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Emails for January 2001

Fond memories of Minonk

I feel quite honored that you included our BB team of 1948. Growing up as you in the 30s and 40s I have very fond memories of Minonk. I left there in the early 50s and rarely looked back. I attended a couple of reunions and visited my folks a couple of times through the years. Mostly though I had very little contact except through Don and Betty. When I returned in 1998 for the reunion, I found the town had lost so much of what I recalled as a kid. I did do some research on the "dinky" or doodlebug train that daily ran past our house and how much it was a part of my life. Minonk was good to me. As a teen ager I worked off and on at Leffers building materials, Kents lumber yard, Visserings grocery, Ludeke [ sp}. store, the chicken hatchery, the theatre, Wolfes drug store. the bakery, bowling alley, Paloumpis store, and helped my brother in law deliver and move stuff with his truck. I even helped move caskets around for the funeral parlor. I hate to see the town lose its appeal and am glad you have taken a step to involve people. Several years ago I read where Lloyd Leffers, an architect was specializing in old town restoration. Too bad he couldnt have done something with the downtown . Ill keep watching for your web site and good luck.

Albin Johnson albin1930@aol.com

Note: The writer was a member of the 1948 Minonk basketball team.

City filled swimming pool with dirt

You are doing a great job. You are not afraid to post issues that need to be posted. I have been bothered by the bandstand issue but not as much as the Lestsos issue. What about the city filling the pool with dirt. Toluca and Metamora still fill theirs with water.

Submitted by Jack Daniel Devine

Wants to get in touch with Rick Schneider

Thank you for creating this amazing web site. We left Minonk in 1986. We get back once in awhile and always for the 4th. My family lived in Minonk for many years. My dad, Glenn Hinkle was (along with Harry Green) the first city mail carrier in Minonk. He also was the first commander of the VFW. I am still a member of the Minonk post. Maybe you can help me with something. I read the story of the former Minonk people meeting in Arizona. Joan Schneider is the mother of a good friend of mine, Rick Schneider. I have been trying to get in touch with him for several years. If you have any way to get in touch with Joan, I would love to have Rick's email address. If she is hesitant to give it out, feel free to give my address to her. I am sure she will remember me, as I used to spend lots of time at her house. Also, I lost my copy of Mrs. Schneider's great book. It was autographed by her. We lived across the street from her for 14 years. If you know of any place I can purchase another copy, that would be great, too. Thanks again for great website. I always heard that Minonk had the first electric street lights in the USA. It was supposedly because the owner of the mine was a friend of Thomas Edison and he had lights installed in the mine and down Oak street so the miners could get to work easier. If that is not true, it could be the start of a column on local urban legends. Thanks

Dave Hinkle hink48@mtco.com