Living Winter 2019
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Looking ahead to a ‘lustrous’ winter
Peeks at the past and stories of the present to help weather the season
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Winter is not regarded the same by everyone. England’s immortal bard William Shakespeare seemed to decry the season: “What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen! What old December’s bareness everywhere!” (Sonnet 97); and “Now is the winter of our discontent” (“Richard III”). American poet Edgar Allan Poe wrote of a “bleak December” in “The Raven.” Bleak, indeed, if you let the snow, cold, ice, shorter days and wind chills get you down. A contrary view, voiced by actor Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day,” states simply: “We know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. … I couldn’t imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter.” More days spent indoors allow time for reflection. With Shakespeare’s quote, “What’s past is prologue” (“The Tempest”) in mind, our winter edition of Living magazine presents several peeks at the past, along with stories of the present, as, with the dawning of the third decade of the 21st century, we collectively embark on the future. Winter is a season that must be endured, but it also can be enjoyed. Our hope is that this issue of Living magazine contributes in some small way to that enjoyment. — Jim Dunn, editor and general manager, Living magazine
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EDITOR, GENERAL MANAGER Jim Dunn PAGE DESIGN Jim Dunn PUBLISHED BY Bureau County Republican 526 S. Bureau Valley Parkway, Suite F Princeton, IL 61356 815-875-4461 COVER PHOTO Mike Vaughn
Photos by Mike Vaughn for Living magazine
Here are two views of a rustic Bureau County outhouse after a fluffy overnight snow. (Aren’t you doubly thankful now for indoor plumbing?) Living magazine
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Living magazine
Seasonal foods to make at home
Breakfast bagels, mac and cheese skillets, chicken enchilada soup and cranberry pie will hit the spot this winter Story & Photos by Kim Shute For Living magazine
It’s winter time, which, for many, means comfort food season. For the cooks among us, the sky’s the limit when it comes to putting together the soups, stews and baked goods that warm up the coldest of days. But for those without the time or inclination to spend a day in the kitchen, there are just as many easy options that will satisfy all your comfort cravings. From breakfast to dessert, I’ve got you covered.
Breakfast Love a bagel and a schmear for breakfast but hate to brave the cold to get one? You’ll be surprised just how easy it can be to make a batch at home that will beat anything you can buy at the store. With a stand mixer, the ingredients come together in minutes, and though there’s some time involved in the dough rising, there’s little hands-on work beyond shaping and boiling the dough before baking. The best part? Customizing your creations with your favorite flavors — cinnamon and sugar, everything seasoning, or cheese, a favorite in my house. They freeze well, too, if you like to save them for a weekend treat. Easy homemade bagels, courtesy of Simply Sophisticate Serves 6-12 Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups warm water 1 tablespoon yeast 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon salt 4 1/2 cups flour 1 tablespoon seasonings such as garlic or onion powder (optional) Directions: Sprinkle yeast on top or warm water. Add sugar and let sit or a few minutes. Stir in salt and garlic powder options. Add flour one cup Living magazine
Easy homemade bagels
at a time. Knead for 10 minutes (stand mixer, using the paddle attachment is best, but can be hand kneaded). Place dough in a buttered bowl. Let rise, covered for 30 minutes. Separate dough into 6-12 balls depending on how large you want finished bagels. Shape bagels (form into a rough circle, flatten somewhat into a patty shape, then gently poke a hole in the middle and stretch slightly). Cover and let rise for 30 additional minutes. Place bagels into boiling water about 4 at a time, for about 1-1 1/2 minutes on each side. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until golden on a lightly greased cookie sheet. For cheese bagels, place sliced cheese on top before baking.
Dinner time I have a theory that winter carbs don’t count, and my kids love to customize their meals, so mac and cheese skillets are a perfect cold-weather meal that comes together quickly.
If you have picky kids, this is a good way to at least try to sneak in some veggies or protein. Mac and cheese skillets Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 1 pound macaroni or other pasta that holds sauce well, such as shells or rotini 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 1 1/2 to 2 cups milk 2 cups shredded cheese of your choice Add-ins such as chopped ham, chicken, cooked crumbed ground beef, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach Directions: Preheat broiler. Boil pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour once butter is melted, cook for 1-2 minutes to cook out raw flour taste.
Continued on page 6 Winter 2019 — 5
Continued from page 5
Slowly whisk in milk, bring to a low boil to thicken. Remove bechamel (white sauce) from heat. Divide pasta into mini-cast-iron skillets, stir in bechamel, toppings and cheese until combined. Top with additional cheese. Broil for 2-5 minutes until brown and bubbly. (Don’t have cast-iron skillets? Use other oven-proof dishes, but only if they’re broil safe.) Some favorite combos: Spinach, mushroom and provolone, ham and cheddar, taco-seasoned beef with Mexican cheese blend.
