PRSRT STD Bulk Rate U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 440 Sterling, IL 61081 *****ECRWSSEDDM*****
P.O. Box 498
Postal Customer
Deer Grove, Erie, Fenton, Lyndon, Morrison, Prophetstown, Tampico Fall/Winter 2015
Fixing up old tractors builds quite a collection Home cookin’ served up at Erie, Tampico eateries Area Historical Society keeps Lyndon past alive
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Your Comfort System Specialists You can count on us for fast and reliable installation, maintenance and repair of your home;s heating, cooling systems all year round.
Heating Air Conditioning Free Estimates Licensed & Insured
SERVING THE SAUK VALLEY S AREA SINCE 1949!
WORKMAN HEATING & COOLING
(815)772-2010 • 15825 Lincoln Rd., Morrison www.workmanheatingandcooling.com 2
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COVER • STORY
Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Editor Larry Lough Magazine Editor Rusty Schrader Page Design Robin Norburg Breanne Hunter Published by
Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600 Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Small Town Living Magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.
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A HERD
OF HORSEPOWER
Prophetstown farmer - turned - collector turns his workhorses into show horses
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features Live in your own manor
5
Morrison assisted living offers a scenic setting for residents
Saddle up for good food
9
Customers come to the Pink Pony to talk much, sit long, and eat well
A herd of horsepower
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Turning his workhorses into show horses
Tampico’s new daycare
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Pub and grub offers family fare for food lovers
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Rise and dine Erie’s “Bread Lady” greets the day while it’s still night
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They’re making history in Lyndon Group helped turn the Lord’s house into a home for history
25
The answer is quite elementary for Tiger Cubbies
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Going to Town for her business
In Your Own
Morrison assisted living facility offers a scenic setting for residents
I
t’s fitting that Windsor Manor
LONNIE MILLER SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING
is located on a street named “Scenic,” because that’s just what the assisted living home is.
Windsor Manor, 403 Scenic St., is a beautiful facility tucked
into a well-maintained, quiet neighborhood just north of Route 30. The Prairie-style building, built in 2014, surrounds a spacious, landscaped courtyard and gazebo, both of which can be used for entertaining residents’ family and friends. It’s a perfect assisted-living option for couples or singles 55 and over who are ready to let someone else worry about the maintenance and yard work. Cooking, housekeeping, utilities and basic cable are included. The facility offers exercise equipment, nursing care tailored to individual needs, 24-hour on-site staff, purposeful and recreational activities,
a library, chapel, sunroom and common living room with a fireplace. They also have a state-of-the-art therapy room with a walk-in tub that is designed for comfort and ease of use. One could utilize any or all of the other amenities provided too. “Youthful U” is a beauty-barber salon located on-site. The salon’s owner, Jill Beswick, named the full-service salon in honor of her grandmother, who owned a similar salon in Clinton, Iowa. Windsor Manor is divided into two care-based areas. There are 30 units in the Assisted Living area and 10 other units in secured Memory Care. Continued on Page 7
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You can’t predict when you will need us. But we’re here for you when you do.
CONNECT WITH YOUR FREEDOM
Now Accepting New Patients
Dr. Duncan Dinkha
Dr. Risha Raven
Family Practice, Chief Medical Officer
Family Practice
Dr. George Georgiev
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SCHULER MOTORS, INC. Sales:
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Nurse Practitioner
Family Practice Physician
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Mon. & Thurs. Tues., Wed., Fri. Sat. Service/Parts: Mon. thru Fri.
8AM - 8PM 8AM - 6PM 8AM - 4PM 8AM - 5PM
727 W. Lincolnway, Morrison, IL 61270 815-772-2196 www.schulermotors.com
Dr. Richard Sadler
Vascular Surgeon
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BRINKMAN BUILDING CENTER
303 N. Jackson St., Morrison • www.morrisonhospital.com
815-772-5590 • 815-772-5511
• Hours: 8am-8pm • Open 361 days a year, for your convenience • Medicare and Medicaid welcome • Walk-ins welcome • Appointments appreciated
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Beau Marinangeli Assistant Mgr./Sales
915 2nd St., Fulton, IL 815-589-3100 M-F 7:30am-5:00pm Sat. 8:00am-4:00pm
Mark Marinangeli Outside Sales
Windsor Manor in Morrison offers apartments for assisted living.
