This is Mom's Uncle William Rueben Arthur and Aunt Mary Ellen Arnold Arthur from Herscher then Bradley. Mary was my Grandpa Arnold's sister and Rube was Grandma Arnold's cousin. Their granddaughter, Maritta Keerbs Tolmer, gave me some family info. She is the daughter of Sarah Arthur Keerbs and has the double t in her name like Grandma Marietta Arthur Arnold. So does her sister Violetta.
Reuben and Mary Arthur were about the best grandparents a guy could want. Their daughter Anna Schmidt raised me from the time I was 4.Sara Keerbs raised Don (Pat). Grandpa and Grandma had a corner house in Herscher, one of the historical houses with a half basement and upstairs and a full garage and garden in back. I would get dropped off when I was younger so the family could do their shopping. I would follow Grandpa around and just "tinker"... fixing things here and there that needed attention, pull some weeds, mow a lawn, etc. I still have that talent. Grandma would always (in my memory) fix me a couple hot dogs for lunch with some of her homemade (what other kind was there in those days?) sweet pickles...Dora Boyd's family moved in there after Grandma and Grandpa moved up to Bradley, next to their sons homes. The sons lived next to each other, and Uncle Herman had a garage where he fixed up people's cars on the weekend...a great place to hang out when you're a teenager.
ReplyDeleteThe family would all go in and stay at Grandpa and Grandma's for the Memorial Day parade and festivities in the park...the parade went right past their house, you could just sit in the shade and watch. Then later down to the Herscher City Park for games, basbeball, music...it was a big deal. I saw my first hovercraft in that park, kicking up dust on the baseball field...and my cousins Vicky and Linda showed up out one year from the great Metropolis of Kankakee. Mike M.