McHenry County News FRE
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Volume 6 Issue 22
WOODSTOCK CAR WASH N O W
• 3 Heated Bays • Brand New Vacuums • Automatic Wash Now Open • 7’ High and Large Enough for Dually Pickup Trucks
O P E N
218 Fair Street, Woodstock, IL (Behind McDonalds)
May 26, 2016
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Marengo WW II hero honored emorial Day is the day scheduled for the Boy Scout ceremony to place a plaque on the grave of a fallen American hero, Staff Sergeant Robert T. Usborne. The plaque was designed to honor military men who had gained the rank of Eagle Scout and who lost their lives in active combat. Usborne was born in Marengo, Illinois, on October 13, 1919. He attended Washington School and graduated from Marengo Community High School in 1937. In 1936, Usborne and his friend Harold R. Kinreed, made Boy Scout history in Marengo by becoming the first two boys to attain the rank of Eagle Scout at the same time. Usborne attended the University of Illinois for two years, then transferred to the Chicago School of Embalming. He joined his father in September, 1940, in operating the Usborne Funeral Home at 205 North State Street in Marengo. Usborne joined the Army in 1941. He served at several posts in the United States before being transferred to Italy in September, 1944 with a replacement contingent. He was attached to Co. F, 350th Infantry, 88 Infantry Division and sent to the front lines in March, 1945. “Mr. and Mrs. Usborne received a telegram with the bad news from the War Department that Robert was killed instantly by enemy machine gun fire as his squad was advancing over an open field at night. Robert was buried in a United States cemetery in Northern Italy in rites conducted by Lieutenant Colonel W. M. Hale, chaplain of Company F. Staff Sergeant Usborne was brought home to Marengo and buried with full military honors in the Marengo City Cemetery on December 5, 1948.” This account has been provided by Marengo military historian, Michael Bigalke. Further information, also provided by Bigalke, states that “Usborne was advancing at night with his squad across an open field when the enemy suddenly opened fire, killing one and
photos by Anne Eickstadt
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By Anne Eickstadt, Correspondent
The Boy Scouts salute the Usborne’s fallen friend, hero, 1st Lt. Harold Kinreed, in last year’s Memorial Day Plaque event which will be performed for Staff Sergeant Robert Usborne. Staff Sergeant Robert Usborne was disinterred from his grave site in Northern Italy and reburied in his hometown of Marengo.
wounding many others in the platoon, related the award citation. Calmly, though exposed to scorching enemy fire, Usborne personally placed each man in his squad in position and assigned them sectors of fire. Observing that his first scout had been trapped and exposed to a hail of enemy fire, the sergeant bravely moved forward to lead him to safety. After this, he again started for the comparative safety of his shell hole from which he could command the fire of his squad, when he was killed by the storm of enemy machine gun fire.” He died only nine weeks after his friend Kinreed, who was also killed in action. Last Memorial Day, 2015, the Boys Scouts placed a plaque on Kinreed’s gravestone. The plaque is to honor World War II military men, scouts who “Sealed their Boy Scout Oath to their Country with their Life.” This year, after a year-long search for another of these plaques, Usborne will receive one as well in a special ceremony presented by Marengo’s Boy
Scouts. Mike Donley managed to locate both original, unissued plaques to honor these Marengo natives. “Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout,” former Scoutmaster of Marengo BSA Troop 163, Chris Oakes, says. “Only 7% of Boy Scouts make it all the way to Eagle Scout. The Boy Scouts are a community based organization, working with the community and trying to develop young leaders. Many Eagle Scouts go
on to become senators, congressmen, astronauts, and otherwise famous people.” The ceremony will take place at the Marengo City Cemetery following the Memorial Day parade in Marengo. All current and former Marengo Scouts, veterans and general public are invited to attend. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, visit www. scouting.org.
Piggly Wiggly Midwest set to grow By Samantha Fetzner Reporter
After shutting down company stores in both Woodstock and Huntley, Piggly Wiggly Midwest has acquired new storefronts in what they hope to be more lucrative areas in Northern Illinois. The chain bought out the local Joe Caputo & Sons store in Algonquin as well as two more in Palatine and Des Plaines via auction. Piggly Wiggly Midwest operates
the Piggly Wiggly and Butera Market stores in a variety of locations. They bid on all three storefronts at once on May 12 and were able to acquire both the real estate itself and the existing store operation for all three locations. Piggly Wiggly Midwest paid a total of $32 million for the three stores and their locations, amassing just under 270,000 square feet of retail space spread on 30 acres of land in the three different markets. The
auction came after Joe Caputo & Sons were sued by Anthony Marano Co. in February for claims of unpaid debt towards delivered product. As of May 19, all three of the locations sold at auction were still operational. Piggly Wiggly Midwest announced that it intends to continue operation at both Palatine and Algonquin, but the storefront in Des Plaines will be new. There has not been a determination on whether the stores
will change names due to changing hands. Joe Caputo & Sons still owns and operates its own stores out of Wisconsin. Barring any unforeseen complications, the sale will be finalized within 30 days after the company receives approval from the District Court. Joe Caputo & Sons was operational in Algonquin for less than a decade. The store opened in 2007. The chain closed two of three locations it acquired in the surrounding
area last year after opening locations only a year prior in 2014. They specialized in fresh fruit and also operated butcher services on site. The chain began with its Des Plaines store in 1989. The company’s assets were frozen earlier this year making continued operation unmanageable. Piggly Wiggly’s closest location is their Marengo store operating as ‘Wisteds Piggly Wiggly’ after acquiring the existing grocer in 2013.