Continued from Page 5
Both areas have one- and two-bedroom apartment options. Restaurant-style dining is available for residents and guests. Non-resident guests are welcome to dine with residents for a small fee. Breakfast costs $3, and lunch or supper costs $5. Culinary director Tina Bieneman offers meals to the general public too. The Scenic Café serves breakfast from 7 a.m.to 7 p.m., a lunch special from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and a supper special from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tina’s staff keeps the sunny dining rooms looking like those in a nice restaurant, with menus, linen tablecloths and flowers on each table. Shelly McBride, a licensed life enrichment director, offers home-like activities to residents. There are the resident pets: kittens named Windsor and Manor. Residents can do home-making tasks like laundry and baking, as well as entertainment options such as puzzles, games, or arts and crafts activities. H.R. Green built the facility in Morrison because there is a big need for quality assisted living apartments, and loving and compassionate memory care. The company owns similar facilities in other communities. Wellness Director and R.N. Stephanie Neas said, “Windsor Manor is a real gem in the community. I invite people to come and check us out, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised at the programs and living spaces we offer.” s
Windsor Manor has an activity center for residents and community members.
Come Home... Windsor Manor Address: 403 Scenic St. Phone: 815-772-4031 Online: www.windsor-manor.com Email: stephanie.neas@windsor-manor.com
Youthful U, a beauty salon, offer residents a place to get a stylish look without leaving their home.
The Garden Center at Windsor Manor allows for memory care with puzzles and kitchen for residents.
No one offers more discounts than Farmers.
Angie VanderVinne 815-772-8900 s m a l l
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The power of planning At COUNTRY Financial®, we can help you understand your risks and the insurance options we provide to protect what matters most. Contact a representative find out how we can help you build a plan to meet your goals and dreams!
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2015 DAY TRIPS
TOURS & OVERNIGHT TRIPS
“West Side Story”
Fireside Dinner Theatre
“Fall Festival of Crafts”
Sandwich Fairgrounds (inside & outside)
Big Things, Water & Apples
Peoria, IL
“Legacy Girls ‘50’s - ’60’s”
Starved Rock Lodge
Fall Colors -
IL, IA, WI, Lunch in Balltown,IA
Fall Colors -
IL, IA, WI, Lunch in Balltown,IA
“Scarecrow Festival & Crafts”
St. Charles, IL
“Route 66”,
Circa ‘21 Dinner Theatre
Woodfield Mall
Schaumburg
“A Wonderful Life”
Fireside Dinner Theatre
“Christmas in the Country” Craft Show
Sandwich, IL (indoors)
Gurnee Outlet Mall
Gurnee, IL
Downtown Shopping
Chicago
Downtown Shopping
Chicago
Sept. 19 & 20 NASCAR - Joliet, IL: One race each day and spend
the night in the Joliet area. Included in the price is the bus ride, race tickets, and motel accommodations.
Nov. 2-7 BRANSON - Staying at the Grand Country Inn located
on 76 Blvd. Deposit of $100.00 per person due when you made reservations. Final payment due: September 1, 2015. Included are transportation, motel, baggage handling, all tickets to shows, hot buffet breakfasts while in Branson and other meals for a total of 13 meals, & 11 shows. Some shows we will see are : Clay Cooper, Hughes Brothers, Dixie Stampede, Christmas Wonderland, Texas Tenors, SIX, AYO Voices of Glory (Top 5 in their category on America’s Got Talent), Andy Williams Theatre- Osmonds & Lennon Sisters, Christmas on the Trail/Christmas Light display.
