A Letter From Mr. Corso!!!
7/12/05

I think your Remembering-Lisle web site is truly brilliant. Although I never grew up or even lived in Lisle, Lisle was most certainly home for me during the 34 years (1970-2004) I was a language arts teacher and then assistant principal at Lisle Junior High School.

Prior to my retirement last year, I had mixed feelings about leaving this wonderful community. Then I accepted a part-time position in the education department at Benedictine University and suddenly realized I would not be leaving Lisle after all.

Once again, I wish you continued success as you carry on this wonderful web site venture.

Warmest regards to you and all my former students,
Frank T. Corso

(R.L: Wow! I can't believe this! A letter from Mr. Corso! After how many years and we get an email from Mr. Corso!
Well thank you so much for writing to us here at Remembering-Lisle... Thank you for all your years of service... And thank you for your sense of humor. So many of us have great memories from your classes at Lisle.
Oh, and here's something interesting. When I tried to "spell check" this email, it kept getting hung up on your last name... Try it... It keeps suggesting "Coors" instead of Corso. Oh, and did you know that many of us called you Mr. "Ozz-rock" behind your back?... You know, that's "Corso" backwords! (There... Now you know...and now I have closure after all these years.)
Okay! I'm still weird!
Any way... Great to hear from you Mr. Corso and we all hope to hear from you again!
May God bless! )

Chuck Mackey
7/4/05

I came upon this site looking for material for my parent's (Dale & Barb Mackey) 50th Weeding Anniversary. This sure brought back a lot of memories and good times. Well done!

"Linebacker"
6/26/05

Hey I just read your site on Benet Academy and as a student there i actually have a few stories to tell. First one happened to me my sophomore year in a class room located on the third floor of Benet hall on the west side of the building. I was sitting through a lecture on WWII looking for something to quell my boredom when i looked out the window to the fourth floor of St Joseph Hall. When looking down at me i swear I saw a young boy about the age of four or fiveish older than a toddler but younger than a preteen. He was wearing some sort of a hat i had seen in the movie the newsies. I'm not sure the date of the style of clothing but it defiantly isn't something I've seen around here well ever except in movies. Anyway I was staring at this boy for around 30 seconds when i went to get my friend alec to see if he saw the same thing, but when i looked back the window was empty and dark.

Last year I traveled up to that floor (fourth floor Joseph) for an English class and i felt like this weird feeling that someone was looking over my shoulder but no one was there. I know that these experiences don't seem like much but they prompted me to look for any other occurrence like mine, and i was wondering if you knew of any, or any possible stories that could be related. It was this search that sent me to your site. Thank you

P.S. when did you make the trip to Benet Academy (spring, winter, fall, of what year?)
(R.L: I was there in April '05... just before writing the article)

"Paul H."
6/26/05

Hi,
I was once employed by the Lisle News Agency on Burlington near the railroad depot in 1965-1967. On Friday nights and early Saturday morning several of us teenagers would stuff Sunday Tribune papers. The agency was run by a Mrs. Ford. I was reading your other website material. I do recall sometime in 1966 on a Saturday when a girl was hit by the Nebraska Zephyr while crossing the tracks.
Do you have a copy of that news article?
thks,
(R.L: No Paul we don't... Wish we did!)

Pat Burkhalter
6/26/05

I grew up in Lisle from about 1952 through 1969. Four Lakes was just a cow pasture then and we went sledding on the hills in the winter. I remember dragging home a pile of cow bones, totally convinced that they were dinosaur bones. Doesn't anyone remember Mrs. Stair? She was my second grade teacher at the old Main St. School. I believe she went on to become a principal of the school when Miss Schiesher retired. She had a ceramic squirrel on her desk (Chippy). On Fridays, when we went out to recess, we would return to find candy treats on our desks from Chippy the squirrel (if we had been good all week) I can still see the hop scotch diagrams that were painted on the school yard play ground. I can remember getting the polio vaccines at the Main Street School in the early 50's. When Schiesher School was first built, the land around it was just fields. We used to walk Indian style from Maple Avenue to get to school through the tall weeds. Then they started building the model homes on the north side of Maple. We used to walk through them on our way home from school.

A letter From a St. Joseph's Orphanage Alumni!
Joseph A. Hlado
5/15/05

Just visited your web page RE: "Mysteries of Lisle."
My name is Joseph A. Hlado & I was raised at ST. Joe's Orph from 1941 thru 1954 (ages 3-15 yrs old). Some of your photos brought back memories I will never forget, I.E., the old cemetery, chicken farm, water tower, ETC...). I knew that place like the 'back of my hand' while
I was there. I worked at the chicken farm & knew a couple of people buried at the cemetery, Mark Henn for one. Father Novotny & Father Philip ran the place during my time there. Father Cosmos replaced Father Philip around 1949, if memory serves me correctly.
Man, do I have stories of ST. Joe's.
As far as St. Joe's being haunted, my opinion is that is all a load of "Bullcrap", if you'll excuse that expression.
Hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Joe H.

