Bonfield Roadblock!

 

Dad’s 95^th birthday was Friday, 20 July 2012. I was back to make my monthly visit to Mom and went to the Herscher Historical Society Museum. While there I met a lady from the newly formed Bonfield Historical Society (which I joined) and I talked some about our roots in Bonfield. The first home my parents lived in was in Bonfield. I told one story from 1937 (one of many that Mom passed on while driving in and around Kankakee together over the years). The Arnold family was living on the Taylor farm just NE of Bonfield. When Mom and Dad were dating (she was 17 and he 19 or 20) he would roar through Bonfield, drop her off and then go SE a few miles home to the Miller farm. This night the town cops waited for him just south of town near Stone Creek by blocking off the road with their cars. He usually dropped her off about the same time every Saturday night. Dad always drove a big GM car to go along with his heavy right foot! He saw the roadblock, went down into the east side ditch and waved at them as he went by. His words are censored and therefore ommitted from this blog.  He swung up and got back on the road to roar through town, stopped at Arnolds, said goodnight, spun his tires and headed towards home! With the cops in pursuit! The three cars made a lot of noise approaching the Miller house with a very long lane and his Dad came out with his shotgun loaded. When his son told him what was going on Grandpa fired off two rounds into the air! The cops turned around and went back to Bonfield. I still remember how Mom told this story in much greater detail many years ago. So I went back to the spot and took this picture. Happy Birthday Dad!