Soup’s on! Love soup? Who doesn’t? Crockpot chicken enchilada soup is another customizable recipe that takes just minutes to put together but has all the homemade flavor you could want. Pantry ingredients make it easy to prepare, and fresh toppings give everyone the option to make it the way they like it. This is a very adaptable recipe. Love black beans? Use two cans, or use pinto beans instead. Use chopped red peppers in addition to onions. The ingredients are easily adjustable. Crockpot chicken enchilada soup Ingredients: 1 32-ounce carton chicken broth 1 19-ounce can red enchilada sauce, mild or hot 1 can Mexicorn or 1 cup frozen corn 1 can black beans, drained 1 can tomatoes with green chilis undrained (or plain if you don’t want the heat) 1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted 1 medium onion finely diced 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie, leftover or grilled works) 1/2 cup cornmeal Toppings: Tortilla strips, shredded cheese, sour cream, lime Directions: Place all ingredients except cornmeal in slow cooker and stir well. Cook 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hour on high. About 30-60 minutes before serving, whisk in cornmeal and cook to thicken. Garnish with toppings.
Mac and cheese skillets
Dessert There’s no better way to cap off a long winter day than with the perfect dessert. Cranberry Pie, also known as Nantucket Pie, perfectly encapsulates the flavors of the season and is fast and easy to prepare. A simple sponge cake, topped with caramelized berries and walnuts, looks and tastes fancier than its 6 ingredients suggest. Continued on page 7 6 — Winter 2019
Crockpot chicken enchilada soup Living magazine
Continued from page 6
Cranberry Pie, aka Nantucket Pie, courtesy of Souffle Bombay Ingredients: Cranberry topping: 2 cups of halved fresh cranberries 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup sugar Cake: 2 large eggs 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup flour Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a springform pan (you really do need a springform or cheesecake pan for this). In a medium bowl, combine cranberries, walnuts and 1/2 cup of sugar. Toss well. Pour mixture directly into your well-greased springform pan. Spread evenly and pat down a bit. In a medium bowl, combine butter and sugar. Mix well. Add the eggs and the flour. Mix well. Spread batter gently over the cranberry/walnut mixture until all areas are covered, with a spatula and your fingers. Bake on top of a baking sheet (to catch
Living magazine
Cranberry Pie, aka Nantucket Pie
drips ‌ trust me) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean. Once removed from the oven, let it sit for 15 minutes. Then ever so gently, go around the perimeter of the pan with a butter knife, gently breaking the connection of the pie and the pan. Slowly release the side of the pan and remove.
Let the pie sit for another minute. Then, gently invert onto a plate. As you slowly begin to remove the bottom of the pan from the top of the pie, use a butter knife to guide the topping away from the pan, if necessary. Newer pans just come right off, no problem (be sure to grease your pan well with an oil spray). Cool and serve.
Winter 2019 — 7
The entrance to the Perino Science Center at St. Bede Academy.
A new, innovative learning space St. Bede’s Perino Science Center a boon for students and teachers alike
St. Bede Science teacher Dr. Anila Gill shares all the benefits the innovative laboratory classrooms within the Perino Science Center offer to students and teachers.
Story & Photos by Goldie Rapp For Living magazine PERU — St. Bede Academy’s newest building addition, Perino Science Center, has been wowing students, teachers and visitors since its completion date last year. The 17,500-square-foot space offers stateof-the-art physics, chemistry and biology labs that support innovative STEM-related courses, and a commons area that provides a space for students to study independently or in small groups or to just hang out and catch up on what’s been going on. One fun perk about the space students and teachers favor most when the weather is warm — it’s air conditioned, unlike the rest 8 — Winter 2019
of the building. St. Bede senior Macy Bosnich describes the laboratory classrooms to be “pristine” compared to what the academy offered in its former antiquated laboratory space in the school’s
basement. She said taking chemistry as a sophomore in the old chemistry lab compared to last year’s chemistry class in the new center was a huge difference. Continued on page 9 Living magazine
Continued from page 8
“It’s a good place to learn. It’s a new environment. Different from the rest of the school building,” she said. For Bosnich, the commons area allows students the opportunity to take a break from everything else. “It’s a good change of pace, especially in the middle of the day,” she said. “It’s a good place where a lot of students hang out after school talking, bonding, making new friends, especially the freshmen. Activities and athletics are not directly after school, and this is a place where students come together and get to know each other, work on homework and collaborate.” St. Bede senior Candy Song said the Perino Science Center gives the building a more college campus feel. “It’s better than the old building,” she said. “It’s new.” St. Bede senior Cissy Yu agreed and said the physics and chemistry classrooms are much better and more spacious than what they used to be. Dr. Anila Gill, who teaches science at the academy, was hired after the Perino Science Center was complete. Therefore, she’s got nothing to compare it to, but she said it’s a spacious, relaxed environment where students can study with the help of a teacher nearby. “The architecture provides a very soothing environment. The old building was cramped, and the classrooms were not connected to one another, so you felt very isolated,” she said. There’s plenty of sunshine that comes through the big windows in the addition, spacious laboratory classrooms don’t cramp students in their seats, the tables can be unlocked and moved around, if needed, and all 21st-century technology needs for the classroom are met. Having the teachers stationed in one room rather than in their own classrooms also allows them to collaborate on lesson plans, which they feel enriches the curriculum for students.
