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Relaxing at the Lincoln Way Inn

One hot firefighting dynasty s m a l l

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P.O. Box 498 Sterling, IL 61081

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Good times on tap in Sublette e a s t

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815-562-2181 rochellehospital.com

COVER • STORY

Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Editor Jeff Rogers Magazine Editor Kathleen Schultz Page Design Breanne Hunter Published by

Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600

LINCOLN WAY INN

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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Contents 5 Eternal Flame Meet the Kellens, Sublette’s foremost firefightin’ family.

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Countryside Tap Have a beer and a bite at this rustic and rural roadside retreat.

14 Lincoln Way Inn Find peace on the prairie in this new Franklin Grove B&B.

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Recipe Revelation Necessity – and a really bad winter – was the mother of this cookbook.

24 Bicentennial Farm Four generations have kept this Amboy farm in the family.

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ETERNAL FLAME

BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

I

f you live in or around town, you’ve run into a Kellen. And for that, you can thank Velma.

That’s because, most likely, a Kellen has helped you or someone you love, whether fighting a fire or responding to a medical emergency.

Or maybe Velma crocheted a blanket your baby used to stay warm in the winter. Or provided entertainment at your grandparents’ nursing home.

Velma, 100 years young, was a member of many groups over the years. And she was an honorary member of the Sublette Fire Department, where, between them, her husband, sons, grandkids and step-great-grandkids have served a combined total of nearly 300 years.

“Every bit of it came from her,” her son, Bob “Buck” Keller said while visiting Velma at Heritage Health: Therapy & Senior Care in Mendota recently. “She taught us what to do, and how to do it.”

When the alarm went off in the home of Velma and her husband, Gilbert – who served 25 years in the department – the boys would go upstairs to get ready, and she’d get the door.

“I’d get the door open, so they could go through it,” she said.

“By the time we’d get down, she’d have our coats to put on when we got outside,” Buck said.

If the guys answered a daytime call, they returned to a warm, delicious meal. If it was a nighttime call, coffee and doughnuts were waiting at the station.

Continued on Page 7

Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄Small Town Living | The Kellen family has 280 years of firefighting service with the Sublette station. Though retired, Bob “Buck” Kellen, former chief, lives right across the road and still chips in when needed.

Velma Kellen, 100, fueled her family of firefighters s m a l l

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Expect The Best FALL 20

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Kaleido

Taste

the

A Colorfu

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scope

Life Afte

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Achieveme A Guide to

us know Get to

, Ogle County Illinois

Sauk Valley

Vol. 18, No. 4

2015-2016

, Illinois Ogle County

2015 - 2016

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Winter 2015

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by Published a y Medi Sauk Valle

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Continued from Page 5

“We always had someone coming in all the time, so I learned to make everything,” she said. “They worked up an appetite. And I was very proud of them.”

Buck served 38 years with the department, 28 of them as captain.

“I really enjoyed it. I did,” he said. “The adrenaline rush as soon as the siren went.

Everybody enjoyed it. The grandkids, they still look forward to it.”

“That makes me very proud,” Velma said.

In Gib’s early days with the department, Velma would get anxious.

“Oh, yes. You never knew what kind of call they were going on,” she said. “It got easier and easier to relax, over time.”

These days, there are about 430 people living in Sublette. Nearly 150 of them attended Velma’s 100th birthday party in October at Our Lady of Perpetual Health.

“She’s one of those people who everyone in the community knew – from singing in the choir to square dancing,” said grandson Kyle Kellen, in his 15th year with the fire department and also a deputy with the Lee County Sheriff’s Department.

