call it that) was named the “FCHS

Buddha.” And, while we’re on the subject, we can add that it was apparently known under that name for only one year. In 1919 and 1920 it had previously been titled the “Star and Crescent.”

Jayma McKee Cook was the alumna who brought this subject to our attention, and had the evidence to prove it. She inherited the three yearbooks that had belonged to her great aunt, Anna Lee McKee. As we began researching the mystery, we found no one, not even Goebel Patton—whom we thought knew everything about the Frankfort school district—had ever heard that the oldest FCHS yearbooks had been known under other names.

As one can imagine, the books are a fascinating journey back into the lives of the town’s adolescents.

The teenagers who roamed the halls

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“B

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nearly a century ago in a very new, state of the art high school had different lives, different interests and an incredible number of activities to occupy their time. No cell phones,

Senior Ruby Wilderman (insert) contributed much original artwork and poetry to the 1922 Buddha.

video games, or computers. No texting or tweeting.

They depended on things like writing a lot of poetry, jokes, and accounts of students’ comings and goings of the day.

The 1919 “Star and Crescent,” includes a detailed account written by Andrew Maybon, titled, “Fatty, The New Member,” which describes what he refers to as a “tribe” of boys who agreed to admit a “fat boy named Fatty Harris” to their group.

The article goes on to tell how the new member had to first be initiated, which involved at attempt to “scare him to death” at the Old Graham House which was supposed The 1919 FCHS girls basketto be haunted. Typical ball team sports a more modest uncreative attempts to uniform than that worn today. simulate ghosts were used in the hazing, and apparently the hapless boy gained admission to the group and acceptance. It is interesting that this 1918 bullying and humiliation was not only made public, but obviously well-accepted by everyone, while every school in America today is fighting the same shameful attitudes.

The earliest yearbooks seemed to be one of the only school sponsored activities. In 1919, there were photos and accounts of the athletic teams, which consisted of track, and basketball, both girls and boys and an extensive calendar of events. In addition to a few important postings such as “Pep meeting every day this week to get ready for the game with Benton”. It listed mostly events such as February 8: “Goodness. Mr. Gregg fell out of his chair,” and “March 17: “Bill B. and Maxine S. didn’t sit together at third hour today.”

They wrote a lot of poetry, with students from every class waxing poetic about a variety of subjects. Just the

Letter from the

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first verse of an eight-stanza poem by Ruby Wilderman about the girl’s basketball team reads, “This is our coach—So—so. She will make you play—My—O. She furnishes the pep. And keeps up our rep--. This is Miss Washburn—Ho—ho.

In addition to poetry and class histories, there were classified ads, such as “Wanted: Someone to get me out of the habit of laughing with my feet.” Carl Sanders.

“For Sale: Words not in Webster. All new profane words.” Burl Darnell. The most popular section of the yearbook must have been the jokes. In the 1919 “Star and Crescent,” there were no less than seven full pages of jokes. It may be impolite to say so, but it did seem that quantity outweighed quality. Examples: “Miss Breyfogle: Ervin, work the 17th problem for me. Ervin: Why, can’t you work it? Or “Teacher: Has anyone found my ‘Paradise Lost?’ Pupil: ”Yes, I found a pair. Are they yours?”

Within only a few years the opportunities available to students at FCHS flourished, and those early yearbooks provide stories of that growth of which we would never have known. In 1919, there was no football team, but an extensive review of the boys basketball team reports that 11 boys joined the team, but only two had ever played organized basketball. They lost the Southern Illinois Tournament that year to Herrin with a score of 28 to five. By 1920-21, there was a football team, which finished its first year with 2 wins, 4 losses and 2 ties.

In 1922, the “Buddha” tells of new opportunities made available as students at FCHS took over the new building, our present high school building on East Main.

Every class provided their own share of social activities.

The football team was growing and improving steadily, losing their first two games, but winning the last seven.

The basketball team finished the year with a 27 to 3 record, winning the District Tournament at Benton, but losing the Sectional in Centralia.