ABOVE: Two St. Bede Academy students study together in the commons area within the Perino Science Center. LEFT: Students take the stairwell into the Perino Science Center at the end of the school day.
Before Perino Science Center, the teachers taught on opposite ends of the school or on different floors, and it was a rare sight to see them all together. Perino Science Center is named after St.
Bede Academy alumnus Angelo Perino, who along with his wife, Andrea, and their family made a gift donation toward the construction project. The official dedication of the building took place on Aug. 19, 2018.
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The Bureau County Housing Authority broke ground for its building in Princeton in 1969, and the Spring Valley high-rise was constructed around the same time. Since 2011, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development altered the occupancy rules allowing residents under the age of 62 to qualify for housing if their income is less than $38,750 per year.
Half a century of high-rises
What’s changed, what’s the same as Housing Authority nears a significant milestone Story by Kim Shute Photos by Scott Anderson For Living magazine
PRINCETON — Fifty years ago, man went to the moon, hippies went to Woodstock and the Bureau County Housing Authority broke ground on a series of then-state-of-the-art highrise housing for its senior population. These days, the housing in Princeton and 10 — Winter 2019
Spring Valley still exists, but the demographics of the residents inhabiting the buildings have shifted considerably. “At the time, high-rises were the trend for elder housing. The vision was for decent, safe, affordable housing for independent living,” said Laurel Hand, executive director of the Bureau County Housing Authority. The high-rise buildings containing studio and one-room apartments were a popular option at the time, designed to house local grandparents when they wanted to give up home maintenance but retain independence. The Princeton building on South Church Street has 103 apartments, the Spring Valley Towers on Erie Street has 127 apartments — they added a second building in 1984, and an additional 22 family units designed for more
than two residents. That all changed in 2011 when the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development changed the rules. Today, the buildings are considered general occupancy, which means they’re no longer limited to those 62 years old and up. “In order to keep ‘elderly’ designation, we had to prove we needed it, and we didn’t have the (senior) population to justify it,” Hand said about the shift to general occupancy. “During those times, there were other opportunities for senior living.” Now, residency is income-based, so anyone at least 18 years old with an income under $38,750 per year qualifies to live in the buildings. Continued on page 11 Living magazine
Continued from page 10
Because the facilities are federally funded (not county owned or supported), residents must do an annual certification to remain in residence. Hand said residents will pay 30 percent of their adjusted income up to a maximum charge, so those renting a studio apartment can do so for no more than $392 monthly or a one-bedroom unit for no more than $456. Minimum rent is $50 per month. Utilities are paid by the Housing Authority minus a $5 monthly charge. According to the Housing Authority figures, the population of the high-rises is getting much younger. In Princeton, 52 percent of the residents are single men, 47 percent are female and the senior population makes up just 31 percent of the residents — 69 percent are non-elderly. Spring Valley, on the other hand, is 63 percent female vs. 37 percent male but has a similar age breakdown with just 32 percent elderly and 68 percent non-elderly. The shift in demographics points to a shift in culture as well, Hand said. “We used to have a full kitchen with dining room,” she said, “The same with Spring Valley, but we don’t have the need for it anymore.”
Living magazine
Tony Leon, maintenance employee at the Bureau County Housing Authority in Princeton, prepares to fix one of the 103 apartments in the building. The demographics have significantly changed over the years at both the housing in Princeton and Spring Valley. Younger occupants reside in the apartments, which were once dominated by elderly.
Still, the building amenities include vending machines, a pool table, low-cost internet, a Laundromat, exercise and activity rooms which she said many residents take advantage of. “These days, there’s less of a sense of community — we don’t have Bingo or anything, but people here get along well. People are working, they come and go, but we have residents that make close bonds,” Hand said. “The goal for a lot of our residents is to get on their feet and use this as a stepping stone to private housing. While we’d love to have a tenant that moves in and stays 30 years, we consider those who transition out
to be our success stories.” While residents continue to get younger, the buildings continue to age, but Hand said maintenance isn’t an issue. The buildings receive capital grants yearly to maintain the facilities, which allows them to remain well maintained despite their age. Some upcoming projects, she said, are roof upgrades, tuckpointing and brick work, window seals and air condition panels. “We really encourage people to come take a tour,” Hand said. “It’s not a scary place. We need to remove the stigma surrounding public housing. This is a great untapped resource.”