2016 TOURS
August/September Alaska in the planning now!
Visit our website for complete list of trips & tours www.wiersemacharter.com 8
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15049 Lyndon Rd., Morrison 815-772-2232 • 800-829-2130
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/Small Town Living The Pony Skillet is a popular breakfast selection.
Sa dd le
up
Customers have been driving to the Pink Pony to talk much, sit long, and eat well
for some good food
BY LONNIE MILLER SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING
S
o, what do you get when you cross an oldtime diner with a hard-working gal and her daughter? A Pink Pony! Twenty years ago, Jill Nyenhuis bought a 1950s diner, and freshened it up with country décor. It’s a neat, clean, and friendly little spot at 613 12th St. in Erie. Decked out in blue-and-white checked tablecloths, lace curtains, wrought-iron and country kitsch, the drive-in restaurant invites customers to “Talk much, sit long and eat well.” The owners serve fresh, tasty food and soft-serve ice cream. The whole place will seat maybe 50 guests. Jill and her daughter, Amanda Reymer, now open at 6:30 a.m. and serve breakfast until 11 a.m., then lunch and dinner until 8 p.m. On the wall hangs a menu from about 1950, listing 18 pieces of fried chicken for $4.50, a cheeseburger for 24 cents, a twin burger for 50 Continued on Page 11
Strawberry and whipped cream pancakes soothes the sweet tooth.
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Providing insurance coverage for local homes and farms since 1869. Mel Saad Agency
Cornerstone Insurance Agency
Adami Insurance Agency
Hugh F. Miller Insurance Agency, Inc.
928 8th Avenue, Erie 309-659-2470 saad@mchsi.com
102 W. Main, Morrison 815-772-7782 lsandrock@2cornerstone.com
712 First Avenue, Rock Falls 815-625-6220 meagan@wmccinc.com
801 First Avenue, Rock Falls 815-626-1300 hughmillerinsurance.com
Member Owned and Operated
Our Contact Information www.bradfordmutual.com 120 W. South Street Franklin Grove 815-456-2334
Morrison’s Best Kept Secret
Sunset Drive
Scenic Street
Sycamore Street
Come Find Us! Candle-icious
403 Scenic Street • Morrison, IL 61270
815-772-4031
Medical Associates
www.windsor-manor.com/home/find-a-community/morrison/ 10
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A throwback sign hangs in the restaurant.
Owner Jill Nyenhuis (left) sits with daughter Amanda Reymer and grandchildren Claire, 8, and Caleb Reymer, 6. The Pink Pony in Erie is owned by Jill Nyenhuis and staffed by daughter Amanda Reymer.
PINK PONY 613 12th Street, Erie | 309-659-2363 | Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. Continued from Page 9
cents and side dishes for 20 cents each. Today, the food is still the same, while prices have kept up with the times, but prices are still reasonable. A 21-piece shrimp basket is just $4.50, and a four-piece fried chicken dinner is $9.25. A Pony Burger – a quarter-pound cheeseburger with bacon – is $4.25. Breakfast items include plate-sized pancakes with fresh blueberries for $4.95. Dave Miller, 60, a customer who made the trek from Dixon to eat at the Pink Pony, says, “These are the best blueberry pancakes I’ve had in I don’t know how long. In fact, they’re the best blueberry pancakes I’ve ever had, period!” Dave regularly eats this breakfast staple in many different restaurants, but this was his first visit to The Pink Pony. The restaurant got its name from the original owners who saw a similar place in Wisconsin and brought the concept to Erie. Jill bought the restaurant from them and said, “We thought about changing the name, but it was always a popular place and everyone around here knew that
name. We decided just to keep it.” Many of her patrons are long-time customers who now bring in their now-adult children and their grandkids. Jill says she’s watched many of her customers grow up before her eyes. “Those who started coming in with their parents are now graduating from high school. I’ve watched them grow from babies to young adults!” The Pink Pony offers daily and weekly specials, such as Taco Tuesday, which is very popular with the locals. The menu lists items ranging in price from $2.75 to 10.75. Kids’ meals are $4. The owners are supporters of their local athletic teams and host a gathering of classic cars on the third Wednesday of each month. Jill, the soft-spoken business owner, says, “I want our customers to know how very much I appreciate their continued support. They are great people who continue to bring in new generations of customers. They’ve made our business successful.” s
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When everyone forgets how to drive. Ruth Gundlach CPCU, Agent 619 E. E Lincolnway 619 Lincolnway Morrison, IL IL 61270 61270 Morrison, Bus: 815-772-2101 Bus: 815-772-2101 ruth.gundlach.g8x8@statefarm.com
1113 4th Street Fulton, IL 61252 Bus: 815-589-2360 ruth.gundlach.g8x8@statefarm.com
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Community Faces
Here To Help You!