Budding musicians now had opportunities to shine, as both a girls and a boys vocal quartette were organized. And 15 students joined the newly formed Pg. 14

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orchestra under direction of Mr. C. E. Allen. A school newspaper, “The Spectator” was published to which subscriptions were sold. A Cadet Corp was offered to train male students in physical drill and fitness, and 65 young men answered the call.

The yearbook names, “The Buddha,” and “The Star and Crescent” bear little resemblance to the Redbird Annual of 2013. The curriculum and the extracurricular activities are different. It was a different time and could seem to be a different place. But one thing that does bear a resemblance, at least to older yearbooks we have seen and characteristics of West Frankfort that we have heard about in more

never heard of, like Hallowell and O’Haver Chiropractors. But looking further, we find names familiar to the city of West Frankfort, like E. R. Brown Furniture Company, The Strand Theater, and The Daily American, pillars that supported this community nearly a hundred years ago, some we recognize as successful ventures, and some still a part of life here today.

Frank McAuley, (insert), Class of The Dedication of the 1922 1920, was listed as ‘cartoonist’ for FCHS Yearbook reads, “We the the 1920 “Star and Crescent”.

Class of 1922, the first to graduate recent history is the section labeled in this, our new building, sincerely “Advertisers. There we find names dedicate this little year book to that that sound strange like Ewing building and to the tradition that it College, businesses that sound out will accumulate as the years roll of place like Zwick’s Clothing Store, by.” If only they had mentioned and professional people whom we’ve why they named it “The Buddha”.

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Photo provided

By Michael A. Thomas ames “Laddie” Marshall is a name that probably does not ring a bell with any current students at Frankfort Community High School. He does not have an auditorium or football field named after him. He isn’t pictured on the Redbird “Hall of Fame” in Max Morris Gym or recognized as a distinguished alumna. But for 21 years, Laddie, as he was affectionately known by students and staff, was a

beloved custodian and bus driver at FCHS. His contagious enthusiasm and Redbird spirit touched all that came in contact with him.

Born in Scotland in 1895, Marshall did not have an easy life as a youth. His father died while he was still a youngster and he had to work to pick up the slack. By age 11 he was doing a man’s work but the family was barely keeping their heads above water. He immigrated to Canada when he was 25 to join two brothers and from there he

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found work in southern Illinois as a coal miner. One of his brothers died in a coal-mining accident and Marshall was injured in another mishap.

In 1944, when his sister informed him of an opening at FCHS as a caretaker for the athletic field, he did not hesitate to leave the mines.

Laddie took much pride in his job. “He could make grass grow on a billiard ball,” claimed his daughter Margaret Johnson who still resides in West Frankfort. “If it took him 16 hours to get the field perfect for a game, he didn’t care. He would make sure it was right.” Laddie was just as fastidious in preparing the track for a meet. “He once had somebody from Champaign say that our track was in better shape than the track at the University of Illinois,” Johnson said.

His duties at the athletic field went far beyond field preparation.”

I do everything but coach the team,” he quipped in a Redbird Notes interview. He maintained the stadium including rising at 4 a.m. to stoke the coal boiler to insure plenty of hot water for the showers. He also cleaned the uniforms after every game, maintained the dressing room with supplies and served as trainer for the players.

One West Frankfort resident who remembers helping Laddie prepare the track for meets was Davy Broy, who was in grade school during Laddie’s later years as field cus-

weren’t taking the loss as seriously as they should so he kicked them both off the team. Well, after that, we won our Regional and then the Sectional. We played Pinckneyville at our gym for the Super-Sectional and beat them and got into the Elite

Photo provided

todian. “He was a great guy,” said Broy. “Several of us ‘Patch Rats’ that lived near Johnson Field would help him set up hurdles during track meets in the 1960s. Being one of Laddie’s ‘hurdle boys’ was always an honor for us ‘Patch Rats’. The highlight of the year was the Frankfort Relays, which included teams from throughout Southern Illinois and the Metro East area. The track meet would start on Saturday morning and not end until about 8:00 or 9:00 at night. There were probably at least 40-50 schools in the meet. I saw some great track and field athletes, especially from places like East St Louis, Alton and Cahokia.”

