September 2019
Ravioli Alley Stew
Jack Rooney will present “Ravioli Alley Stew,” a unique story of ethnic interaction in coal mining company towns such as Cherry, Illinois. Born and raised in Cherry, Mr. Rooney has a life-long interest in the Cherry Mine Disaster. Cherry is a perfect example of a coal mining “company town.” The Disaster took place on November 13, 1909 and 259 lives were lost.
Find out more »October 2019
The Terrifying Truth of Victorian Medicine
Tricia Kelly will present "The Terrifying Truth about Victorian Medicine." The graceful, elegant Victorian life that many people picture is truly at odds with the reality and sometimes horror of Victorian medicine. Kelly will present the realities of those times, some of which can be gruesome. Kelly is the Tour Director at the Hegeler Carus Mansion in LaSalle and is a storyteller. She has been at the Mansion for 15 years and says she has been spoutin' blarney for most of her life.
Find out more »December 2019
Journey to Cooperstown
At our November-December meeting, Betty Jean Peterson (now Fox) will talk about her "Journey to Cooperstown." In the early 50s Jean, who grew up in Wyanet and loved baseball, played for three different teams in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. Learn what it was like for women in sports in that era.
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