I like it at
Resthave... I have lived at Resthave since April 2014. The staff is excellent and take great care of me. They are always friendly and make me feel at home. There are alot of activities that keep me involved with the friends I have made such as dominios, baking & gardening.
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I chose to come here on my own. My mother lived at Resthave Home, so I knew I was making the right choice.
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Resthave Home
Other locations to serve you in Fulton, Rock Falls, Sterling, and Dixon
Assisted Living & Nursing Care
“Quality care provided by a loving and caring staff” 21 408 Maple Ave., Morrison (815) 772-4021 www.resthavehome.com Resthave Home is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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FDIC
Locally Owned and Managed
“
Man, I was a big cheese driving that tractor. GAIL GOODELL
“
A HERD OF
HORSEPOWER
O
n farmer Gail Goodell’s homestead in rural Prophetstown, raindrops pitter-patter on nine colorful antique tractors, neatly arranged outside in front of a tall red barn.
They sit in stark contrast against the backdrop of a gray, cloudy sky that
brings with it some windy weather, causing the American flags on the tractors to flutter in the breeze. Gail, 75, is a passionate collector who began his journey in 1948 at just 8 years old, when he piloted a brand new Ford 8N gasoline tractor.
Photos by Alex T. Paschal / Small Town Living
A neighbor had bought it, and Gail and his dad went over to see it.
Prophetstown farmer-turned-collector turns his workhorses into show horses
“Man, I was a big cheese driving that tractor,” he said with a smile. More than 60 years later, he’s a big cheese again. Gail acquired that tractor within the past year, fixed it up, and added it to his collection. But these tractors aren’t just for show. Gail has used most of them for farming corn, soybeans and wheat on his land. Upkeep on the tractors has been a familiar task – but one that’s gotten easier through the years. “I’ve put a lot of good [restoration] hours on it,” he said, pointing
BY ANGEL SIERRA SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING
to the 1957 Farmall 350. The luster and detail are impressive, boosted to brilliance through the use of red car paint, applied by his brother-in-law. A chrome nameplate on a white background is affixed to the tractor, its luster adding to the shine.
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Continued from Page 13
Gail Goodell of Prophetstown fires up his 1957 Farmall. This tractor was a workhorse work horseon onhis hisfarm farm but now runs only it it parades in parades andand other other shows. shows.
The tractor’s not rare, but it’s his most prized. The Farmall has “tens of thousands” of hours on it, he said, referring to the use of time to rate engine wear. Most of the tractors are more than 50 years old, but the 350 is the one he used to make his living for many years, he recalled. It was in service up to about 2 years ago. “That was my bread and butter,” Gail said. “We’ve been together a long time.” It’s been replaced by bigger and better tractors, but he kept it around for light field and chore work.
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Goodell has been farming for 53 years.