Winter 2019 — 11
Don Marquis: The tragic humorist ‘A parodist, historian, poet, clown, fable writer, satirist, reporter and teller of tales,’ Walnut-born writer has become an obscure figure
From World War I into the 1930s, Walnut native Don Marquis was the most well-known humorist of his era. When he died in 1937, newspapers across the country carried articles celebrating his work, but since then, he has become an obscure figure.
Story by John Hallwas Special to Living magazine Note to readers: This article first appeared in Illinois Heritage, the popular history magazine of the Illinois State Historical Society. It is reprinted with permission. Illinois has produced some nationally famous humorists, including newspaper columnists Eugene Field, Finley Peter Dunne and George Ade — all associated with Chicago — but the most broadly talented figure of that kind was Don Marquis, who enjoyed success as a newspaper columnist, fiction writer, poet and playwright. He amused his fellow Americans from World War I into the 1930s — becoming the most well-known humorist of his era — and he also wrote some serious works as well. But ironically, his life was marked by one tragedy after another during his later years. When Marquis died in 1937, newspapers across the country carried articles celebrating his work, but since then, he has become an obscure figure. Marquis was born in 1878 at Walnut, a hamlet east of Rock Island in Bureau County.
Photo courtesy Western Illinois University Archives
The son of a physician, he graduated from the local high school at age 15. Like Carl Sandburg, who was born in the same year, at nearby Galesburg, Marquis worked at many jobs around his home town — in a drug store and a clothing store, for a sewing-machine company and a poultry slaughterhouse, at the post office and the local newspaper. In 1898, he moved to Galesburg to study at Knox College, but for financial reasons, he dropped out after a few months. He returned to Bureau County, where he taught in country
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schools and edited a village newspaper — jobs that required no college education. Influenced by Eugene Field and George Ade, he wanted to write a newspaper column. But his experience with small-town culture convinced him that better opportunities were found in cities. Marquis moved to Washington, D.C., in 1900 and worked in the Census Bureau and for the Washington Times. He was also a reporter in Philadelphia for a short time. Continued on page 13
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Then he moved to Atlanta, where he wrote newspaper editorials and later assisted humorist Joel Chandler Harris by co-editing and writing for Uncle Remus Magazine. Of course, Harris often wrote about animal characters, especially Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox, who are central to “The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story” and others, so that probably influenced the young writer from Illinois. Marquis moved again, to New York, in 1909, and soon became widely known as a columnist for the New York Sun and the Herald Tribune. He also wrote his first book, the novel “Danny’s Own Story” (1912), about a youth whose disillusioning experiences are akin to those of Huckleberry Finn. As that suggests, the aspiring author was deeply influenced by Mark Twain. But the most famous literary characters created by Marquis were animals, Archy and Mehitabel — an insightful cockroach who used a typewriter and an old cat who claimed she had a human soul. Their adventures and discussions formed a humorous commentary on contemporary interests and values. (Marquis always wrote the imaginative columns reflecting their views without using any
Photo courtesy Western Illinois University Archives
Born in Walnut, Don Marquis (1878-1937) had a distinguished career as a newspaper columnist in Washington, D.C., and New York City.
capital letters, claiming that Archy composed them, and typed them out at night, but was unable to reach the shift key on the typewriter.) A literary cockroach, Archy rails at many social problems, but he often takes a pragmatic view of intellectual matters. Referring to Einstein’s relativity theory, for example, he says, “old doc Einstein has abolished time, but they
haven’t got the news at sing sing yet.” Mehitabel is an amorous but aging alley cat of easy virtue and wide experience, whose persistence in the face of challenges is inspirational. As she says in “the song of mehitabel,” “i have had my ups and downs but wot-the-hell, wot-the-hell. ... my youth i shall never forget, but there is nothing i really regret. wot-the-hell, wot-the-hell, there’s a dance in the old dame yet.” As that suggests, the free-spirited Mehitabel is always undefeated, despite her impoverished circumstances and the challenges of old age. It is now hard for us to realize how wellknown these two animal commentators were in the first half of the 20th century, but the Archy and Mehitabel articles were later published in three collections that went through several editions. Marquis went on to write 32 books, most of which were volumes of humorous or satirical writing in verse or prose — such as “Hermione and Her Little Group of Serious Thinkers”(1916), “Prefaces” (1919), “Poems and Portraits” (1922), “The Almost Perfect State” (1927) and “Chapters for the Orthodox” (1934).