(R.L: Wow!! Thank you Joseph for contacting us!
I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that we would love to hear more about the days at St. Joe's from someone that actually "grew up" there! I've read so much... I've seen so many pictures and postcards... I've visited the land marks... But you, Joseph, are "real" and bring it all to life! I know it sounds dumb but I think its pretty cool!
As far as the "haunting's" are concerned? The "Mysteries of Lisle" article was written because I simply wanted to look into the "stories" I had heard as a kid and then later while doing research. The article draws no conclusions. But I have to say it was very interesting doing the research.
Thanks again Joseph for contacting us and please don't be a stranger! )

Megan S. Dickey
6/14/05

Does anyone remember the accident in 1979 that involved Jaime Dickey. Remember, she drowned in her family's home pool but survived? I would like people to remember this accident. Doesn't anyone wonder how she is doing? Does anyone even care about what happened to this 1 and a half year old child that drowned in her pool but survived? I am Jaime's older sister and I remember that very day. Maybe instead of being upset about building demolitions, one should ask themselves about human beings and the real-life stories behind them. My sister's condition resembles that of the recently deceased Terri Schiavo. Isn't my sister worth mentioning in your website? I too, lived in Lisle until I was 21 years old. I also attended SJA, St. Joan of Arc, along with most of my twelve siblings. Why not concentrate on what the church did for the people rather than the building that held the people? Maybe it is time that your website portrayed the history of the people rather than the building landmarks and their importance. It is a good idea but has bad facts on it. Get real and talk about Lisle, instead of the bricks and concrete that hold Lisle's buildings together.
Sincerely, Megan S. Dickey

(R.L: OK?)

Pam (Smith) Zielinski
6/12/05

I love to keep checking on the site. You're doing a great job! This is in response to Kevin Kraft. I do remember the Kraft boys. Kurt was in my class that graduated in 1969. I had to laugh when Kevin mentioned Mrs. Borg. When I think of her I always think of Kurt Kraft. I was behind him in the lunch lines one of the times I was brave enough to eat hot lunch. I don't remember what was served, but Kurt asked what that stuff was. Mrs. Borg flew off the handle totally and said he was never to refer to her food as stuff again! I felt so sorry for him, but I'll bet he never did that again! You mentioned Mrs. Lockhart (actually is Lockett). She is living in California with my cousin Sherry and her husband and I'll be sure to say hi. I know she enjoys checking the site also and is tickled with her "fame".
Val, Scott and Steve say "hi" back and the Geislers are all fine too.

Scott Stupay
McLean, Virginia
7/12/05

What a great web site!

My grandparents Anthony (Tony) Stupay (First or Second Mayor of Lisle) and Catherine Stupay owned the Lisle General Store and Soda Fountain that later became the Lisle Coffee Shop.

My father Robert (Bob) Stupay worked at the store and soda fountain while he was in high school in Lisle, I think he must have graduated from high school in the mid 1940's. My aunt Ann Stupay (Cusick) and uncle Ralph Stupay graduated a few years after my dad.

I remember visiting Lisle in the early 50's and 60's. My cousin Tom Cusick and I spent a week one summer cleaning up all the trash that had accumulated in the vacant lot next to the Ben Franklin store so we could set up a mini baseball diamond. I have great memories of eating at the Dog and Suds, and my first sip of beer with my grandfather at the tavern that was somewhere at the end of Main Street when I was about 8 or 9 years old!

What a tragedy that the stores and buildings on Main Street are being torn down! I have seen so many towns successfully re-develop their old buildings into highly successful areas where people actually want to go to shop, places with character, charm and a sense of history!

If anyone has any photos or memorabilia of the old General Store and Soda Fountain (or the building next door that was next to the vacant lot next to the Ben Franklin) they can share that would be great!

Dan Murashige
Class of 80

Mrs. Homan's 8th grade class,

Reading Mrs. Homan's letter brought back a specific memory.
On January 9th, 1976, one of my first classes of the day.
Mrs. Homan started our class by writing 1,9,76 on the chalk board and started the class saying, "Today is the only day that will ever be written 1-9-76." Her comment was intriguing and was probably the first time I realized how significant each individual day of our lives are.

Good to see comments from many people I knew in Lisle with many overlapping memories.

Mike Buchman! I hope you see this.
It has probably been almost 30 years since seeing you. I remember afternoon street hockey in your parents driveway (remember Teddy Baxter)? the 73-74 White Sox Richie Allen, Wilbur Wood, Pat Kelly, Eddie Herman... you were also a big fan of that team.

Mary McManus
7/8/05

Hello,
Whoever you are - thank you so much for putting all this Lisle stuff together. News of it is going through my family like wildfire. They are scattered now throughout the country altho some are here in Illinois not far from Lisle. I am delighted that the Book Nook is still there. This summer we will probably take a trip to Main Street and, of course, stop at the Book Nook.

Terry McManus:
Scottsdale, AZ
7/8/05

Oh, man. So glad I heard about this Web site!
I have incredible memories of growing up in Lisle. I'm still great friends with Elizabeth Hudson. She and I used to hang out with a pack of kids, including David Burba (still in touch with him, too), Paul Spokas, Judy Rinella, Janet Sandison and Eric Danielson, among others. In fact, I'd love to hear from Paul, Judy, Janet and Eric. (See my lost and found entries.)

In winter, a lot of kids would sled ride from Lisle High down into our backyard. We had some thorny bushes that made the entry a little hairy! We also played hockey in a makeshift rink behind the high school near the Schieser (sp?) school. One time, my brother Brian had me start a fight with a kid who was kind of a bully, then Brian stepped in and pounded him. What a moment!

During the warm months, because the yards were all connected and unfenced, we had great football or Frisbee games. We also played a lot of baseball in the high school field.

The Burba family was incredibly generous with its swimming pool. They were the only family in the Oak View neighborhood that had one, and believe me, we took advantage of it. Thanks, Bernie and Carol! You were really cool. I'll never forget the sign on your fence: "We don't swim in your toilet, so please don't pee in our pool." You know, basic politeness.

We also climbed trees and built forts in the woods that ran behind Jonquil. Were those called Tate Woods? If so, I never knew that.

David Burba and I now live fairly close to each other and we always reminisce about Lisle when we get together. It's great because sometimes he'll bring up some incident that I had completely forgotten about, or thought I had only imagined.