Each of the nine machines has a personality, and each is picked for specific terrain, such as on-road use during tractor drives. The green John Deere is fuel efficient – for a tractor – and the speed
Gail Goodell of Prophetstown has a collection of nine antique tractors. Each tractor has a special placard with his name, town and make and model of the tractor.
can be held constant and consistent, perfect for drives, he said. The Farmall, Gail noted, has a torque amplifier, which is most similar to an automatic transmission, in that it can mechanically augment gear shifting. Some of the other notables in his collection include manufacturers such as Ford and now-defunct Allis Chalmers, Massey-Harris, Minneapolis-Moline, and Oliver. All have been restored to showroom look and performance, and are big draws at area county fairs, tractor drives and shows. “Most of them have horns,” Gail said. He laughed and said that kids, especially, like to fool around and honk them. “With the pretty tractors, you get a lot of pictures taken.” s
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• • • •
Farm Vehicle Crop Hail
• • • •
Property Health Life Commercial
• Blacktopping • Sealing • Excavation • Trucking • Ditch Work • Waterways
Sandrock Insurance Agency
Mickley Insurance Agency Todd Mickely, Luke Sandrock, Gerald Widolff
Greg Sandrock, Drew Emery, Tyler Sandrock
102 W. Main St. • Morrison 815-772-2793
107 Main St. • Tampico 815-438-3923
ToddMickley@2cornerstone.com
sanins@essex1.com
www.2cornerstone.com Advantage One Credit Union
People you know, people you trust!
• Basements • Dozer • Excavator
• Backhoe • Skid Loaders • Grader
• Snow Removal • Rollers • Rock/Dirt/Sand
600 Klimstra Ct., Morrison, IL (Located in the Morrison Industrial Park)
815-772-4033
KEITH STRALOW
Since 1979
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MORRISON 104 S. Genesee
Mon.-Fri. 8-5:30 Sat. 8-5 • Sun. 10-3
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FRAMING BY LINDA Financial Products an nd services to nd meet the needs of your entire family! • Auto Loans (great low interest rates!) • Mortgage/Home Equity Loans • Online Banking • Mobile Banking & much much more!!!
Phone (815)772-7215 Toll Free (877)772-7215 204 N. Jackson St., Morrison, IL
www.adonecu.org Membership is open to anyone living or working within 35 miles of Morrison & family members of existing members of the credit union.
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For Fun:
Custom Matte and Framing Design Consultant
Lett us fframe your artwork L
For Fun:
theantiques old hotel & collectibles the old hotel antiques & collectibles 130 E. Main St., Morrison 130Mon-Sat E. Main10-3 St., Morrison Mon-Sat 10-3
Photos by Shelby Kuepker/Small Town Living
The answ er’s quite
elementar
Where i s Tampico 's new day care going to be? y for Tige
r Cubbies
BY SHELBY KUEPKER SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING
U
ntil 2013, 202 W. Second St. was home to Tampico Elementary School. When Prophetstown Middle School was built and Tampico Elementary moved across town, the village took over the former school building in which many a great mind were molded. It became the Reagan Community Center, and home to the City Clerk, Tampico Township, Tampico Police Department, and the American Legion. The Tiger Cub After-School Program and a sports conditioning program also use the building. With so many things calling the Center home, you would think it’d be a full house, but not so. There’s another tenant coming – one that should feel right at home in the former school building.