When she was younger, Velma loved to play

Years of service Here are all of Velma Kellen’s family members, the number of years they served in the Sublette Fire Department, the highest rank they achieved, and whether they served as EMTs Name Relation Years Highest rank (years) EMT Gilbert “Gib” Kellen ...Husband ...................... 25 ..... Chief (10) ......................... No* Bill Kellen ..................Son ............................. 41 ..... Lieutenant (17) ................. No Bob “Buck” Kellen ....Son .............................. 38 ..... Chief (28) ......................... Yes John Kellen...............Son .............................. 21 ..... EMT/firefighter .................. Yes Kevin Kellen ..............Son .............................. 30 ..... Chief (10) ......................... Yes Kathy Kellen .............Daughter-in-law ............ 28** .. EMT/firefighter (28***) ....... Yes Janelle Stenzel..........Granddaughter ............. 27** .. Secretary (13***) ............... Yes Delbert Stenzel .........Grandson-in-law ........... 33** .. Captain (15***) ................. No Kyle Kellen ................Grandson ..................... 15** . Lieutenant (2) ................... Yes Kole Kellen ...............Grandson ..................... 11** .. Certified firefighter (11***)... No Brock Ehlers .............Step-great-grandson .... 6** .... Certified firefighter (6***)..... Yes Dylan Ehlers .............Step-great-grandson .... 5** .... Certified firefighter (5***)..... Yes

baseball and basketball, and she loved to entertain – dance, especially – with the many groups she volunteered with. She square-danced until she was 87.

“I guess that’s why I made it to 100,” she said.

Velma was a member of numerous groups – from the Sublette Fire Belles to Modern Matrons. In addition to feeding her army with her signature soups, she also cooked for funerals and other events at Our Lady.

Despite her volunteering spirit, she wasn’t about to let her children volunteer for her. Kyle said the only time he remembers her getting upset was if a grandson helped her out and tried to get away without getting paid.

“That’s about the only time I’d ever see her upset, if you’re trying to run out the front door before she’d pay you,” he said. “And if one of me or the cousins got away, she was just going to save it for your birthday or Christmas, and sneak it in there.”

Hellion to healer When Velma’s sons got into trouble, it wasn’t a bad idea to start the line of questioning with John.

Continued on Page 9

* Served before department had EMS service | ** Currently serving | *** Presently in role

Upon his retirement, Buck Kellen was gifted a fire ax from one of the trucks with his service dates engraved. Kellen was chief for 28 years.

Members of the Kellen family, Kyle (left), Bob, Dylan Ehlers and Kole Kellen, recount how Velma, who turned 100 in October, would make gallons of chicken noodle soup for the clan on Sundays. Velma is grandmother to the three boys and is Bob’s mom.

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Bob “Buck” Kellen and members of the family who volunteers with the Sublette department: Kole Kellen (middle), Dylan Ehlers and Kyle Kellen. Buck served 38 years with the department, 28 of them as captain. The truck to the left was the last truck Buck bought for the station; its first fire call also was Kyle’s first fire call.

“

When they see Kellen on the back of the jacket, they say, ‘God, it’s great to see you came up.’

Continued from Page 7

KYLE KELLEN

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Hunting, fishing and trapping are passions of the Kellens. But as a kid, John had a penchant for pushing the limits, often picking birds off branches while waiting for the bus to arrive.

But in 1973, when Buck, then the fire chief, started the department’s EMS service, the first EMTs were Donnie Mini and none other than John. In fact, he wanted to be a nurse, if only he could afford the schooling.

Then he won the lottery – $5,555, to be exact. His family members had to wonder what sort of guns or fishing gear he would spend it on.

His mother dared to ask, and he told her he was going to nursing school.

“I had more people tell me how good he was, and everything like that,” Velma said. “To think he was the most mischievous out of the bunch. He would do everything under the sun. And yet he turned out so good.”

His service was limited to 21 years. Cancer took his life in 1989, 7 years after Gilbert died following 2 years of dialysis. Gil lost a kidney in

Japan in World War II, and passed around Christmas time in 1982. No doubt, the holidays are hard for Velma.

But year-round, and for the foreseeable future, her legacy survives.

“Whenever they talk about the Kellen side of firefighting, when you go to the neighboring departments, they see your last name and automatically give you more respect than others,” Kyle said. “They know how your uncle has fought fires, and how your dad fought fires.

“When they see Kellen on the back of the jacket, they say, ‘God, it’s great to see you came up.’”

Kyle is one of six family members still serving the department.

“I was counting down the days until my 18th birthday, so I could join the department,” he said. “And I joined the minute I could.”

That was April 16, 2000. Now, another is potentially counting down the days. Janelle and Delbert’s second son, Mike, is a freshman in high school, and eager to get involved, Buck said, then sharing the best advice he’ll offer the firefighter in waiting.