When not taking care of the track and football field, Johnson spent the winter months in Max Morris gym. Since he was around the Frankfort players a good part of each day, Laddie took a deep interest in them. A heavy Scottish accent and Marshall’s custom to wish the Frankfort players good luck in their games with an exuberant ‘Go get ‘em Laddies!’ earned him the nickname Laddie (pronounced Lottie). He also watched the intramural games that were played in the gym during lunch hour and would tip the basketball coach that a student had potential to help the team. “He got a few boys on the team that way,” said Margaret.

“I remember in 1956 we had a pretty good team,” said Brent Coleman. “I was a freshman that year, and early in the year we beat Pinckneyville, and that was pretty impressive. But after that, the team didn’t perform as well and about a week before the start of State Tournament we got beat by Johnston City. Well, after the game the coach walked into the locker room and two of the starting players were singing in the shower. I guess he thought they

James “Laddie” Marshall was a FCHS custodian and bus driver from 1943-1964.

Eight. And all through this run, Laddie would get us involved at the pep sessions and games stirring up the crowd.”

In fact, Laddie became a fixture at school pep sessions. If he wasn’t already on stage, the students would chant ‘We want Laddie! We want Laddie!’ and somebody would drive down to Johnston field to bring him back to lead a cheer or two.

“He always wrote a poem for the West Frankfort – Benton Turkey Day game,” remembered his daughter. “It was always something different. One year, when we were not supposed to win, he promised the boys he would play the bagpipes if they beat the Rangers. They won that game and he kept his promise, even though he had to find some toy bagpipes to play. Everybody loved

that.”

Laddie was also a bus driver for the district. In addition to the regular bus route that he drove daily, Laddie also drove the team bus for away games. The trips were usually uneventful but on one occasion the players pulled a prank on him.

While stopping for gas on a long trip up north, the players got out and secretly visited a nearby cornfield where they confiscated several ears.

Upon resuming the trip it wasn’t very long before ears of corn were being hurled inside the bus. Laddie had to stop the bus 2 or 3 times before he was able to round up all the ammunition. “He said after that he always had a full tank before he left town,” laughed his daughter.

Marshall worked until he was 70 years old. Even after retirement, Laddie kept active with his love of caretaking. “He didn’t really want to retire, he was fit as a fiddle but the district said he had reached mandatory retirement age,” said Margaret.

“He had his own garden and helped the neighbors with theirs and mowed their lawns. There was even talk of naming the football field after him,” she said, “but Marshall Field sounded like the department store so that never happened.”

But Margaret mentioned that there is one thing that still stands as a lasting memory to Laddie. “You know those two tulip trees that stand in front of the high school? He planted them years ago.”

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Jack loads cardboard into one of three balers H Group uses as part of their recycling program.

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By Gail Rissi Thomas (Editor’s note: Only first names of clients are identified in photos to protect their privacy.)

Photo by Michael A. Thomas

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t was American millionaire businessman and philanthropist, Carl Karcher, who in talking about his restaurant business, said, “And for a very special group of people, we’ve provided their only job. I’m speaking, of course, of the developmentally disabled. They don’t want a hand out just a hand.

We are happy to give them one.” That’s an eloquent statement, which reflects a vital need in our society, to recognize the abilities in a person labeled as disabled.

In Southern Illinois, that determination to recognize an individual’s abilities and “provide a hand” is the lofty aspiration of the vocational division of the H Group, an agency, which offers a multitude of services to individuals in 27 Southern Illinois Counties. Formerly known as the Franklin/ Williamson Workshop, that title did not begin to encompass what the agency means to the area and its residents who rely on their services.

The name, H group, more accurately and very succinctly represents an overview of what the agency brings to mind. H stands for hand and heart. H stands for Home; it stands for help. H stands for humanity.

There are so many essential services provided by the H Group that this article cannot possibly do it justice in defining all of the assistance it offers. For 40 years, since 1970, the agency has been providing community behavioral health services. In July of 2012, Southern Illinois Regional Social Services (SIRRS) based in Carbondale merged with H Group.