Continued on Page 19
Make 2015 a Summer for Saving with a Certificate of Deposit from 1st Gateway Credit Union
204 East Main Street - Morrison www.1stgateway.org with branches in Camanche, Clinton, Dewitt and Fulton s m a l l
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Paint - Plumbing - Electrical - Tools Lawn & Garden - & More Dan Drummet
Dave Drummet
317 Washington St. Prophetstown 815-537-2881
Beautiful Blooms Artistically Arranged Lacy’s Amazing Vase
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The Dressing Room at Deja Vu OR Deja Vu Furniture and Accessories
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Years A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN
FOCUS ON YOUR FITNESS GOALS Get Fit Together at Morrison's 24 HOUR Fitness Center
Please call for an appointment 101 5th Avenue S. Clinton 563-242-3356
Like Us At
Celebrating
1 5
Weekly cycle and total fit classes WESTON BURKHOLDER 126 E. Lincolnway Morrison, IL 61270
815.704.2049
www.b-fittoday.com weston@b-fittoday.com
Continued from Page 17
Another opportunity to mold young minds is on the horizon: This fall, Tiger Cubbies Daycare will open its doors. An opening date will be set once work is complete and a daycare license has been obtained. Up to 20 children will be allowed. Mayor Kristine Hill came up with the idea last year. In Tampico, “there’s no place for some for our little ones to go so they could be a part of preschool,” she said. Tiger Cubbies also will give children who go to preschool in the mornings or afternoons only somewhere to go the rest of the day. Tiger Cubbies Daycare, named after the after-school program for elementary students, will be for kids ages 3 to 6 in Tampico and surrounding communities. Sarah Kuepker, 47, of Deer Grove, will be the director. Kuepker, a mother of three, ran an in-home daycare for 7 years and has many years of experience in the childcare field. “I had a lot of business from the Tampico area, because there was never a reliable daycare around here,” she said. “It would have been a valuable resource when I was raising my kids.” Work is underway to get the building up to state code, so an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services daycare license can be obtained. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided. Tiger Cubbies will accept 4Cs, a financial assistance plan for eligible families, and will provide discounts to Tampico residents. A Prophetstown Area Community Foundation grant was used to buy napping cots, sheets, tables and chairs, and the classroom already is overflowing with donated toys. The board is seeking more grants and donations to get the building up to date. A seven-member volunteer board, lead by President Cindy Slock, is putting a lot of time and effort into getting the nonprofit daycare up and running. “This was my dream, and they’re the ones making it happen,” Hill said. Editor’s note: Journalism student Shelby Kuepker is Sarah s Kuepker’s daughter.
To enroll: Tiger Cubbies Daycare is coming to Reagan Community Center, 202 W. Second St. in Tampico. Call 815-718-2285 for enrollment and other information.
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Going to TOWN for her business Photos by Michael Krabbenhoef Small Town Living Regulars at the Old Town Pub ’n’ Grub mingle during taco night on Thursday.
Pub and grub offers family fare for food lovers
I
BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING
t’s an old restaurant in an old town, and a lifelong dream realized for a local woman. Its name, then, is fitting: Old Town Pub ’n’ Grub, a family-owned and operated restaurant and bar serving up home-style food in downtown Tampico. “It always was our dream,” said Julie Stees, 60, who intended to own and operate the business with her husband, Robert Stees, until he suffered a stroke in October 2013 that left him confined to a wheelchair. The Steeses owned the Carousel restaurant in Walnut almost 20 years ago, a sort of consolation prize; their first choice was wanting to buy Fifth Quarter bar in Tampico, but never could make a deal with the owners. “We sold that one [Carousel], … and when we sold it, we said we would never own another one,” Julie Stees said. “Then this one came along. It was the one. I still wanted it.” The restaurant side of Old Town opened in June 2014.