“Take your time getting into it,” Buck said. “Don’t just jump into it because everyone else is doing it. Make sure you want to do it.”

A full life When she was younger, Velma loved to play baseball and basketball, and she loved to entertain – dance, especially – with the many groups she volunteered with.

When it hasn’t been testing her family’s mettle, life has been a celebration for Velma. Attending events through the department, or through Gib’s job as a mail carrier. Trips up north with the family.

And so, so many groups. So many people to love.

“We had so much all our lives,” she said.

“We always were busy,” Buck said. s

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Countryside Tap Photos by MICHAEL KRABBENHOEFT⁄ Small Town Living The bacon cheeseburger is also a favorite at Countryside Tap in rural Sublette.

BY JERMAINE PIGEE SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

C

‘A friendly atmosphere for ladies and gents’ The prime rib is one of the restaurant’s best sellers.

ountryside Tap has it all: a loaded menu, a full-service bar, plenty of places to sit, a patio/beer garden, and live – and not so live – entertainment.

The live entertainment comes in the form of the bands that occasionally play the popular rural Sublette bar and grill.

Not so live is the sunglasses-wearing singing deer head mounted behind the bar. “Rawhide” and “On the Road Again” are among its repertoire.

“We got the deer from Menards,” said owner Cindy McCoy, who has run the bar and restaurant for about a decade.

It’s a popular haunt not only for locals, but also for the hordes of campers who return each summer to Woodhaven Lakes, a private, gated recreational camping resort right across the street.

“It has 6,700 campsites,” McCoy said.

“There could be anywhere from 27,000 to 30,000 people camping on a weekend.”

The McCoys are good neighbors, as well. When a tornado ripped through the campground on June 22, a Monday, a day the tap usually is closed, they opened their doors to give people a place to get water or a restroom to use. They also kept longer hours in the kitchen in the days that followed, so victims and cleanup crews could be fed.

Summer may be over, but the bar still offers a friendly, cozy spot to relax and unwind.

The atmosphere is casual, with warm knotty pine on walls also painted with a green paint called Irish beauty, which McCoy loves. She is part Irish and German, and her husband and co-owner, Dennis, is Irish.

Photos of people who have visited Countryside also adorn those walls.

Continued on Page 13

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The views are fabulous, too. Depending on the time of year, wild turkey, deer and other woodland creatures parade outside the windows regularly.

And oh, the menu. In addition to traditional favorites such as chicken tenders, spicy wings, burgers and fries are dishes not usually found in a bar – walleye, jumbo shrimp, ribeye steak, and deep-fried pickles.

The three best sellers are McCoy’s chicken tenders (which come with her secret tangy-sweet dipping sauce), the bacon cheeseburger, and prime rib.

“These dishes are really popular with the campers,” she said.

The Facebook reviews attest to Countryside’s popularity: “Food and staff fantastic, with cold beer either on tap or bottles and cans. Great prices and portions are more then filling.

Love stopping in,” wrote Brian Belcher.

“I’ve been a property owner at WH for 10 years, I love the McCoys and love the bar/restaurant. And the walleye is to die for! CHEERS!” wrote Curtis Stickney.

“Great people and a great place to throw darts and hang out!!!” Kimberly Steins said. s

Home style and sweet potato fries are popular items.

Chicken tenders come with Cindy McCoy’s special dipping sauce, a tangy yet sweet creation, the ingredients of which she keeps a closely guarded secret.

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What’s on Tap? Countryside Tap is at 1831 Tower Road in Sublette.

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There’s video gambling, darts, and occasionally live music.

Call 815-849-5470 or find Countryside Tap Inc. on Facebook for more information.

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LINCOLN WAY INN PROMISES A PEACEFUL PRAIRIE EXPERIENCE ALL-YEAR-ROUND Historic home transformed into rustic yet elegant B&B

Photo by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄ Small Town Living The Blackhawk Suite shares space with the Sauk Suite on the inn’s third floor. The common area has a fireplace, a sitting area and a double vanity bathroom, and each room also has its own vanity and sink, with a private balcony on the Blackhawk side.

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BY JERMAINE PIGEE SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄Small Town Living & ANN NEWMAN⁄Shuttered Moments

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isitors to Franklin Creek State Park, Nachusa Grasslands or those just looking for a quiet place in a beautiful prairie setting to get away from it all now can settle in and stay a while at the cozy new Lincoln Way Inn Bed & Breakfast.