Continued on page 14
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physicians for treatment. Two years later, his wife, Reina, Because he was a congenial drinksuddenly went into convulsions and er, his favorite topic was Prohibition, died at their home, with Marquis and he often ridiculed the socially looking on helplessly. He was devasinsensitive anti-liquor movement. tated. Or as Archy once put it, Marquis took in his unmarried “prohibition makes you sister, Maud, to help raise his only want to cry into your beer other child, a daughter named Barand denies you the beer bara. to cry into.” But Maud was an unstable person It is not surprising that one of and soon became a constant source the most engaging short stories by of concern and expense. In fact, by Marquis is “How Hank Signed the 1925 she had become a dope addict, Pledge,” which appeared in his story so he struggled to help her. collection, “The Revolt of the OysMarquis gave up his column to be ter”(1922). I discussed it long ago in at home and help his daughter cope a scholarly article for MidAmerica with her mother’s death. And he (1979), pointing out that it was was remarried in 1926, to an actress “about an unregenerate drinker who named Marjorie Vonnegut, who was obstinately stands against the efforts a good stepmother for Barbara. of an entire town to reform him,” But tragedy struck again, for Barand “it satirizes those people who bara died of pneumonia in 1931, put stock in temperance pledges and at age 13. Marquis had difficulty other outward indications of decencoping with that loss. Then, in 1936, cy, such as church membership.” Marjorie became ill and died also, at So, it reveals some shallow aspects the age of 44. of Midwestern small-town culture. So, the socially outgoing American I also indicated that the central fighumorist eventually had no family. ure in the story, Hank Walters, was By that time, too, Marquis had inspired by a man who had lived in already suffered a stroke, so he spent Walnut, Illinois, when the author the last couple years of his life in ill was a boy. health. He died in 1937, at age 59. Another Marquis short story that In one of his finest poems, “A I also discussed years ago is “Country Gentleman of Fifty Soliloquizes,” Doctor,” which appeared in American Marquis expresses the emotional Magazine in 1935. It portrays the strain involved in close relationships Living magazine photo/Jim Dunn most admirable man in a small town, A sign placed in Walnut in 1972 by the Bryant Club, Walnut Rotary — and the potential for tragedy. He who has great concern for those ends that poem with an anguished Club and Illinois State Historical Society recalls the life and legacy around him — and it was an attempt of Walnut native Don Marquis (1878-1937). appeal for humor, as a kind of relief to pay tribute to the author’s father, for one who has known so much performed in New York, but who had been a popular physician in sadness, and who harbors profound they were not as successful. Walnut. personal losses: He was also an occasional As those stories show, despite his long expe“Give me your mirth. screenwriter in Hollywood. rience in New York, Marquis did sometimes It bores me when you weep. Marquis was eventually base writings on his Illinois background. My loves you cannot touch. elected to the National Indeed, his insightful but unfinished, postThey’re buried deep.” Institute of Arts and Letters humously published novel, “Sons of the PuriIn famous author E.B. White’s introduction and was awarded the Mark tans” (1939), also reflects small-town culture to a posthumous collection, “the lives and times Twain Medal for his outand was obviously influenced by his backof archy and mehitabel” (1940), he asserts that standing contribution to ground in Walnut. Marquis was “a parodist, historian, poet, clown, American humor. He also wrote a very successful play called fable writer, satirist, reporter and teller of tales” But if he was fortunate as — in short, a multitalented writer. He was “The Old Soak” (1926), in which the main Photo courtesy character is a humorous, good-natured drinker. indeed, and his best works deserve continuing Western Illinois a writer, his private life was University just the opposite. It had a long run on Broadway and was also appreciation. Archives His only son, a precocious performed in many towns during the ProhiNote to readers: John Hallwas is the author or Walnut native child named Bobby, died bition era — including Skowhegan, Maine, editor of 30 books related to Illinois history and Don Marquis of a degenerative disease where Marquis himself played the lead in a literature, and he speaks widely on a variety of in 1921, at the age of 5. summer stock production. (It was eventually historical topics. A longtime member of the Illinois Marquis blamed himself for not saving the boy filmed, in 1937, as “The Good Old Soak.”) State Historical Society, he can be reached through — even though he had taken Bobby to several Marquis wrote a few other plays that were his website: www.johnhallwas.jimdo.com. Continued from page 13
14 — Winter 2019
Living magazine
�archy and mehitabel� by Don Marquis was one of the Walnut native’s numerous books published during his writing career. Living magazine photo/ Jim Dunn
INSET: Characters created by Don Marquis (1878-1937), Archy the literary cockroach and Mehitabel the alley cat, inhabited his popular newspaper columns. Their adventures and discussions formed a humorous commentary on contemporary interests and values, and they were the subjects of several books. Illustration courtesy Western Illinois University Archives
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Betsy McGlauflin (from left), Patty Gibson and Carol Dall are members of Princeton (IL) Rocks.
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‘We are the Crazy Rock Ladies!’