It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On Thursdays, it’s tacos, which are very popular, Stees said. And on Sundays, it’s from-scratch chicken and dumplings. “Everybody loves ‘em,” she said. The patty melts and Reuben sandwiches also are popular. The restaurant offers a salad bar and a Sunday buffet, too. Many of the recipes and dishes are from Stees’ own collection. She cooked and waitressed for years and built up quite an arsenal of food knowledge, she said. The bar side of Old Town just opened in March. It offers the same food as the restaurant, but also has a full-service bar and video-gambling machines. The bar features the building’s original ceiling tiles that have hand-painted advertisements on them, for local bygone businesses, as well as the original booths from the old restaurant. Old Town offers carry-outs and can host parties and special events. s
Come and Get It... Old Town Pub ’n’ Grub Address: 124 S. Main St., Tampico Phone: 815-438-3233 Online: www.facebook.com/pages/Old -Town-Pub-n-Grub/761078787278317
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D & e i s ne i R BY LONNIE C. MILLER SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING
Erie’s “Bread Lady” greets the day while it’s still night to make treats that folks line up to buy
S
ome people watch the sunrise. Shelli Eng watches the dough rise. It just so happens that she does both at the same time. The Erie woman is no stranger to hard work. She gets up before the crack of dawn to make her homemade treats, which she sells at the Morrison Farmers Market, and from in front of her Erie farmhouse. Eng, 55, began baking in response to her daughter’s health needs, which required specific ingredients be used to avoid illness. Shelli uses organic ingredients, such as cage-free, hormone-free eggs sourced locally from Clay Hill Farms, and homegrown herbs. Those ingredients, coupled with her grandmother’s recipes, are used to create products that folks line up to purchase. Like the Proverbs 31 lady, she rises
while it is yet dark, and starts baking. She got her nickname “The Bread Lady” from local farmers who would smell cinnamon rolls baking before the sun rose, and stop on their way to the fields to buy fresh, hot rolls topped with old-fashioned frosting. At 5 a.m. Shelli would hear a knock on her door, then, “Hey, Bread Lady, are the rolls ready yet?” These days, she sets up a beautifully arranged farm stand in front of her home every Sunday, and every Saturday at the Morrison Farmers Market, to sell her homemade products. By the time she opens for business, there are baskets and trays filled with homemade scones, garlic bread and sticks, French bread, brownies, whole-grain breads, and northern-style cornbread – and, of course, those aforementioned cinnamon
Photos by Lonnie Miller/ Small Town Living Shelli Eng, aka “The Bread Lady,” helps customers to choose baked goods at the Farmers Market in Morrison.
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Madalyn, 9, and Molly, 6, Barta shop for goodies at the Bread Lady’s stand.
We love these muffins, and the brownies, and the cinnamon rolls! Molly Barta, 6
rolls. The steady flow of customers at her stand attests to Shelli’s inherited baking skills. Her grandmother, who taught Shelli from a batch of recipes with no measurements listed, was once asked to be the personal chef for President John F. Kennedy’s mother, Rose Kennedy. It was a job that she turned down to stay near her family. Now, Shelli has achieved a sort of fame of her own, and her customers are loyal, sometimes traveling from out of town just to buy “The Bread Lady’s” goodies on Saturday and Sunday. During a recent farmers market, Madalyn Barta, 9, and her younger sister Molly were excited and happy to purchase giant muffins stuffed with fruit for breakfast. They were visiting their grandmother, who’s a customer at the Morrison Farmers’ Market. “We love these muffins, and the brownies, and the cinnamon rolls!” explained 6-year-old Molly, while Shelli carefully packed their purchases into a pink, reusable shopping bag that she
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provides to her customers. She shuns plastic bags, preferring instead to provide free totes to her customers. Phylicia Meiers, 29, and her daughters, Mariah, 4, and Angeliek, 10 months, traveled the nearly 15 miles from Albany, Illinois, to shop the farmers market. They purchased cinnamon rolls and blueberry muffins. “I stop whenever I am in the area, which is every couple weeks,” said Phylicia. “The prices are really reasonable, too.” Shelli also makes homemade doggie treats and biscuits, but it’s not always the dogs who eat them. Bicycle riders stop for the dog biscuits to eat on long rides. The all-organic treats are coveted by the riders and eaten to sustain energy between meal stops. Shelli says, “You should stop into the farmers market on Saturdays; my friends from Clay Hill Farms, and many other great vendors, have created a wonderful market.” s
Phylicia Meiers, 29, and her daughters, Mariah, age 4, and Angeliek, 10 months, shop at the Morrison Farmers market for breakfast.
More Info You can find Shelli “The Bread Lady” at the Morrison Farmers Market, 204 E. Lincolnway, on Saturdays from 8-11 a.m. The market is open this year from May 23 to Sept. 26. You can also find her selling her good goodies on Sundays in front of her farmhouse in Erie, just one house off state Highway 2 at the Albany exit, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
For information or to order special requests, call: 309-912-4556. For more information about the Morrison Farmers Market, go to http://morrisonfarmersmarket.com/.