It’s also a beautiful setting for a wedding, reception or honeymoon, a business retreat, a birthday getaway ...

Lisa and John Ayres opened their new venture at 409 N. State St. in June.

They are the fourth owners of the home, which was built in 1912 by Columbus D. Hussey, son of one of Franklin Grove’s founding families who came to the village from Pennsylvania in 1838 via covered wagon. C.D., as he was known, later founded C.D. Hussey Lumber & Coal Co. Their goal is to become a destination that

Photo by ANN NEWMAN⁄Shuttered Moments The Lincoln Way Inn Bed & Breakfast opened in June at 409 N. State St. in Franklin Grove.

“engages guests in the sights, sounds, and tastes of the prairie countryside.”

The Ayers offer five themed guest rooms, an outdoor hot tub and fireplace, a four-season dining porch, and a library with a computer and printer available for guest use. Each room also has cable and wireless Internet.

It took about a year to get the three-story, 7,200-square-foot B&B renovated to their specifications. It’s peaceful and elegant, filled with antiques, many locally gathered, and hand-crafted appointments.

Lisa Ayers is no stranger to the hospitality industry. The Monroe, Wisconsin, native spent

11 years working for the United Service Organizations – commonly known as the USO – as a concierge, and she and her husband saw a need for such a retreat.

“We are at the doorstep of Franklin Creek State Park and the doorstep of the Nachusa Grasslands,” she said. “Students, researchers, photographers and artists come out to experience this area, but there is no place to stay. This is filling a need for the community.

“People like a bed and breakfast for conversation and home life in a unique environment,” she said. “Being smaller than a hotel, you can give personal attention, or you can give people their space.”

On historic Lincoln Highway and near the Lincoln Highway Association headquarters, which doubles as an antique shop and visitors center, the bed and breakfast also offers spa services, a sauna and a workout area. A licensed massage therapist is available to provide hot rock, Swedish and deep tissue massage.

Continued on Page 17

Photo by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄Small Town Living A four-season dining porch offers plenty of space for larger parties. Those who stay at the B&B can look forward to a home-cooked breakfast, with ingredients from the Ayers’ nearby farm.

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“

Photos by ANN NEWMAN⁄ Shuttered Moments Lincoln Way Inn owners Lisa and John Ayres.

Being smaller than a hotel, you can give personal attention, or you can give people their space.

LISA AYERS

Continued from Page 15

“

There are five locally themed rooms, three on the second floor and two on the third that share space and are rented together, the perfect size for a family. Each room has a king- or queen-sized bed, and a unique design and decor, selected by Ayres: • The Nachusa Suite is named for the Indian title given to Dixon’s founder, John Dixon – nachusa means head of white hair.

It’s also the name of the 3,500-acre Nature Conservancy prairie preserve 3 miles from the B&B. The room has a prairie theme, with a hand-tiled marble bathroom and a shower with a river rock floor.

• The Taft Suite is named for famous Illinois sculptor and writer Lorado Taft, creator of the iconic Black Hawk statue overlooking the Rock River in Oregon. It has a handcarved hickory bed, and a hand-tiled marble

bathroom and shower.

• The Sandburg Suite is named for Carl Sandburg, the Illinois winner of three Pulitzer Prizes in writing and poetry about Abraham Lincoln. It has a fireplace and a spa bathroom with a claw-footed tub and a rain shower.

• The third-floor Blackhawk Suite, named for the Sauk Indian warrior, and the Sauk Suite, named for the Indian tribe that gives the Sauk Valley its name, share a common area with a fireplace, a sitting area and a double vanity bathroom with a huge hand-tiled

shower. Each room also has its own vanity and sink, with a private balcony and a couch with a pullout bed on the Blackhawk side, and a daybed on the Sauk side, in addition to the two main beds. It’s the inn’s roomiest space.

Soon to be completed is the carriage house, which will have event space below, for parties, business meetings, and the like, and another suite above. The carriage house also will have its own private entrance, a kitchen, two bathrooms and a hot tub, along with an enclosed garage for the inn’s guests.

