Jane....... LOL.......hey!!! I was a kid <smile> and it was an improvement over L.A"s smog in those days, Our smog has improved. Has Staley's smells? Gayle

Gayle, you LOVED the smells of Staley's???!!!!! Hmmmm. Not a good smell to me, but for the soybean capital of the world, what kind of smells can you expect? Jane

My name is Gayle Carroll and I was born in Decatur at St Mary's Hospital in 1944. My mom was Mary Born. She lived on Clay Street with her parents Theodore and Marie Born and many brothers and sisters. Her date worked for a mining company before his retirement. Her bothers Johnny and Bob worked for Staleys. She went to Roach School. My dad, Arthur Carroll 's parents were Goldie Rae and George Carroll. He owned a meat market. My dad had one sister, Maurine Cunningham and one brother George Carroll. One of you mentioned movies in small towns outside while you sat on blankets and bought candy from the little markets. My Uncle George and my dad used to run those movies for their Uncle Homer. I loved to tag along. If anyone has any information or would like to know anything I still remember please write to me. I lived in Decatur until I was in the second and attended Cottage Grove School. Then we moved to Oklahoma and two years after that to CA. Oh after WWII my dad, Arthur flew spray planes for Moody's Aircraft. Ring any bells? We still have some family in Decatur and some of my best summers we when we visited there. I too loved Lake Decatur and the sights and smells of Staleys. I am looking forward to hearing from all of you. Gayle

Helen, let me know when you go and I'll try to meet you in Boody! I'm about a 12-hour drive from there and could easily spend a couple of days. Jane

I have our old wooden phone from the farm, but when my cousin sent it back to me (from my aunt who found it at the farm), the handle and ringer were missing. I hung the phone anyway and hope to go hunting for old parts or other old phones some day soon, who knows, maybe on the Net? I love looking at it every day and remembering all the good times! And to think, my mom just gave it away after storing it first in the smoke house and then in the barn. It's beautiful now with its new finish, even though the receiver wire has frayed so much it came in half. Two longs and a short and we went running to answer the phone! Jane

http://www.ci.decatur.il.us/ Flag lowered for last time. 05/26/01 Paul Osborne, Editor Do A search for Durfee School. Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: <TSQAIR@aol.com> To: <ILMACON-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2004 5:50 PM Subject: Re: [ILMACON] Durfee School > Thanks so much for the epitaph for Durfee. Could you please tell us all where > you found it? I would like to keep it and properly source it. > > Thanks > Gary > Plano,TX > > > ==== ILMACON Mailing List ==== > Visit the Macon County ILGenWeb page at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacon/ > > >

This has gotten two old friends together that haven't seen or known where the other was for 48 years,,,,,, how much more wonderful can you get than that.........God bless who ever started the Durfee SUBJECT ,,,,Plus look at all the gen. lines that are now on line,,,,,,,,wonderful !!!!!!!!! Marge

Thanks so much for the epitaph for Durfee. Could you please tell us all where you found it? I would like to keep it and properly source it. Thanks Gary Plano,TX

Jane, My uncle Bob WOODCOCK retired from STALEY several years ago or more and lives south of Pana, IL. There is a golf course and lake in the subdivision where they live. They ahould be in the Pana, IL phone book. Iimagine he would enjoy hearing from an old friend.

In a message dated 1/17/2004 5:16:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, JJJSG@aol.com writes: > The D.G.S. mailing address is: P. O. Box 1548, Decatur, Illinois > 62525-1548. Their address is 1225 W. South Side Dr., Decatur. It's only > open Monday, > Wednesday and Saturday, so response takes a couple of days. They don't > respond > via Internet yet. Too bad. Jane > ***************** Thanks so much for the address. Sue

Take up all the space you want Beverly. The purpose of this is to help each other. -----Original Message----- From: Bcookiegma@cs.com [mailto:Bcookiegma@cs.com] Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2004 5:16 PM To: ILMACON-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ILMACON] KNAPP -- "Rachael the wife of Wm Heimes" Thank you for the offer it is kind of you. I have the article. I will not take up space on the letter to exchange anything again. I don't want to annoy anyone again. Beverly

Beverly, please email me at jjjsg@aol.com. I'd like to carry the line on from any info you may have; and that's the reason for the site. All anyone has to do is look at the info line and see that it's not of interest. Secondly, I like it when we all "chat". The next time we can call it the Macon Co. Connection, or something like that. Don't give up on us because one or two people weren't interested. It's their loss, not ours! Jane

I think the SoS site is having problems. Frankly this seems to be the norm on 3 day weekends but maybe it is just me. Anyway, it won't be up Monday which is a holiday in Illinois.

