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MCHENRY PLAINDEALER "Serving Tbe Cbalu-O-Lakes Region Since 1875" Volume 89 -- No. 29 -- 2 Sections McHENRY, ILLINOIS. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1963 16 Pages -- 10c Per Copy 1 ~ ~"™4Ws Thanksgiving adds another chapter in one of the most vital stories of American History. Today -- as in the days of the Pilgrims -- Thanksgiving is a way of living. It is a special time set aside for us to recognize the great gifts from God which are ours. Mourn President's Death More than at any other time within memory, the tragic happenings of the past week have left an emptiness in the hearts of many, who with some difficulty, may need to conjure up reasons for Thanksgiving this year. In the many hours of mourning, tribute and reflection to come our way through radio and television over the past weekend, certain things became clear which must certainly have stirred the loyalty and hope of each of us. Through all of the musings and conjecture -- the remiiniscences and predictions -- we suddenly realize that never within our time has our country and the world been drawn so closely together. Never, v<~ learn, in our long history has there been even a semblan<« of threat to our way of government when the unexpected necessitated a sudden transition of authority such as occurred in recent days. In the midst of tragedy, we learn that there are many "nevers" of which we might not otherwise have been made aware. When heavy hearts are less burdened with grief, the pride which we have always felt for a great country will surely gain a new stature for the strength shown on one of its darkest days. Thanksgiving may come too early this year in the light of the week's occurrences, but none of the reason for its being should be lost to a country with unequalled courage, spirit and hope for the future. CITY CHURCHES TO OFFER RITES THANKSGIVING Invite Public To Give Thanks In Church Of Choice One of the most pleasant surprises of the year came in last Friday morning's mail with a long letter and clipping from Frank W. Bennett, a resident of Racine, Wis. Now almost 86 years old according to his own admission, Mr. Bennett has not returned to McHenry since the time of the centennial celebration in the 'thirties, although at one time he was one of the city's best known residents. His letter recalled the early history of the Riverside hotel and such well known names as Ike and Deak Wentworth, Charles Owen and Loretta Walsh. We have turned over the clipping to So I Hear, who we just imagine will have his own memories to recall. We were especially heartened by these kind words of Mr. Bennett: "My boyhood memories still linger, and as elderly people are prone to do, I relive them. If you care to send me a copy of the Plaindealer I'd love it and subscribe for it. The Plaindealer had the reputation of being one of Illinois' finest weeklys. I could be McHenry's last veteran of the war with Spain, 1898." PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY Following a weekend filled with tragedy more befitting fiction than real life, President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest in Arlington National cemetery early Monday afternoon. His interment marked the final act in a tribute which extended throughout the world and brought dignitaries to Washington from the far corners of the globe. From the time an assassin's bullet felled the President Friday noon, through the tense moments when the accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was himself killed in the same manner, an unbelieving citizenry remained at radios and television sets as history was made For the first time since the founding of this nation, each event from the first terrible moment of the firing of the rifle to President Kennedy's burial was brought to the eyes and ears of a grieving public. In the predawn hours of Sunday morning, the bronze coffin, accompanied by the widow, Jacqueline, was brought to the executive mansion from the naval hospital in Bethesda, Md. Later, at the Capitol thousands filed past throughout Sunday and into the hours of Monday morning, just to view the flag draped coffin on a catafalque. Cardinal Richard Cushing, Archbishop of Boston, said the low requiem Mass Monday in St. Matthews cathedral in Washington, after which the CITY JOINS IN SOLEMN TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT Schools, Stores Close As Memorial Services Are Held One of the first bits of history most of us learned was about the first Thanksgiving, and we recall so well that it read more like fiction than fact. Some of the story we remember with a bit of nostalgia, other parts of it with a recollection of the relatively meager material possessions the Pilgrims had in comparison to our land of plenty. Certainly the moral of the story was contained in the pause which preceded their meal of Thanksgiving, when they stopped to consider that this was not merely a feast on a given day, but rather that it had to do with living in a certain way. They gave thanks for the blessing of life, for survival through times of hardship, for (Continued on Pajff 8) SINGERS "BORROW' HOLIDAY CAROLS OF OTHER LANDS (Continued on Page 8) Beautiful and authentic costumes familiar to a number of foreign countries will be worn by members of the McHenry Choral club as they present a portion of music under the title, "Something Borrowed," containing carols