Continued on Page 19 The Ayreses are the fourth owners of the home, which was built in 1912 by Columbus D. Hussey, son of one of Franklin Grove’s founding families.

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Photo by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄Small Town Living | The living room is a common area that can be used for sitting and relaxing.

Photo by ANN NEWMAN⁄Shuttered Moments | The Lorado Taft Suite, named for the Illinois sculptor who created the iconic Black Hawk statue overlooking the Rock River in Oregon, has a hand-carved hickory bed.

Photo by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄Small Town Living | The stone cave room is the building’s cellar and features a sitting area and television for entertainment.

Continued from Page 17

Included with the rooms are a variety of amenities such as fresh flowers, organic robes, slippers, linens, towels, and toiletries. Each room also has a small refrigerator stocked with beverages, and coffee and tea service.

Guests are treated to a home-cooked breakfast made from locally grown and produced products.

“My husband and I have a small farm 3 miles from here,” Ayres said. “Eggs are from our chickens, and I am a beekeeper. The honey I cook with is from our bees.”

In fact, a visit to the Ayerses’ Nomia Meadows Farm apiary can be part of the Lincoln Way Inn experience. From June through September, guests can sign up to help harvest, extract and bottle honey, with bee suits and gloves provided, and a bottle to take home.

For those who plan to hike, bike, go birding, or just get out to enjoy the prairie, inn staff can provide a picnic lunch that includes use of picnic basket, blanket, portable table and chairs, food, beverage, hiking sticks, binoculars, and bird, butterfly and flower field guides.

A horse-and-carriage ride through the countryside and Franklin Creek State Park is offered year-round, weather permitting, with blankets, beverages and a snack basket included. Cargill Carriage Rides of Franklin Grove provides the ride.

Folks have come from far and near in the short time the inn has been open. Some from more near than far, in fact. A couple who lives 2 blocks away just walked on over and spent the weekend, his birthday present for her, Ayres said.

“You can stay here, you can have an event here, you’re kind of transported but not far from home.” s

Lisa Ayers chose the B&B’s furnishings, a harmonious blend of rustic and elegant, antique and modern.

THE LINCOLN WAY INN BED & BREAKFAST 409 N. State St. in Franklin Grove

Go to lincolnwayinn.com to tour the rooms and get more information on prices, services, and other area attractions.

You also can search for Lincoln Way Inn B&B on Facebook.

Contact owner Lisa Ayers at lisa@lincolnwayinn.com or 815-456-7700

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he winter of 1978 was unlike anything the Sauk Valley had seen, before or since.

December saw 29.4 inches of snowfall, second most on record for that month. The following month, 46.5 inches fell – by far the most snowfall of any month in Lee County. In all, 89.5 inches of snow fell between November 1978 and February 1979, obliterating any previous record.

And out of it all came a cookbook.

Kay J. Mays has lived on a farm in rural West Brooklyn since 1971.

That winter, she and her late husband, Lee, and most of their neighbors were snowbound.

“The roads were pretty well blocked in, and most people couldn’t get out of their homes around the West Brooklyn area,” she said.

Food was hard to get and supplies were dwindling, so the villagers had to get “creative” with their cooking, Mays said. They took household

BY BRENDEN WEST SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄Small Town Living

staples – butter, onions, milk, cornstarch, salt – and turned them into delicious meals.

The recipes were shared throughout the community, lessening the impact of the harsh winter.

“Eventually, when a few people were able to get out of their houses, they got together and decided, ‘Well, what are we going to eat?’” Mays said. “Several families got together, pulled their groceries together, put together recipes for the food they had on hand.

“Out of that came the collection of these recipes. They put it together in order to sustain themselves through the storm.”

They are gathered in Mays’ cookbook, “Recipe Revelation: KJ’s Passed Down Recipes Forwarded,” published in 1997 and still available today.

In fact, Mays had copies available at a book-signing in Sterling in late November.

Continued on Page 23

‘Recipe Revelation’ inspired by West Brooklyn’s fiercest winter storm

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THREE EASY RECIPES FROM ‘RECIPE REVELATIONS’ GRAMMA’S MILLET PILAF Makes 8 servings

2 cups of shelled millet seed 1 onion, chopped Paprika, pepper and salt 1/4 cup of butter or margarine 6 cups of boiling water or beef or chicken bouillon or milk Put millet into a skillet or pot on top of a stove.