Let's keep in mind that the PRIMARY function of the County Clerk is NOT hunting up old marriage licenses. They have to do when they are not doing their regular work and in this age of cutbacks that can be a problem. When I go to the court house I take a list and said how about if I come back tomorrow to get them. When I wanted probate files I said how about if I call you in a few days to see the price and send you a check -- which I did and then they mailed them because I was long gone. Generally a clerk's office is one of those places where you catch more flies with honey. Some of them think they are pretty important and it is best to let them continue to think that. Cheryl Rothwell logancty@mindspring.com Logan County, IL, Coordinator, ILGenWeb www.rootsweb.com/~illogan Central IL Regional Coordinator, ILGenWeb Clark, Downing, Harding, Lucas et al

Thank you for the offer it is kind of you. I have the article. I will not take up space on the letter to exchange anything again. I don't want to annoy anyone again. Beverly

The D.G.S. mailing address is: P. O. Box 1548, Decatur, Illinois 62525-1548. Their address is 1225 W. South Side Dr., Decatur. It's only open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, so response takes a couple of days. They don't respond via Internet yet. Too bad. Jane

After 109 years of serving as the educational fortress for countless children, "Taps" was played and the flag was lower for the last time at Durfee Magnet School Friday afternoon. Durfee, standing on the northeast corner ofGrand Avenue and Jasper Street, is a casualty of time and the school district's budget crunch. Earlier this year, the Decatur Board of Education voted unanimously to close Durfee, sealing its fate. Sheriff Roger Walker, who attended Durfee School, was on hand to help lower the flag in front of the school, for the last time, as students, faculty members and parents gathered to watch the end of school in that building forever. Closing Durfee will save the revenue-starved school district about $300,000 a year and is part of the board's $7.2 million in budget cuts that have taken place since the voters rejected a $1.50 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation in November. Ironically, a school that now represents too much expense to operate was or Pledge of Allegiance is recited. iginally built in 1892 at a cost of $13,409.64 on lot nine, block one of Powers' second addition. According to public records, the lot for the school was purchased from Mrs. Caroline M. Powers on Oct. 31, 1890, for $1,252.50 and at the time "was considered one of the best school sites in the city." The Powers name was prominent in early Decatur history as George and Samuel Powers were early settlers who came to Decatur from Alabama. What had once been part of the Samuel Powers farm, would become home for a school building that would serve the community for well over a century. The name for the school was first suggested by John K. Warren, a member of the board of education, who believed it should b Flag is lowered for final time. e named after H. B. Durfee. Durfee, who was a native of Ohio, taught school and practiced law in his home state before moving to Decatur in 1849. Eleven years later, when the newly-organized Macon County government elected officials, Durfee became chairman of the board of supervisors. He also served on the board of education for 15 years. MORE SPACE NEEDED By 1900 more space was needed at the school, so an additional two rooms were added to the north side at a cost of $4,125.83. A year later, another two-room addition was added to the southeast corner of the building at a cost of $4,694.00. When that addition was constructed, the building had eight rooms, but the school's population kept growing -- along with the need for more space. Another big addition to the school was constructed in 1915, which consisted of two stories and provided eight full-sized rooms, and other rooms which were designated at the time for the branch library, an ungraded room, a manual training room, a domestic science room. an office for the principal, an auditorium, a gymnasium, basement and shower rooms. Because the new addition housed so much of what was happening at Durfee, it became the main part of the building and the earlier structure became its annex. Then, in 1924 a ten room unit was added to the building at a cost of $58,000, an imposing price at the time. The new addition provided Durfee with a junior high school unit and students from the northeast part of the city attended there until Johns' Hill and Centennial junior high school buildings were constructed. ONE OF THE LARGEST SCHOOLS IN DECATUR By 1931, Durfee had grown to be one of the largest schools in Decatur. Before the junior high students were transferred to Johns Hill and Centennial, enrollment at Durfee reached 1,200 students. Durfee was the second school in Decatur to organize a Mothers Club (in 1913) following the lead of Pugh School. The school played an important role in supporting local residents during the years of the Depression as the Parents' Club, which had by then become the Parent-Teachers Association, helped many of the families down on their luck with a nutrition kitchen that was maintained for needy children. During one two-month period, nearly 4,000 meals were served. Some 442 children from 215 families received clothing and 423 pairs of new shoes and 150 pairs of used shoes were distributed. The group also paid for the cost of repairing 214 pairs of shoes. During one extremely difficult period 135 children in the school received haircuts and "even much-needed baths". GLORY DAYS ARE OVER Now, the glory days of Durfee are over and the students and teachers, and parents, have said goodbye to a familiar structure that served them well for generations. When schools re-open in the fall, for the first time in 109 years, Durfee will not be among them. It's hallways and classrooms will be full of memories, but empty of children. The shouts of youthful exuberance will have been replaced by the muffled sounds of the traffic outside that cut through the silence of what remains of H. B. Durfee School.

I tried the Index today, but that part of the site is down. Worked just the other night, so try again on Monday. It's easy to search.

Sue, contact the Decatur Genealogical Society. They used to get my licenses all the time. Of course, that's when they were just down the block from the Courthouse; but they may have some useful information. Have you used the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index on the Internet? If you are lucky, it will give you the license no. I've heard recently how much trouble people are having with the Courthouse. I guess it's the same story, "money, money, money, and no one has the time." The last copy I received wasn't even unstapled when copied front and back, not that it matters so much, but it's a sign of the times. No pride. And yet, perhaps the person was just an overworked person who has no interest in genealogy and doesn't consider it a big part of her job. You have to admit that we are a strange breed! Remember too, that the name may have been spelled incorrectly and instead of trying different spellings, the person just tried one. Jane

The Genealogical Society is now in its new home just off of Rt. 48, a very big improvement over the old place downtown. Jane