They’re spreading kindness, one colorful, poignant rock at a time Story & Photos by Becky Kramer For Living magazine
One message at just the right moment can change someone’s entire day, or even their life! Have you found a painted rock in the Illinois Valley? Did it have an inspiring message? Chances are it was painted by someone in the Princeton (IL) Rocks group. Rocks groups such as these were inspired by The Kindness Rocks Project, a pay-it-forward service project, created by life coach Megan Murphy in 2015. Murphy was walking along the beach in her hometown of Cape Cod, Mass., when she came up with the idea to paint messages on the rocks. The project encourages people to create inspirational rocks and leave them for others to find. Continued on page 18
Hidden painted rocks such as these encourage finders to dream, imagine and play, or they just contain images that might brighten someone’s day.
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Winter 2019 — 17
Continued from page 17
Murphy wanted to spark joy in people’s everyday lives. Princeton (IL) Rocks patterned itself after Murphy’s project and is currently administered by three amazing ladies — Patty Gibson, Carol Dall and Betsy McGlauflin. This group has more than 700 members. All three women have embraced the kindness rock movement and find painting rocks to be both therapeutic and rewarding. They hope that their rocks bring joy to the people who find them and hope that their acts of kindness inspire others to spread kindness as well. The kindness program works simply by painting a rock and tagging the back of it. Then the painter hides the rock wherever they want to. The tag instructs the person who finds the rock to take a picture and post it on the Facebook Group page Princeton (IL) Rocks before rehiding it. If a person chooses to keep the rock, it is suggested that they paint another rock and hide that to continue to spread the kindness. Rocks can contain simple words of kindness or just an image that would brighten someone’s day. Gibson painted rocks with her daughters and granddaughters long before the movement because well known. “We have river bedrock around our pool, so it made it easy to create many fun family memories over the years,” Gibson said. “If my girls complained they were bored, I sent them out to find some rocks to paint. It was a fun way to use your creative mind.” Dall started painting rocks with her sister, Linda Burrows from Ottawa, and her nieces, Jamie Ferguson and Autumn Ferguson, four years ago. Ottawa had a rock group, and Dall wanted to help spread kindness around Ottawa with her family. Then a few years ago, Dall attended a rock painting class at the Princeton Public Library. At this point, Dall started painting rocks weekly.
M.R. Holmbeck, D.V.M. B.R. Sondgeroth, D.V.M. C.M. Schelkopf, D.V.M.
Patty Gibson (standing, center) shares tips with members of the Bureau County Retired Teachers Association during a recent rock painting class.
A little over a year ago, Dall, along with Gibson, created the Tiskilwa Rocks Facebook group, which currently has 467 members. For her part, McGlauflin said: “I have met a lot of people through our group and learned a little about Princeton and the community that I now live in! It’s a great way to meet so many wonderful people! We are the Crazy Rock Ladies!” The ladies started having classes in the community to help get the kindness rock movement going. Rock painting classes have been held at the local schools, Bureau County Senior Center, Princeton and Tiskilwa libraries, local nursing homes and Girl Scout troops. “We participated in the Tiskilwa Strawberry Festival, Hornbaker Gardens artisan market and the Walnut Harvest Festival,” Dall said. “We also paint rocks for special occasions like Homestead, the fair, back to school, Z-Tour and Santa’s Workshop ... in December.” The rocks can be painted with regular acrylic paint, but acrylic markers are much easier and less messy to use. The ladies prep the rocks to make it easier on the painters, young and old,
A.M. Adams, D.V.M. K.A. Reed, D.V.M.
and to be able to accomplish more at a class in a small amount of time. The use of temporary tattoos allows even ungifted painters the chance to make beautiful rocks. The group operates on donations. Tooli Arts, an acrylic marker company, donated markers to the group to use for classes. “We could not do what we do for free without their support,” Gibson said. “Getting smooth, flat river rocks is not an easy task in our area,” she said. “We have even ordered Santorini stones from the Greek Islands to paint on. They make amazing works of art. My poor mail lady gets a workout with those packages.” The kindness rocks have traveled the world. The rocks that have been painted by these groups have been found not only all over the United States, but they have surfaced in Canada, Mexico, Romania, Iceland and the Dominican Republic. “It is fun to see how far they will go and where they will turn up next,” Gibson said. “We are truly doing our part in helping spread kindness, one rock at a time!”
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Living magazine
Beaber’s Lunch Room: ‘Ham or Meat Loaf Dinner – 85 cents’
North Main eatery also known for its fried chicken, ‘homey’ feel, super fast service
Russ Beaber Sr. stands behind the counter at Beaber’s Lunch Room. Beaber bought half the business in 1934 from George Ostick and later purchased the rest of it. The restaurant, in the 900 block of Princeton’s North Main Street, was later bought by Russ Beaber Jr. in 1969, and he continued to operate it until it was closed in May 1985.