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A dedicated group helped turn the Lord’s house into a home for local history LONNIE C. MILLER SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING
O
ften times, churches are in the business of saving people. In Lyndon, it was the other way around. In that town, volunteers and the community banded together to save a church, and in the process, they found a home for local history. The Lyndon Area Historical Society is housed in the First Congregational Church of Lyndon, the first chartered church in Whiteside County, established in 1836. The congregation originally met in members’ homes and, later, built a church building in 1851. That original structure burned down and was rebuilt in 1883. Today, the church is home to the historical society. Lyndon’s history found a home a few years ago when, in 2011, a group was formed to rescue the church, which, for intents and purposes, had been abandoned. The church building had
in Lyndon
seen better days, and residents wanted to see those days again. Mary Ellen (Hunt) Rogers, 64, of Lyndon, was one of those people. She grew up in the church. “I was baptized, confirmed and married here,” she said. “My father was the treasurer of the church.” He was a man who, because of his affection for the church, contributed energy, skills and resources to keeping the organization viable. That affection has been passed on to Mary Ellen, who holds the position of treasurer on the Society’s board of directors. Dale Ann (Stump) Cook, 71, also has fond memories of the church. She remembers sitting on the front steps as a child, “with our little Golden Books, playing school” with her younger brother. She also attended Vacation Bible School, Christmas Programs, socials, Continued on Page 26
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Continued from Page 25
and Youth Group there as she grew up across the street from the church. Both women, along with a dedicated group of others, have heartfelt attachment to both the building and its history. After a group was formed to rescue the church in 2011, the church’s charter was renewed, and as they say, “the rest is history.” Applying lots of love-filled labor, the ladies and their cohorts hauled out junk and cleaned off “inches” of accumulated dirt. Then they painted, replaced, and restored the building and its contents. Other community members – and even another church – got involved too. The leadership of the Lyndon Methodist Church closed its doors in 2013 and donated the pews that are now in the chapel. Today, it’s a beautifully appointed chapel and museum, with meeting space that is open to the public for a fee. The church basement has a fully stocked kitchen and gathering room. Even the old dishes are available for rent. Community members and guests have hosted weddings, showers, meetings, birthday parties, family reunions and funerals at the site. The museum and chapel are open for self-guided tours throughout the year. Their website is loaded with information and the full history of the church. The Society’s Mission is four-fold: to restore the Lyndon Area Historical Society to a viable community center, to convert the facility for public use, to preserve and archive Lyndon’s historical assets, and to create a media, technology, and genealogy center. Members also endeavor to, as the Society’s slogan goes, “bridge the past with the future.”
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Deposit slips from First State Bank of Lyndon are some of the items on display at the Lyndon Area Historical Society.
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Photos from years past along with artifacts fill the display cases at the Lyndon Area Historical Society. Right: A wedding dress from the wife of H.B. Price is on display a the Lyndon Area Historical Society.
Deposit slips from the First State Bank of Lyndon are some of the items on display at the Lyndon Area Historical Society.
This industrious group has accomplished all of that, and more. It continues work to improve this little gem at 405 Fourth St. West, in Lyndon.Currently, the group is having the old, badly worn roof replaced. The organization is sustained solely by memberships and donations. The roof project is going to require financial help. Donations will be gratefully accepted. To make a donation, go to www.lyndonareahistoricalsociety.org and click on “About Us,” and then click on the “Membership Information” link at the bottom of the page. s
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Lyndon Area Historical Society Address: 405 Fourth St. West Hours: 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays, or by appointment. Contact events coordinators: Kris Burke-Bielema at 815-499-4015, Mary Ellen (Hunt) Rogers at 815-778-4962 or Alicia (Attig) Wetzell at 815-499-1813. Online: http://lyndonareahistoricalsociety.org/
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