Headquartered in West Frankfort with two large outpatient locations in Marion, H Group consists of a total of 14 sites, including a 16-bed facility for homeless veterans and an 85-bed facility for persons overcoming substance abuse. They also supervise 10 group homes for physical and mental disabilities in Franklin and Williamson counties.

“These are homes that are supervised 24/7,” said H Group CEO John Markley. “Quality of life is a wonderful thing. This is their home. They get up in the morning, get dressed, go to work and earn a paycheck just like the rest of us.”

With approximately 500 regular employees, of which 110 reside in West Frankfort, H Group provides a significant source of economic impact in Southern

Don bands shell casings onto a pallet in preparation for delivery to a government contractor in Southern Illinois.

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(Photo by Michael Thomas)

Several clients are busy ‘working a line’ for a government contractor. Each worker has one task to complete in the process and supervisors assist clients in finding the work best suited for their skills. The spacious facility has several lines working simultaneously on various projects.

FCHS, an event that local new media welcoming. Jay started work about three weeks later, job training that treated with glamorous coverage.

Graduating from high school focused not on his disabilities but for Jay, a 22 year old with Down his abilities, giving him friends, a Syndrome and Autism, was a frightening experience.

As most parents of children with disabilities, Michael and I were at a loss as to how we would fill his days.

Needless to say removing the classroom, his teacher, aides and friends from his life would create a very lonely existence.

Jay was accepted into the vocational training program at the H Group and began his first day of work on June 1, Supervisor John Calcaterra (right) helps Tom 2013. When we first visited learn the proper way to roll a canvas liner used the center, I must admit, I for a storage canister. am not really sure what I expected to find there. What we met were smiles and greetings destination, a pattern and routine to from clients working in an efficient his life and even a small paycheck and structured environment. On that twice a month that he brings home sultry May day, the facility was cool, with pride. clean, spacious, relatively quiet and The jobs assigned to clients at

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(Photo by Michael Thomas)

Illinois. A 24 member governing board administers the agency.

An incomplete listing of services provided by H Group includes mental health counseling, psychosocial rehabilitation, substance abuse services, early intervention, life skills training, early childhood mental health consultation, screening, assessment and support, and more detailed services than can possibly be covered here.

But for our purposes, we are focusing on vocational training for clients with developmental disabilities. That is our personal involvement with the West Frankfort center and the source of our interest.

Our son, Jay Thomas, is no stranger to the pages of Good Living in West Frankfort magazine. We have written several stories of how he keeps us young with his humorous escapades, (Well humorous in looking back at them, not so much at the time.) And Jaybird became something of a local celebrity last spring when he graduated from

(Photo by Michael Thomas)

the H Group are contingent upon an individual’s capabilities. The agency depends on government and industrial contracts to keep a steady flow of employment available.

John Calcaterra from Royalton has worked at the H Group for 29 years. As work services contract coordinator, he secures contracts from the military, local government agencies and area businesses such as Sollami, General Dynamics and Diagraph Bradley, and then figures out the best way those jobs can be undertaken in the workshop. Skills the clients learn include inspection, assembly, packaging, fastening and recycling, to name only a few.

The ways in which skills are taught and work is completed are well thought out and successful.

Clients work “on a line” at various jobs under direction of a supervisor.

Frances Presswood, a vocational training specialist supervisor with 22 years of experience, is only one of several dedicated and conscientious superiors.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” she says. “I wouldn’t know how to be anywhere else.” That’s good news for Jay, because he has the good fortune to be assigned to her line, where she guides him through the day in preparing DVDs and CDs for recycling, counting out small parts for Crownline Boats, or shredding documents, approximately five pounds a day. It’s also good news for us, because he has flourished under her direction and we know she always has his best interests at heart. All clients have an annual review to assess work abilities, performance and behavior and a written Individualized Specialized Plan with attention to progress toward individual goals.

The recycling program provides endless amounts of work. CDs and

The clearly marked recycling bins are located towards the rear of the H Group building.”We take most everything except glass or liquids,” said supervisor David Pyles.

videos must be disassembled for recycling and thousands of pounds of paper are shredded every year.