The Hudson family was also wild and fun. Too many memories to get into now, but Donna, Ed, Jim, Pat, Mary, Cathy, Elizabeth and Ellen, the McManus family loves and misses you.

Bye for now.

Judy Smith Lopez
6/4/05

Just read the stories about the ghosts on the tracks and at the old orphanage and I recall a story about the railroad tracks. I remember my mom telling a story about someone in town who was very upset. This man took his young daughter with him to the tracks to do away with himself and his daughter. The daughter survived but lost one leg and the father was killed. I do not recall the first or last names of this family, but I do recall attending Naperville High and the daughter was in several of my classes. I remember her as very shy and withdrawn kept to herself, yet she was a really nice girl.

So I wonder if possibly the ghost might be the father. I was very small when I heard this story and I am 64 now so that was a very long time ago, but I remember the story because is shocked our entire sleepy town. It just wasn't something we believed could happen in Lisle.

Should anyone care to contact me my address is ejpez@wmni.net. I would love to hear from anyone.

I also have another little story about Mrs Borg the head cook for my mom Rose Smith. Mrs Borg used to make meatballs in celery soup and I have the recipe and make them for my family today. They truly enjoy this tasty delight.

Keep up the good work..sure is fun to dig back into my memory and recall such a great town to grow up in...

Patti Lacy
6/1/05

Hi!
My name is Patti Lacy, and I am writing a book which peripherally involveds a Lisle resident in the 50s, 60s.
Do you have any information on:
how trash was disposed of at that time
what railways serviced the area.

Thanks so much for your time!
(R.L: If anyone wishes to respond, send your info. to lisle@cox.net and I will be sure to foreward it on to her.)

RESPONSES:

Pat (Smith) Tranter:
6/3/05
As far as I can remember back in the time I lived there 1939-1963 we didn't have a lot of trash. Most of us had 55 gl. barrel oil drums and we burned it. Then I believe in the 50's we may have had a pick up of trash periodically from another town. I just don't remember Lisle ever having a trash pick up service.

Edward R Wright
6/5/05
I remember weekly garbage pickup in the 50's. We did indeed burn anything we could. We had a separate can for those things that I would have to take out into the backyard and burn on Saturday before I could go out and play. As far as garbage service was concerned, the father of a friend of mine was one of the collectors. After it was collected, I don't know what happened to it. I don't remember any talk about where the dump was.

Pat Burkhalter
6/26/05
I moved to Lisle in the very early 50's to what was considered unincorporated Lisle (south of Maple Ave) I remember we always took our trash to the dump on Maple Avenue between Lisle and Naperville. It was on the south side of the street. I'll bet there are some beautiful homes setting on top of that dump now.

Kevin Kraft
Victorville, Ca.
5/31/05

Greetings To All, My name is Kevin Kraft class of 1975. Great web site and letters, seeing the photo's and reading everyone's memories of Lisle, is great it chokes you up. I used to live on North Main St. across from Standard Oil and KINGS Palace, were every Friday and Saturday night was like NEW YEARS EVE. I remember the Petry's, the Grunst family across the creek from them, the Chiapetta's. The photo of the bridge is at the dead end of Lacy st, played there a lot. The one thing that remains constant in most memories I've read was Mrs. Lockhart and Mrs. Borg she really put the fear into every kid. I left Lisle in 1977 for the military (US Navy) in California, I retired and currently live in the high mountain desert on the way to Las Vegas. I'd like to say Hi to Val and Pam Scott and Steve Smith and there cousins the Giesler's Rex, Diane. Feel free to give out my email address if asked for, I sure would like to walk the streets of Lisle once again. I hope the Kraft Boys
( Kenneth, Keith, Kurt, Kevin) left some memories behind.

Ted Garringer (LCHS 1966)
Hagerstown, Maryland
5/31/05

Re: The "Lisle Mysteries" page.

Thank you for taking the time to investigate and post this story...

Sincerely,
Ted Garringer
(R.L: Well thank you Ted for the visit! By the way, be careful out there on that bike!)

Jill (Gebhardt) Hamrick
5/31/05

Lisle memories - wow. I remember the bad water, the quarries where guys would go skinny-dipping where the passengers on the "Q" could see them (!), the skinny Post Office on Main, ice skating on the DuPage at night behind my friend's home; ice skating all the way to the Arboretum (which was free to visit then); La Bianco's at Burlington and 53 where you could be sure to hear your favorite juke box song again and again; the OLD one-lane humped-back wooden bridge over the DuPage on Burlington; the crumbling Ogden Avenue bridge over 53; Hanson's Foods where you could pay your electric bill and get free light bulbs if paid on time; the Ben Franklin; the cemetery east of town that had many 1830's tombstones from a smallpox or flu epidemic; the large southeast corner at Main and Ogden that was all peonies and how pretty they looked when blooming; the building of the "new" grade school at Schwartz and
Middleton (?) and the building of the Interstate right behind it; the carnivals on the VFW lot; train schedules, walking to high school when the temps were down to (actual) -20 degrees (what snow days?); being the first 300 kids in the high school and choosing the team name and writing the lyrics to the school fight song (that was me); the huge old barn at Yackley (Yender?) that was written up to be the "first barn west of Chicago"; the old post cards; the little wooden cottage behind the grade school that was used for special classes; the speed of the semis coming down Ogden Avenue.
And so much more . . . .
(R.L: Jill... Thank you for sharing your wonderfully simple yet awesome memories of home!
When I read about you guys writing the Lisle Lions "fight" song, I remembered that I had found an old Lisle band uniform up in an attic.
(I'm not sure if I should identify the attic or not...) Anyway... I snapped a picture of it just sitting there... up in an attic stored away.
Kinda like our memories of it all, it's fun to just drift back and visit every now and then.
I think the picture says it all...)