Story & Photos by Bill Lamb For Living magazine One of the many restaurants “Out of the Past” that made a marked impression on the people of Princeton was Beaber’s Lunch Room on North Main. Here was a place that specialized in chicken for many years and had a huge business for a long time. It was a “homey” type of place where everybody knew everyone. The service was super, and one got waited on fast and sometimes got your food by the time you sat down. Continued on page 20
The Cider Mill is our beautiful country setting for an outdoor wedding venue and banquet facility. Our outdoor wedding venue offers picturesque views for a calm and relaxing wedding you have always dreamt about. Our designated wedding area features a brick patio with a brick isle up to “the altar,” with pink and red roses, dappled willow and a wooded area as a back drop.
Picture compliments of Kevin Barnett photography
We have expanded our banquet facility to accommodate up to 400 guests and added an indoor wedding venue with a rustic barn door and barn wood as a back drop for your wedding. Our engaged couples will now be able to have their wedding and reception at the same venue during the winter months. The Cider Mill is a beautiful setting for your wedding, reception, gathering, meeting or luncheon.
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Continued from page 19
They sold so much coffee all the time that it was always fresh, never hardly over 20 minutes old. In 1932, Russ Beaber Sr. worked for George Ostick in his restaurant two doors south of North Main and Elm Place. There was a beautiful bank building on the corner, and it was torn down in 1931 and a small Standard Oil Station was built there. Ostick’s place was the third place of business from the corner. Russ Beaber worked for Ostick’s for several years and then bought half of the business in 1934. Later, he bought the other half and took over the whole lunch room. Their menu right off was ham every day, roast beef and meat loaf along with real mashed potatoes and gravy, two vegetables, two slices of bread and a drink. They were always served with a glass of water in those round barrel-like glasses. There were no menus, but there was a big sign at the east end of the lunch room for everyone to see, and they ordered from that. Service was super fast — not much waiting — as most of the clientele were in a hurry to get back to work. The main biggest seller was Beaber’s hamburgers — huge chunks of meat on a huge bun. Cheeseburgers were almost a meal in themselves. And, the ham sandwiches! There was enough ham
‘Out of the Past’ This “Out of the Past” article by the late Bill Lamb, with accompanying photos, was originally published in the Bureau County Republican in June 1991. It is now part of the Bill Lamb Collection and is provided courtesy of the Bureau County Historical Society, Princeton.
in one sandwich that overflowed the bun half again as much — which also was like a meal in itself. Everything was fried in huge iron skillets. They got their hamburger buns and bread from Henning’s Bakery a few doors south of the lunch room. Chicken was not served until after the war sometime. All drinks — coffee, milk, tea, pop of all kinds — were 5 cents for a long time as well as gum, candy bars and suckers, before the war. They had a huge everyday following of people who worked at the north end of town. Grampp’s Poultry House employees ate there as well as Larson Seed House people and Pioneer Seed Corn people. Speedy Rheeling and his trucking business employees and many of the workers in the surrounding businesses also ate there. I also remember that the fellows who worked on the railroad siding during their switching operations, shunting and moving box cars to
the several sidings that were there in those prewar days, would “park” the engines, and the engineers and switchers would walk over to Beaber’s for their big meals. When George Ostick had the lunch room in the early 1930s, I remember one old-timer telling me that the big deal Ostick had was “all you could eat for 25 cents,” and those railroad men could stow it away. They also had a huge coffee and roll business for coffee breaks. Beaber’s was never across the street on the west side. They were at that location from 1932 until they moved to their present location in 1948. The two buildings they were in originally were torn down, and the Standard Oil Station on the corner was enlarged to its present size. When they moved into their present location in July 1948, it was the original old Haines Harness shop, and some of the old harness was still hanging on the wall in the building. During the years that followed, they remodeled the place several times. Their operating hours were from 7 a.m. until 2 or 3 a.m. the following morning. Russ Jr. always worked with his father, and when he got out of the Marine Corps in 1956, he worked full time at the lunch room. Russ Jr. bought the business in 1969 and ran it on his own.