The work center recycled 500,000 pounds of paper, aluminum, plastic and electronics last year and is focusing on keeping 1 million pounds of trash out of our landfills this year. These depositories are available free of charge for use by anyone in the area, and regular employees at the center even run regular routes to local businesses to pick up materials.

Recycle Supervisor David Pyles is proud of the work his group of 10 clients provides. “We take about anything except glass or liquids,” he said. “We keep a lot of stuff out of the landfills. And we are growing.

We started out with one (paper) baler and now we have three.” Anyone is welcome to drive to the back lot of the H Group building and deposit sorted materials in appropriate bins.

Car washes located in both West Frankfort and Marion provide jobs

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and a livelihood for able clients. Various levels of cleaning are available from a simple $10 hand wash and vacuum to an extensive full detail cleaning for $60; the detailed cleaning even includes pick up and drop off in Franklin County. They also welcome RVs, boats and trailers.

The H Group has contractual agreements with dozens of facilities in Southern Illinois for their highly successful janitorial operation that works both a day and a night shift and provides jobs from general office cleaning to carpet cleaning and floor refinishing. The Benton Middle School, The West Frankfort Industrial Park and the Johnston City Pre-K all employ the service. “We’ve had the contract with IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) to clean the rest areas near Rend Lake on both sides of I-57 for oever 20 years,” said Dave Ragan, cleaning supervisor. “Some of our clients have been there longer than I have been, and that’s over 20 years.” The clients use the most advanced janitorial equipment and qualified janitors who can assure quality workmanship at competitive prices supervise them.

“Not only do we clean, but we clean green,” Ragan

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(Photo by Michael Thomas)

(Photo by Michael Thomas)

Mike gives a truck a thorough hand washing at the H Group car wash on East Main Street in West Frankfort.

said. “If you clean right, you don’t need the ‘smells good’ stuff. A lot of kids have allergies so we limit student exposure. We don’t use aerosols. We use rags instead of paper towels. We will pick up cardboard, paper and aluminum cans that the school wants to recycle. We won the Gold Standard Award in Illinois from the AmSan Corporation for the way we clean green.”

One of the most critical necessities of any community, also provided by the H Group Vocational Services is the D.T. or Developmental Training Program. This division is available for clients with more basic needs, such as the senior program, which serves the needs of individuals experiencing the aging process. The main focus of developmental training is limited contract work, living and safety skills training, social skills, peer interaction and community activities.

Sandy, one of 13 clients and 3 supervisors at the Benton Elementary School, cleans a restroom. The crew works from 3 -11 PM each day to get the facility ready for the next day.

Last but certainly not least, the H Group owns and manages several residential living situations for appropriate clients. All facilities are staffed 24 hours a day and support services provided according to the client’s needs. Their own statement on the H Group website clearly states their objective. “The H Group believes that all persons with disabilities deserve to live in a warm and enriching home environment in order to attain the most independent, productive, and dignified life style possible. It is the goal of The H Group to provide such an atmosphere in each of its residential homes and to assist all individuals served to attain the least restrictive living arrangement of their choice.”

The task undertaken by H group is a daunting mission. The benefits they provide to our community are countless: the recycling program available to the public, excellent supervised services at competitive prices, training for developmentally disabled adults after public education eligibility has ended, affordable supervised living arrangements for those who need them, and—as one of Southern Illinois 15 largest employers—they provide a payroll that flows back into our community.

My husband and I see the big picture through a much smaller focus. When Jaybird goes off every morning, lunch bucket in hand and a smile on his face, to work in a safe and friendly environment, we know what the vocational program has meant in our own lives. We are so grateful that the H Group is here in our community to offer him a helping hand.

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I got my book this past week and after looking at it, I gotta say it’s not what I thought it was going to be! It’s much much better!

I love this book! I have been looking at it now, for a few days. My grandma, who is 94, loves the book, and looking at the pictures, she remembers a lot of the town the way it is in the book! Gail, you and Mike did and incredible job on this book! It is so much nicer then you described it to me! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!”