Greg's "BIG" Question...
Greg Lindsey
5/2/05

Dear Remembering-Lisle webmaster(s):

Incredible site. I have been looking for something like this for a while. Although I grew up in Lisle between 1979 and 1995, I was always fascinated with its rich history. Here's my question, though: it's very obvious that Lisle's downtown area has steadily deterioriated over the past twenty years (if not more). If the current "revitalization" efforts are a bad idea, what else could be done to bring new growth to the area without destroying Lisle's distinct character? This isn't meant to be a rhetorical question or anything -- I am honestly
asking, because I have no idea myself.

Anyways, keep up the good work!

GSL
(R.L: Greg then follows up with a second email below)

Greg Lindsey
5/2/05

Just a followup on my last email:

You might be interested in the attached Village of Lisle newsletter, which outlines the change the village is planning to make to Main Street. I find it really ironic that there was a big celebration in Lisle when the widening of Main to two lanes each way was completed... only to have them plan to change it back now! The original idea of widening the street was to increase traffic flow to the downtown area; unfortunately, it only served to increase traffic flow *straight through* the downtown area! Main became an
alternative to Route 53 for commuters, and nothing more.

Another plan that has been thrown around has been to demolish the building directly west of School Street (currently occupied by the Yerbabuena restaurant) and extend School all the way to Route 53 -- creating more room for storefronts. I think this is a good idea in theory, but time will tell if the village proceeds with the plan, and if so, how well they do it.

Why does Lisle feel they need to make every storefront look exactly the same, I wonder? Naperville and Downers Grove both have downtown areas that brilliantly reflect the varying building styles of the last five decades, and yet they flourish wonderfully. If Lisle continues in the vein it is now, though... it will just become another subdivision of Naperville.

A final note: I wonder if you might remember a green two-story farmhouse at the corner of Main Street and Short Street, just south of Riedy Road? That house, 5033 Main Street, was my great-aunt and uncle's house from the 50's to the early 80's, before my family purchased it, and my mother still lives there to this day. It is now surrounded on almost all sides by enormous McMansions.

GSL

(R.L: Greg,
Your first email raises the "64 thousand dollar" question. What should be done. Well greg... The third paragraph of your second email reflects mine, and surprising to me, hundreds of other "lisleites" opinions as well. As you stated, there are many suburban towns that have allowed their original buildings to keep their old charm. And look at those areas today... Beautiful! (And making MONEY!!)

Why Lisle feels they need to cover up (or demolish) our old buildings is a question I'm not sure I'll ever understand.

However; I do feel that the trees that were planted uptown look wonderful! I kinda' like the idea of making Main Street narrower as well. More "pedestrian inviting" sounds great too but don't cover or "rip out" the original buildings. For heaven's sake! Those are ties to our past.
They make the town "feel" like a town and not a strip mall. Strip malls come and go with the changing wind...
These old buildings reflect real history! Maybe not Civil War history or "Colonial" history... But it does hold a bit of OUR history! Maybe that isn't too important to those that have moved to Lisle in the latter years... But never the less, it is important to a lot of people that grew up there.

Just look at them... These buildings have a thing that some "city planners" just don't understand.. Character!
Where is the creativity here???

If it's just the bottom line we're concerned with then screw it! Let's just bulldoze the whole thing and build a Wal Mart! Then we can just soak up the wonderful tax profits and play that ever popular game "Look out for falling prices!!"
......sorry... i didn't mean to yell...

Greg? You pose a great question and I agree with your observations. So many other towns have found a way to make it work... So can Lisle.

Anyway,

Oh, by the way Greg... I'm glad you brought up the original widening of Main Street!
Here are some pictures from the days when Lisle was widening Main Street.)

Here are some shots of the "widening" work being done uptown.	Here is a close up of the same shot. LOOK!!! There's The Book Nook and, of course, there's a kids bike parked in front! (Probably buying baseball cards or sneaking a "peak" at the magazine rack!) There's Economy Foods!!! Now face it... This web page ROCKS!!! Where else are you going to see this stuff??? (Sorry... I digress)

Here is some more construction being done in front of the Book Nook. And I bet there is a bike or two parked right behind that truck too.	Here is a "Homecoming Day Parade" photo from 1967. Notice the two lane road going through town. Some people now refer to the current downtown Main Street as the big "landing strip."

If you get a chance, you have to read this article from the early '60s about times changing in Lisle. It mentions the "complaints" about the street widening any many other cool things about our town.Written by Lisle history queen Marilyn Cawiezel. Click here and enjoy! *Oh, make sure you expand the article with that little button that appears on the lower right when you drag your mouse over the image. Use it to zoom in allowing you to read it.

Jack long
5/2/05

Re: Dispensa's Castle of Toys: I remember going to the Sky Hi drive in theater at rte 83 and roosevelt road, and to County Line pizza which was just outside the entrance and then moved to Roosevelt and the 294 toll way. This corner became an ice arena next door to Dispensa's. I've lived in lisle since 1980 and grew up in elmhurst.

Chip Buss
Lava Hot Springs, Idaho
WWW.WHITEWOLFRECREATION.COM
5/16/05

Hey, You have built a totally cool site. Very nice job.
My brother called me and told me I had to check it out because I was in one of the pictures (At the Lisle Coffee Shop.)
Sure enough, Anna Lee & I hanging out at Irv & Laura's Coffee Shop. Wow, I loved that place. Onion Rings and playing "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay" on the juke box. Once I had a car, I'd hit the Coffee Shop in the morning, go to school, duck out of school, hit the Coffee Shop, go back to school, duck out again and go back to the Coffee shop. I'd be in there 3 or 4 times a day on a good day.
Again, I sure enjoy this site and I'm back checking out what's new every of couple days. Keep it up!