Cook with water or bouillon or milk.

Stir constantly at least 2 minutes at medium heat.

Simmer, covered over low heat for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally, and add a little more boiling water to prevent sticking.

Serve in place of a cereal, potatoes or pancakes.

Season to taste.

FRENCH FRIED ONION RINGS

Kay J. Mays of West Brooklyn is the author of “Recipe Revelations,” a cookbook filled with recipes she and her neighbors came up with while snowbound in the winter of 1978-79.

The simple, homey recipes utilize common, everyday items most people have stocked in their pantries.

Continued from Page 21 With a few of Mays’ personal additions, it’s 56 pages of recipes aim to fill stomachs with little effort and using things commonly found in a home’s pantry.

For Mays, it’s a little taste of what the people of West Brooklyn have to offer.

“It’s West Brooklyn-inspired,” she said. “Most of the farmers out there raised beans and corn. They’d put it together and make recipes out of it.

That’s why they’re all made up of very simple things that people would have had on hand.”

“Recipe Revelations” is the first of two books published by Mays. The second, “Cinder Road,” published in 1998, is a young adult novel based partly on Mays’ Indiana upbringing in the post-World War II era. s

‘Recipe Revelations’

4 large Spanish or Bermuda onions, peeled 1/2 cup of evaporated milk 1 cup of flour 1/2 cup of cornstarch Salt

To order a copy of Recipe Revelations, send $8.95 per copy, plus $2.50 for shipping and handling, to Kay Mays, P.O. Box 79, West Brooklyn, IL 61378.

Mix milk, flour, cornstarch until smooth.

Add salt to taste.

Slice onions into 1/2-inch thick rings.

Dip onion rings into batter. Add more milk if batter gets thick, until batter clings to the onion rings.

Fry in 1/2 inch hot oil in frying pan.

Remove from oil when onions are crisp and golden bronzed. Dry on paper towels and season to taste.

Serve as main dish side or dip in ketchup.

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1 pound hot cooked green beans 4 tsp butter or margarine 1 tsp paprika 1 onion, minced 6 tsp cornstarch 2 tbs bean water

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Place green beans in sauce pot with butter, paprika and onion. Boil for 1 minute.

Add cornstarch mixed with hot bean water and mix well; add to bean mix.

Cook until well blended. Serve immediately.

Salt and pepper to taste.

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BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN | SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

BICENTENNIAL FARM BUILT ON

LOVE OF THE LAND W

ant to know why Tom Mead is always smiling? Well, for one, his family is a statistical anomaly.

The numbers are foreboding: Only 3 percent of family businesses reach a fourth generation. Let alone a life in agriculture, with its backbreaking brand of work, not to mention the schedule.

Nonetheless, 165 years after his great-great-grandfather, Patrick Mead, an immigrant from Limerick, Ireland, bought the farm 3 miles west of Amboy, its 2,000 acres are as productive as ever. Which brings up another potential stumbling block – but only if you let it be one.

“If you grow specialty crops for Pioneer, Seneca, or Del Monte, the first assumption they have is that you are at their beck and call, that you don’t have anything else going on,” Mead said. “When they want you to plant, to do whatever, they just expect that you’re ready to do it. You have to go into it with that mindset, or you’ll just be mad all the time.”

The Mead farm produces green beans for Seneca Foods, and peas, lima beans and sweet corn for Del Monte, as well as corn and soybeans.

Despite the regular hum of trucks arriving at and leaving the farm, the equipment that stays for days at a time, and the lamps set up for leaf analysis by the food companies, the Meads keep humming.

For that, Mead’s daughter deserves a lot of credit.

Jackie Thompson, or “poor little Jackie” as her grandpa, Ed Mead, affectionately referred to her when she was knee-high to a grasshopper, used to work for KSB Hospital before spending years in private health care. When her grandma, Lola, fell ill, she took care of her, until she passed on in 2004.

Around the same time, her uncle, Jack, got out of the farming business. But Tom wouldn’t be stuck flying solo. Jackie joined her father in business, and a year later, so did Dave Thompson, whom Jackie dated while they were at Amboy High School.