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By Michael A. Thomas here’s good news and bad news about the popular book West Frankfort Back In The Day. The good news is that there are still copies of the book available for purchase. The bad news is that when the last book is sold there are no plans for a reprint.

“When they are gone, they are gone,” said co-author Gail Thomas.

“It is not unusual for people to buy a book and then come back later and say they need another one or two or even three more for a relatives or friends who saw the book and want a copy for themselves,” said Thomas. “And we get e-mails and phone calls on a regular basis from people who want us to ship a copy out of state. I think we have shipped to nearly 30 states so far.”

Robert Welborn, a Chicago area resident who used to live in West Frankfort, is just one of many readers who have expressed their appreciation of the book. “Well,

The price of the 160page book, which contains 300 photos and chronicles the history of West Frankfort from its founding until the late 1950s, is $43.95 plus Illinois state sales tax for a total of $47.58. Out of state residents do not have to pay sales tax. Books can be ordered by calling (618) 9372019 or e-mailing at mthomas100@ mchsi.com

From l-r: Andy Brown, Jane Brown holding baby Sloan, Cam Brown and Warren Brown. (Photo courtesy of Cam Brown) This corrects an error found on page 110 of West Frankfort Back In The Day.

Joe Leasck and his wife Mary ran Leasck’s grocery at 210 Horn Street from 1935 until 1969 when Joe went to work as a butcher at Sawicki’s Grocery. (Photo and Information courtesy of Toni Leasck Walton)This information corrects an error on page 27 of West Frankfort Back In The Day

(Left) The Warren Brown family is pictured in a fall-out shelter in the basement of their home. During the height of the Cold War in the early 1960s, many families across the country prepared themselves to survive after a nuclear attack. They stockpiled food, water, and other survival equipment to last for several weeks while the radioactive fallout from a nuclear explosion subsided.

Brown was a leader in Civil Defense in Illinois as well as West Frankfort. He was director of the Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) for 33 years and was an active member of the West Frankfort Fire Department, which he joined as a volunteer as a freshman in high school and retired as captain of the department in 1960.

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Since 1901

(Photo courtesy of Carl Arnett)

Happy 110th Stotlar’s!

A band marches down West Frankfort’s Main Street in front of the Stotlar-Herrin Lumber Company. The year is 1921, but the reason for the festivities is unknown. Stotlar-Herrin had already been in business for 20 years in Southern Illinois.

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By Gail Rissi Thomas appy Birthday Stotlar Herrin Lumber Company; the West Frankfort store is 110 years old this year. Founded on April 1, 1901, the Stotlar Herrin Company began as a merger between three lumberyards, W.H. Stotlar Lumberyard, Paul D. Herrin Lumberyard, both of Herrin, and the Stotlar Lumber of Johnston City. The business arrangement among five Stotlar relatives and Paul Herrin resulted in expansion, which in a short time es-

tablished two thriving business locations in West Frankfort, one being in Frankfort Heights.

Remarkable developments in the coal industry provided the opportunities to expand the operation into booming small communities like Zeigler, Christopher, Pittsburg, Buckner, Valier and Pershing. At one time, there were 15 locations throughout Southern Illinois. The Frankfort Heights location closed sometime after the 1920s. The West Frankfort Stotlar Herrin is presently located at 102 East Oak Street and is managed by Dan Wells.

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(Photo courtesy of Richard Stotlar)

(Above) A well-crafted float advertising the StotlarHerring Lumber Company gets ready for a parade in Johnston City. The dirt road is the main street of the city, Broadway Blvd. The identity of the people on the float is not known. Richard Stotlar, manager of the Stotlar store in Johnston City, said that the float was disassmbled and parts of it are still stored in the attic of the store.

(Below) The West Frankfort Stotlar-Herrin Company was once located directly east of the railroad tracks where the coal miner’s memorial and Coal Miner’s Memorial Park are currently located. Part of the train depot is visible on the right of the photo.

(Photo courtesy of Dan Wells)

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Photo by Michael A. Thomas Good Living In

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Ian Leonard Fox 9 Meteroloist Minneapolis-St.Paul

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