Robert (Bob) Recktenwald
4/28/05

I grow up in Lisle, well not completly up, we moved to Arkansas when I was
12 years old. I often make it back to Chicago on business and I always haveto drive through the old town. Your site is fantastic!
I remember a lot of the things that you highlighted on this site. I lived behind Susie Houha growing up, she was a good friend of my aunts. You make mention of the "Burning of the Witch" that is one of my fondest memories. Walking around that huge fire, waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder so I could advance to the next round of costume finalist. I remember another nieghbor of ours, Bill Kubes, was always involved in that great event.

Thanks again for putting this great site together for people to remember the past.

This is Judy (Smith) Lopez
Pat (Smith) Tranters sister
Previously of Prescott, Az
Currently Klamath Falls, Or
5/9/05

Where to start..I guess on Center St was our first house. The cemetary was in our back yard, the 66 Station to the north and of course the Congragational Church where I was Baptised. I remember having a pony when I was very small and he'd get loose and visit the kids on the school grounds at the Main Street School. Or often times my mother would recieve a call and the pony was looking in the old IGA store window, which was owned by the Sevensons and later by the Hansens. I completed grade school at the Main Street school and Miss Schiesher was still principal and still scaring the heck out of all of us kids.

Later my parents built a home on Yackley Ave. It was a gravel road and had a nice hill just in front of our house. All the kids in the neighborhood spent lots of fun winter days sliding down the hill. Of course it made the hill twice a slick and most adults trying to drive up the hill weren't happy going sideways to get to Ogden Ave. Oh well we had fun anyway.

I remember attending Naperville High my freshman year and the next year all us kids came home to our own High School. I recall voting for the name of our team..Lisle Lions..and it took everyone in the school to make things work. There were no lines drawn between the high class seniors and low life freshman..we just didn't care we were so glad to get home and in our territory. The football team wore used uniforms cause we couldn't afford fancy clothes for them.. I remember Harold Hansen was a really big kid and the coach didn't have a large enough size for him. Needless to say his football pants split and by the end of the game were taped together to avoid over exposing him to the croud. Dispite all the handicaps we won most of our games and by the end of the season all team members had new uniforms to wear that fit.

We had sock hops, beebops, homecomeing, yearbooks, petty coats, chevy cars, glasspacks and all that jazz. Anyhow we were the first to set the mark, for our new High School and I wrote the Lion Tales colum in the newspaper.

Oh there are so many more memories and the one I long for the most is one more bite of LaBiancos pizza it was the best ever.

What a great site and I haven't even gotten through most of it yet. Keeps me busy and off the street and out of trouble.

Thanks for the Memories

J.R.S. Class of 1960

Pat Smith
Prescott, AZ
5/5/05

I live in prescott arizona now and a friend of mine that I went to school with in lisle sent me this wonderful web sight. Just had to write and let you know how much I appreciated reading this. I went to lisle public school, first grade through 8th then to Downers Grove for high school.

My son attended school in lisle too. We lived there a long time. I lived there from 1939 to 1963. I can remember going to dances, funerals, and weddings at the catholic church. I was not catholic, but we were all family and friends.

Shame on lisle for letting the church come down. I was there in 2002 and amazed at the changes. The old depot, my old public school.
And yes, I have memories of the fireman dances at the VFW. That was one of if not the big event every year. Sure was fun. We could polka, waltz, do the mash potatoe. Those were some fun dance parties.

I went to main street school 1st grade through 8th grade. Mrs.. Whirle was my st grade teacher not sure of the spellings on these teachers. Miss Schiesher was the principle. She would make you shake in your boots. Pounding on the window with her keys when someone was playing to rough on the playground. Or writing 500 times I will not................... On your lunch hour.

My mother was rose smith she managed the lunch room from about 1951 until 1962 (appox) yes, I remember Mrs. Borg.
My dad was on the school board for many years, rex smith. My sister Judy went to school there too. After graduation she went to Naperville h.s. i went to d.g. h.s.

I was back in lisle in 2002 for my 50th high school class reunion. My goodness, the old school is gone and i went in and told the young receptionist i had gone to school there. She looked at me like I was really really old (which i guess i am) or looney. What fun it was in lisle growing up. I am so glad i was there in those years, Reidy's woods, ice skating in the arboretum, free outdoor movies on the ball field across the street from the school. I was so lucky to have been able to live there back then. No fear of anything. Stayed out till dark and played hide a seek.

Was a great life.
Thanks for the pictures
Pat (Smith) Tranter now living in Prescott AZ
I was Pat Smith, daughter of Rex and Rose Smith.

Fran Noetzel
5/2/05

Rosie's last name was Harr. She was eccentric, but had a very colorful life.
Before Lisle Coffee Shop it was Stupay's general store and soda fountain. I worked there when I was 13 years old.
I graduated from Main Street School, got married at St. Joan of Arc and had my wedding at the old Lisle VFW. We had 500 guests.

Lots of history and the people who knocked down the old buildings lived here a short time and do not appreciate small town life. We use to have Christmas programs on Main St., street dances, carnivals and bingo at the carnivals, free movies on a lot on Main St.(which later moved to where the parking lot is at the Depot.

I go back to the 1940's and my husband goes back to the 1930's. His grandparents home was a German restaurant on Burlington Ave. Al Capone use to eat there, when he came out to go hunting.

Rosie

Norman Oil Update..
Paul Petry
4/27/05

In regard to the Norman Oil station photos (SEE ORIGINAL EMAIL BELOW from Lisa (Buss) Martin.)