After going their separate ways for many years, they worked together on the Mead farm for about 3 years before coming to terms with the fact that they were a good team – in a couple of ways.

They were married in 2008 and, in the past few years, Tom has pulled way back on his involvement with the farm to focus on restoring tractors his dad repowered many years ago, as well as traveling and generally being there for family.

“I have a son who’s 24 now, and he’s disabled, and he spent 20 days in the hospital in the past month. That didn’t leave me around here much,” Tom said. “And things went just as good as if I was here.”

Continued on Page 26

Photos Submitted - Left: Shown in this 1957 photo are Tom Mead’s uncle, Jim Mead (background, seated), his dad, Ed Mead (walking), and his fatherin-law, Harry Brogan (bent over). “I can tell who’s who by their shape, and their walk,” Tom said - Right: Among the youths shown in this photo are Jim Mead (front row, far left), and his brother, Tom (back row, far left), who Jim’s grandson, Tom, says was one of the first CPAs in the state. As for Jim, he was a fourth-generation farmer, whose son, Ed, and grandson, Tom, picked up where he left off.

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Food company supplier going strong as ever at age 165

Upper Left (Photo Submitted): Shown in this April 1963 picture are (from right) Tom Mead, who today represents the fifth generation to farm his family’s land near Amboy, friend Dick Ely, and Tom’s brother, Jack. Upper Right (Photo Submitted): Ed Mead takes part in a tractor pull in 1964 in Morrison – a pastime he made time for in addition to running the farm, working second shift at Henry Pratt Co., and repowering hundreds of tractors. Above (Photo by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄ Small Town Living): The certificates honoring the Mead farm as a Centennial and Sesquicentennial Family Farm.

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Continued from Page 24

It was a pretty heart-warming revelation for Tom, who once wondered whether the farm would have a remote chance at becoming a rare bicentennial farm.

“There was a time when I didn’t think Jackie would be involved at all,” he said. “But if that flame is there, it’s there. If it’s not, you don’t know what’s in the future. It can be there later.”

He speaks from experience. Like his uncle and namesake, Tom was a promising banker. After getting his degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, he worked for banks in Utica and Triumph for

about 8 years.

He’d return home to help on the farm in spring and fall.

“I was burning the proverbial candle at both ends,” Mead said, “and there came a point where I had to choose. I chose the farm and quit banking.”

Folks would often ask him why he passed up a more steady, bountiful income.

“I’d tell them, ‘You know, when I worked in the bank, I had a hundred loans to think about. Now I just have the one,’” he said.

But he’s quick to remove his tongue from his cheek and share the real

Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄Small Town Living East - Right: Tom Mead wasn’t always sure he wanted to farm. After high school, he studied accounting at Southern Illinois University and worked as a banker for 8 years. He’d return home to help on the farm in spring and fall. “I was burning the proverbial candle at both ends,” he said, “and there came a point where I had to choose. I chose the farm and quit banking.” Today, he’s part of a sixth generation family farm west of Amboy. Left: The Mead farm stretches in all four directions from the main homestead where Tom Mead’s daughter, Jackie Thompson, and her husband, Dave, now live.

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reason the family business is on its sixth generation.

“I learned to love the farm and the land,” Tom said. “I would like to leave this Earth with the land in better shape than when I came here. I think that’s important.”

Just don’t expect any sizeable mammals to fertilizer it anytime soon, even though Dave Thompson spent an awful lot of time on his family’s dairy farm in Wisconsin.

“He said if we had cows, they’d be the oldest, most decrepit cows, because I’d never let him kill them,” Jackie said. “We’d have a yard

full of pets.”

As for a seventh generation, Jackie’s son, Dalton, 20, has worked on the family farm and works summers at Pioneer. But as someone whose flame waited to light up, Jackie won’t push him in one direction or another.

“He has that love of the land, too, but he’s young,” she said. “I’ll tell him to follow what he likes. You’ve gotta be happy. You’ve gotta enjoy what you do.” s

Photo by ALEX T. PASCHAL⁄Small Town Living - Tom Mead restored this tractor bought by his father-in-law and uses it to honor the family farm. Daughter Jackie Thompson is carrying on the farming tradition in the family.

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