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The original lunch room entrance was straight forward in from the front and just inside was Monk Abel’s barber shop. Next was the showcase for candy bars and gum and other goodies; then the ice cream bin, then the counter. Behind the barber shop were tables and chairs. The “boys” used to play cards all afternoon there after the lunch hour. Henrietta Nickelsen worked there as a waitress before the war from 1938 until 1942. Marie, Russ’s wife, did all the cooking upstairs and brought it down and put it in the steam tables for serving. All hams were cooked in the basement and brought upstairs. Earl Beaber Jr., Russ’s nephew, worked there as well as Gene Knapp and Helean Munson. Friday and Saturday nights were the big nights — especially Saturday nights. On busy nights, Buck Kuhn and Junior Beaber would dip ice cream — Sisler’s exclusively — as fast as they could. Ice cream cones, shakes, handdipped cartons and pie a la mode, and they were big, generous portions and servings. Marie Beaber baked all the pies — homemade! They really never had any “specials” day after day, mornings and afternoons. Coffee was made in a big coffee urn with a long spout at
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the top and they would turn the spout so that the water would drop directly down onto the coffee beans. The waitress would turn the water on and if it wasn’t watched, it would run over, and that happened a few times. They took turns cleaning up the mess. Milk was sold in half-pint bottles. During the 1950s, ham sandwiches were 30 cents; salami, 25 cents; hamburgers, 25 cents; egg sandwiches, 15 cents; cheese sandwiches, 20 cents; cheeseburgers, 20 cents; bacon and egg, 40 cents; tenderloin, 30 cents; grilled cheese, 25 cents; ham salad, 25 cents; and so on. Toast and coffee was 25 cents; doughnuts
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or rolls, 15 cents; coffee, 10 cents; and tea or milk, 15 cents. Plate lunches: ham and one egg, 50 cents; ham and eggs, 70 cents; bacon and eggs, 70 cents; ham and eggs with potatoes, 80 cents; hamburger steak plate lunch, 85 cents; ham or meat loaf plate, 85 cents. Then sometime after the war, chicken started to become popular — with fish on Friday nights. Saturday was the big chicken night. They had a huge carry-out order business. Everybody was literally “on the run,” yet, everybody was always in a good mood in spite of all the hectic activity most all the time.
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Another view of Beaber’s Lunch Room. The popular eatery, run by two generations of Beabers, not only served tasty food to its clientele seven days a week but was a popular place to buy Sunday newspapers.
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There was no abusive language, and there was a lot of respect from the customers as well as the employees. There was a lot of kidding and joking going on most all the time, and everyone had a good time and would be in a good frame of mind. Anyone who ever ate there always went away with a full, satisfied feeling of being well fed, and if you weren’t, it was your own fault. The Beabers put in long hours at the lunch room. On Saturday nights, they had to stay open until at least 1 a.m. — until the train came in from Chicago with the Sunday papers. During the middle of the week, they would get the funnies, inserts and magazines; they had to insert them in the Sunday papers before they could go home that Saturday night. Those long hours — from 6 a.m. in the morning until 1 a.m. the next morning — were a little trying most times, but the Beabers would catch a couple of hours nap in the afternoon and come back to work to finish out the day. They were open every day and on Sundays, they remained open until around 1 p.m. in order to sell their Sunday papers. Russ Beaber Sr. was never with any partners in running the business since he bought out Osticks. And Russ Jr. worked along with the family until he bought them out and then was on his own. All employees were treated like family. In the 1930s, there wasn’t any Social Security, so the employees were paid in cash. Ruth and Bill Prince were coffee and roll customers as well as Pixlie Berry and his wife, Bess; Ollie Davis and his wife, Marg; Walt Levering, Martha Larson and the people who worked at the various factories and businesses, were good customers. Farmers also came in for coffee and lunches. With their super-fast service, good, hot, quick meals and super delicious big ham sandwiches and their very own special vegetable soup and chili, there was no chance of getting any “old” leftovers of any kind.
Two generations of Beabers — Russ Sr. and Russ Jr. — owned and operated Beaber’s Lunch Room on Princeton’s North Main Street. Here’s a view inside the eatery, which posted its menu on the wall for customers to see and order from.
Raymond Beaber, Russ’s brother, did all the janitor work after hours. Later in 1976, Russ acquired the building north of their present restaurant and made it into a combination meeting and dining room and catered to parties and other social events to accommodate various clubs and organizations, and it worked very well. I remember several times, I attended coach Tony Lavorato’s high school basketball squad recognition meeting and would dine on chicken and have the opportunity to meet the players personally. The meetings were sponsored by local interested groups, and the media was also invited. There were other school functions and meetings there also, and many times after school games, the kids would congregate there. Henrietta Nickelsen remembered that on Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7, 1941, Bill Lind and other servicemen were still in the restaurant when the news came over the radio that Pearl Harbor was bombed, and all the servicemen left immediately to go back to their bases.
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What an emotional impact at that time, and she remembered that chilling effect. Gov. Dwight Green dined there as well as many other notables who came to Princeton from time to time. Beaber’s Lunch Room indeed has a niche in the history of Princeton, and we all have many happy, fond memories of wonderful times there while dining and meeting and chiding with friends and making new acquaintances. Beaber’s Lunch Room ceased operations in May 1985. Marie Beaber passed away in 1969, and Russ Sr. passed away in 1982. Another super-fantastic business — OUT OF THE PAST! Note to readers: Bill Lamb, who died in 2013, wrote this story for his “Out of the Past” series with the Bureau County Republican in June 1991. It and the accompanying photos were retrieved from the archives of the Bureau County Historical Society, which granted its permission to republish them.
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