That's not a "gas tower" in the background. It was a stand-up flourescent light fixture that had different colored tubes inside and lettering on the glass lens that said "MOTEL." There was a white wooden fence bordering the Norman Oil property (you can see a pice of it in the photo), which was there long before there was a Norman Oil, with the light fixture on the end, next to Ogden Avenue. Those fixtures were on the corners of the driveways for the Lisle Motel, which used to occupy the NE corner of Main Street and Ogden Avenue (the Blue Bird bus used to stop in front of the motel - you could ride it back and forth to Chicago for cheap). The Lisle Motel was long-gone when that Norman Oil photo was taken. At that time, it is likely that corner was occupied by Dale & Harry's Phillips 66 service station (owners: Dale Rice and Harry Lockhart - Dale Rice is still alive. Harry was married to the sweet lady who many of the Lisle old-timers remember served as secretary for Main Street School, Mrs. Lockhart). That Citgo sign was also a later addition. For a long time, there was an old Cities Service station on that corner. It was torn down years ago. Dale & Harry's 66 was located for years next to the old Lisle Cemetery, across the street from the Congregational Church, until they moved sometime in the late 1960's or early 70's to the corner of Main & Ogden. Anyway, those light fixtures, and the old wood fence, were never torn down when the motel was demolished and remained as silent witnesses to what once was - a part of old Lisle, gone forever. I'll bet that even those old light fixtures are gone now.

Cities Service Station

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Lisa (Buss) Martin
3/21/05

When cigarettes started rising in price everywhere else to 50 & 75 cents a pack, Lisle smokers swore they would "quit before they would ever pay a dollar" because you could still buy cigarettes for 35 cents a pack from the machine at Norman's gas station in the very early 70's.
I love this web site.

(R.L.: Thanks Lisa... Oh, and by the way, we're really looking for any old Norman Oil photos or any items that you'd receive when you filled up your tank. The complimentary glasses or the towels??? Ice scrapers etc.? Here's the only picture I've found of Norman's Gas station... The guys name is Tom "Lance" Graney. Apparently there were some pretty great parties at his Mom's house! Anyway, it's very interesting to try to identify the items in the background of this photo. You can almost hear the "ding-ding" bell that would sound when driving in to a gas station!) Click here to hear those "service station bells! ( I couldn't resist.)

This photo was taken from inside the station looking out. The upper right shows what appears to be a "map rack" that is obviously low on maps. And how many light switches did this place have?		Here's a close-up of the same photo. You can clearly see Citco across the street and a sign advertising "charcoal" for .59 cents. On the far right appears to be the "Leo's Cleaners" panel van and an old (even then) gas "tower" (I think.SEE LETTER ABOVE THAT EXPLAINS WHAT IT IS.) The old "Walker Gamble" house would have been right behind where we see his head. And yes folks, you can show your kids this photo and remind them of a time when there were "service stations" and the "men where men" (check out that grease on his shirt and hands!) and everyone knew the question "Fill 'er up?"

Deb Rosser-Vest
4/25/05

Hi!
This website contines to amaze me! What a wonderful gift, Thank you again.
I am sure if Chip Buss is looking for Tony Deckard in the "Lost & Found" section, he has identified himself and Anna Burkman. Sherry DeCaire, Jeannie Altendorf and I as well as a host of others worked with her mom in the high school library.
In the "Lisle Coffee Shop" photos, I think one of the boys in the booth-far left maybe Roy Koerner? In the booth with Sue Houha maybe is Mike McDade
On the Lisle parade movie- The "folk group" was Denny Belom and group of high schoolers from 1966 or 67.

At Christmas my Mom was here. She was thrilled to see your site. Thanks- it was a great to sit and look at pictures for an hour or so!! Was one of the best parts of our Christmas this year.

Take care, keep up the great work.

Mike Buchman
New London, WI
4/17/05

WOW! What A web site... I just finished reading it twice! I just re-lived my entire childhood!
Were do I begin, first of all my name is Mike Buchman. I lived in Lisle from 1959 to 1974 at two locations one on River Dr. and then to The Meadows. I now live in Wisconsin, my mother Doris also grew up in Lisle and resides as my nieghbor . She has many stories about the VFW as she was the treasurer, and my father Leonard was the post comander in the 50's.
The Meadows aka transfer heaven as my mother called it she would claim she was the only native, as our family was
one of the first to move in. The trips to Gary's and National were priceless it seemed you could get anything at Gary's, from lawn furniture by the front door liquor by the back, toys ice cream, perscriptions it seemed they had everything. The day that JFK was shot I can remeber standing in line at The National, and the manager came down from that elevated office and said somebody just shot the president, and my mother said thats nothing to joke about. After getting to the car and turning on the radio, my mom cried all the way home.

The TV section of the page is incredible also. Does anyone remember watching Ray Rayner in the morning before going to school? Those arts & craft projects always turned into A disaster. What about at Christmas time I think it was on Bozo, Suzy Snowflake, Hardrock, Coco and Joe.& Frosty the snowman. About 10 yrs ago they replayed these on WGN and I taped it.
It has become A ritual at our house to watch it every Christmas. I can also remember another barber in town, Joe Zelany not
sure on the spelling? He was A good friend of my parents.

My wife and daughter think I am
nuts,last fall we were in Lisle to visit relation while driving down
Main st. I said look the Book Nook is still there I quickly pulled
over and ran in to buy something! After returning to the car they
thought I had flipped, I tried to explain about going there as A
kid. Needless to say I think they are jealous they don't have A
website to relive thier childhood. Thanks again for the great site!


So many other memories what about
Smitty's Standard
Culp's
Yankee Doodle hamburgers
Little Leauge baseball the team names were colors.
Johansens sweet corn
The Meadows pool & skating rink
Riding your bike behind the mosquito fogger.
Mr Webster & his wooden paddle at the Jr high.

I will check back soon! Thanks .

Sharon (Cleary) Giblin
4/15/05

Wow, I stumbled on your web site and it brought back so many fond memories. Some not so fond – I went to St. Joan of Arc school for my first years of school (no gym class just recess) then was transferred to Scheisher School where kids were rather mean since I didn’t have a clue what to do in gym class). I lived in Lisle for about 30 years but really never moved far from the area. My family had 3 houses in Lisle, each time upgrading. The first one was off of Ogden on Kingston, then on Meadow Lane in Oakview and then Columbia Ave. walking distance to St. Joan of Arc. I occasionally will drive by one of the house to see what changes have been made. Sometimes it’s too sad to see that the trees where you swung from are chopped down or the flower gardens have been ripped out. I too have memories of:

Dr. Seredynsky who made house calls with her leather black bag when my dad injured his back. Getting my first library card in the building that housed the police station on Main Street, then later checking out books at the corner where Minuette Restaurant is now (or was). Dog & Suds is where our family likes to recount the story that my sister lost her babysitting job. Seems she was babysitting but didn’t want to miss the fun where her friends hung out at Dog & Suds so she dragged the two small kids with her and the ended up getting mustard and ketchup squirted on them by her teen age friends. From that point on, I was became their new sitter. Oh and Kings Palace, I always had heard stories that you could find gold wedding bands in the parking lot. Apparently, married men had a tendency to take their rings off on the way in and sometimes dropped them. Nels Tavern on Main was a mysterious place that we quickly rode our bikes past because it seemed so creepy. And the Squirrel Cage gets laughs when I tell my husband about it even though I never was in it. I remember Mr. McCoy, the Junior High Principal teaching a cooking class after school and learning how to make barbeque sauce with ketchup. And fortunately, I was never on the receiving end of the paddle that he was rumored to have. I remember our phone number starting with Woodland 9. Funny how I can still remember that phone number but not my recent past numbers. I remember opening my first savings account at Lisle Savings with money from my piggy bank. I had that same account as a young adult when I worked there and knew most customers by name.
Thanks for the memories!

(R.L.: Sharon... Oh the memories of Dr. Seredynsky! Some terrifying and other's simply hysterical. She really deserves her own web page here.
Like so many in Lisle, she "delivered" all of us kids. Remember that waiting room? And then going in and having to sit on that table that always had a fresh sheet of "butcher's" paper on it? I never forget having to go in for my annual football physical. First your pants... Then came the "fingers." Then the words..."Ok... Cough..." And anyone in the waiting room could hear everything going on in that office.
Oh the humility!
Anyway... Here is a picture taken in April of '05. As you can see, whoever lives there now cut all the bushes. Next door (on the left) is now a big "law" office building. Southport Rd. Is still very pretty. Thanks for the letter sharon!)

Jacquie Wurth Hope Chapman
4/14/05

My name is Jacquie Wurth Hope Chapman. My dad was police chief fro 1962 to about 1972 when he retired after a heart attack. I graduated in 1965 and my brother graduated in 1969. We had a neighbor that had a child named Steve Baumgartner who played with the New Orleans Saints in the early 1970s. At some point in my dads time there (I know I was in High School) some young hoodalum shot up our house in the wee hours of the morning. My mother was most annoyed that her new kitchen cupboards had bullet holes in them. One of my best friends (and still is today-Teresa Gamble) was the daughter of the mayor, Walker Gamble.Three years ago my house burned down and I lost most of my photos from those days, but if any turn up I will send them. Thanks for the memories.

Bob LeClercq
4/7/05

We would tape M-80's to cigarettes and sneak down the police station steps, leave them and run like heck. It was fun just watching them all run out to see if they could figure who did it. The good old days:-)

WHAT THE????


(R.L.: Hey Bob, here is a shot of the door that led down "those stairs" to the police department. At the bottom of the stairs you had to go to the right to enter the police station. If you went left, there was some sort of "printing" operation going on with some big printing presses. Is that where they printed the Lisle Sun??
In the police station, do you remember the jail they had with the square bars?
The police department then moved to the offices just to the right of the arrow. Wasn't this building the original post office?
Thanks for the Memory!)

Pete Buss
3/27/05

When are you going to have the "Remembering Lisle Fest" reunion ? Give it a year or 2 maybe. I would love to go.

(R.L.:
Hi Pete!
A "Fest" huh??? Hmmm. I never thought of that... Rides, games, food, attractions? That might be pretty cool!
Think about it... We could have names for the food like the "William C. McCoy" pot roast platter!
Or "The Mrs. Borg" extra HOT chili. You get smacked with a wooden spoon if you don't finish I like the “Fest” idea Pete!)

A Letter From Mrs. Homan!
3/28/05

I was informed about the Lisle web site and imagine my surprise when I saw a picture of one of my classrooms featured with the quote I wanted my students to remember and to live by---"all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
(CLICK HERE TO SEE LARGER VERSION OF PICTURE WITH THE SAYING FROM THE BULLITIN BOARD)
My former students may be interested to know that in the many years since my retirement I have tried to "practice what I preached." The first summer I arrived here in the Ozarks of Arkansas in 1980 Dick and I felt called to join the very, very small Republican County Committee. Arkansas' one-party system would have put Dick Daley's Cook County machine to shame. I could write a book about our efforts to work for a two-party system so badly needed. We used lawsuits, several of them, and the results that come from exposing much in the media. Our most important battle though, was the struggle for public funding of primaries--which we finally had to take to the Federal Courts to get relief. Arkansas was the last state in the country to expect the political parties to fully pay for the primary elections. Needless to say, the Democrat party controlled 75 of the 75 counties and elections commissions, controlled by the Democrats, used public funds and their high filing fees to pay for their primaries. Our people often had to use private funds when the filing fee money ran out. We worked on the campaigns of many Republican candidates and attended a number of National Conventions as delegates. Dick was one of six Arkansas electors for President Bush in 1988. In 1992 I had the honor of being chosen as the Arkansas Committeewoman to the National Republican Committee. During 8 years we worked with Haley Barbour (who is now Governor of Mississippi) and New Gingrich to promote the "Contract with America" which succeeded in putting the first Republican majority in the House of Representatives in more than 40 years! But the most exciting time of all was 2000 when I was selected an an elector for George W. Bush and, though it did not happen, any one of the six electoral votes Arkansas was entitled to could have thrown the election to Al Gore! I hope my students came away from my classes realizing that for all of its faults our government is still the best in the world and until something better comes along good people MUST do all they can.

Incidentally, the Homan girls have done OK. They had a good foundation in the schools of L:isle. Tragically, Kathy (1968) was lost to leukemia in 1991. She got her MS in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins and worked at the National Institute of Health. Susan (1970) became a board certified neo-natologist and lives in San Antonio. Cindy (1975) is a Dr. of Veterinary Medicine in Arkansas and Celeste (1976) got her degree in Electrical Engineering and an MS from Johns Hopkins. She is now a practicing acupuncturist in Maryland. Lynne (1979) got a Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University, licensed in Georgia and South Carolina. For a time she was a prosecuting attorney and now is a stay at home Mom in Florida. We have 13 grandchildren.

To keep things in perspective, I remind myself that babies born the year I retired are now 25 years old and never heard of me. I hope I have not offended my liberal ex-students. Keep up the interesting, good work.

Mildred Homan (Mrs. Richard F.)

We ha

Anonymous
3/28/05

Do you remember the shoe repair/used furniture store that was located at the corner of Burlington Ave and Main St? It was a long building and always smelled of cigars. How about Frank & Hazel's? It was a bar and sat where The Fox's parking lot is.

(R.L.: Oh yeah! The building on the north / west corner right? What else did that used to be?
But I always wondered about that little building across the street on the "south / west" corner of Burlington and Main! I never could figure how anyone could actually do business out of such a small place. We used to ride our bikes up to the windows and spy inside... In the 70s it always looked like someone was just storing a bunch of stuff in there. Does anyone know if it was ever a gas station or something?? Here is the only picture we could find. So far, we haven't found any pictures of "Frank & Hazel's but we are desperately seeking!)

Remembering the Mail!
Pam Smith Zielinski
3/14/05

Until the early 50's Lisle didn't have mail carriers. You had to go to
the Post Office and dial your combination and get your mail out of the
little box with the window. When carrier service was authorized for the
Lisle Post Office, Postmaster, Earl Sutter contacted my dad, Les Smith and
Jim Sikorski and offered them the jobs as Lisle's first city carriers. My
dad was a carrier in Glen Ellyn at the time and jumped at the chance to work
close to home. My dad delivered to the north side of Lisle, and Jim
delivered to the south side. At that time there were two routes and when
dad retired in 1980 there were twelve.
The first mail truck they had was a Chevy panel truck with left hand
drive. Luckily, Dad had long legs and arms. He could drive and still reach
out the window on the right side and put the mail in the box.
A typical day was eleven and a half hours long and longer during the
Christmas holidays when they would often start at 5 AM and end at 8 PM. Dad
said it was always an interesting job and he knew the people on his route
appreciated what he did. He got to know them and watched their kids grow up
and marry. He would check on elderly people on the route if he hadn't seen
them for awhile and even stopped once to help a kid stuck in the mud.
Sometimes if the truck broke down my mom, June, would get behind the
wheel of our Rambler station wagon and drive the route while Dad delivered.
Val, Scott and Steve and I even got to go in the truck once in a great while
if we stayed down low. Most days were pretty uneventful, but he did get
bitten once or twice by dogs and one day someone had stuffed a cat in a
mailbox and it leaped out when he opened it!
Dad and Mom have enjoyed watching the town grow from a sleepy rural
village where Dad graduated as one of two students from Bonaparte School, a
one room schoolhouse on Park Boulevard, to what it is today and still live
nearby in Naperville.

Postmaster, Earl Sutter, Les Smith and Jim Sikorski



Dad clocking out for the last time - June, 1980

Paul Gronke
Dept. of Political Science
Reed College
3203 SE Woodstock Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
3/5/05

Wow. What a website. I guess anything really is possible on the Internet.

My family moved to Lisle in the last 1950s (I think 1957). We lived on
Jonquil Ave., attended the St. Joan of Arc Church, and all went through
the public schools. We moved out when my father was transferred to
Houston in 1971. The lasting impact of Lisle on me, I think, is my
realization that I actually grew up in a small town. For a long time, I
told people I grew up in the Chicago suburb of Lisle, since many know of
Lisle as a big cluster of apartment buildings next to Naperville.

But then I realize that Lisle in the mid 1960s had a population under
5,000, unpaved streets, and cornfields between Downers Grove and Lisle.
I know they were there, just beyond the Methodist church, because that's
where me and my friends used to run around and get into trouble with the
farmers.

My memories? My dad was mayor in the mid 1960s and paved Main Street.
My friends and I used to play "capture the flag" between all of the
connected yards behind the houses. And of course putting pennies on the
train tracks, telling each other that the trains really wouldn't run off
the tracks when they hit the penny!

Sad to see Main St. School (I left while attending 6th grade there) and
St. Joan's were torn down. Unfortunately, Lisle is pretty sterile now.
Hard to believe it's the same town.