of other lands. The annual holiday musical will be presented in the high school. auditorium on Saturday and Sunday evenings, Dec. 7 and 8. Irene Keim, Betty Smith and Virginia Mroz will be soloists, and there will be several small ensembles participating in this section, singing carols from Spain, Holland, Germany, Brazil, Fiance, Scotland and Poland. They will sing around a six-foot tree, especially lighted and with a myriad of ornaments familiar to the various countries. McHenry residents joined a grieving nation this past weekend in paying tribute to assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Never before has such a sincere grief been ex_ perienced by so many people, and expressed in so many ways. In respect to his memory, Mayor Donald P. Doherty issued a proclamation Saturday which was sent to all places of business asking that establishments be closed for one hour, from 11 o'clock to noon, during which the funeral took place. All local churches held some form of tribute to the thirtyfifth president, and McHenry schools, both public and parochial, were closed on Monday. Legion Tribute One of the very impressive tributes was held Sunday morning at 11 o'clock in front of the Legion home, conducted by the post and auxiliary members. It was attended by about 200 persons. Robert Conway, past commander, opened the ceremonies and introduced Rev. Fr. Eugene Baumhofer, who gave the invocation. Frank Ficek of the rifle squad blew taps, which were answered by his son, after which the flag was raised and then lowered to half mast by Ray Siscoe. The rifle squad fired a volley of shots, directed by Commander Dominic Volpendesta, as members of the Legion and auxiliary color guards stood at attention. To conclude the service, Mr. ConWay issued a proclamation in which he said that the flag would fly at half mast for thirty days in memory of the President. 200 Attend Although notification of the special tribute was made only at church services Sunday morning, a crowd of about 200, which included adults and children, as well as veterans of both world wars and the Korean conflict, gathered at the (Continued on Page 8) In preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday, some McHenry churches have planned special services for Thursday, while others will conduct rites which are in keeping with the daily schedule. Methodist - Presbyterian Following an annual custom, the Community Methodist and Faith Presbyterian churches will hold their annual Thanksgiving service of praise and worship this coming Thursday, Nov. 28, at 9 a.m. at Faith Presbyterian church, located at the corner of Lincoln and Chapel Hill roads. The sermon, entitled" Thanksgiving Now" and based on Psalm 118:14-24, will be delivered by the Methodist pastor, Ernest Carder. The service will be led by the Presbyteriian pastor, Jack Mclntyre. The combined choirs of the two congregations, under the direction of Glenn Welty, will sing "Let All Thanks Now Living," a traditional Welsh melody adopted for choir by Catherine K. Davis. Again, as has been the custom in^recent years, the special offering received will go to the Christian Rural Overseas Program, which is a means of sharing our substance with the unfortunate, the needy and the hungry around the world. Nursery facilities will be available in the church basement for parents who want to bring infants and small children to the service. A cordial invitation is extended to all to worship on this occasion. St. Mary's Catholic At St Mary's Catholic church, there will be Masses at 7, 8 and 9:30 o'clock, all high Masses. Zion Lutheran Pastor Carl Lobitz will speak on the topic, "Bless the Lord Six Heard On Theft Charges Judge William Carroll had a busy day in Circuit court last Friday, with six appearing before him on various charges. Lauren D. Nicholls, 16, of 3003 S. Riverside drive (Burton's Bridge) told the court he did not have an attorney, after which one was appointed for him and he was ordered to appear before Judge Carroll next I Friday, Nov. 29. Nicholls and j two others had been indicted on I three counts charging burglary and theft. The others, George Pinta, 17, of Berwyn and Daniel Quinn, who had been confined to Cook county jail, appeared and pleaded guilty to one count of burglary at the Werner Tool and Die Co., Cary where $2,000 in merchandise was taken. They asked probation, which will be considered. The other charges were nolle prossed. The case of Willie Kloepfer of 302 Venice, Lakemoor, out on bond, was continued until next Friday. He was indicted by the grand jury for burglary of the Earl Friesenecker home in Emerald Park. : Thlpe who ->wer» charged toithfirmed robbery and unlawful use of weapons in connection with the Piggly Wiggly store theft in the Plaza Shopping center in Crystal Lake also appeared in court. James S^herbondy, 43, of Denver and JacK Kelm, 58, of Canon City, Colo., were given a week's continuance to obtain counsel. The third man, Arlen Ellsworth Thompson, 41, asked for legal assistance and the court appointed an attorney for him before continuing the case until Nov. 29 for a plea. Flames Destroy Building And Contents On John Hogan Farm EARLY HOLIDAY MAILING BIG FACTOR IN SERVICE; OFFICE NO LONGER COLLECTION CENTER THREE MINOR ACCIDENTS IN McHENRY AREA (Continued on Page 8) Unceasing rain last Friday night and early Saturday may have contributed to two accidents which took place on Rt. 120, just east of McHenry. The first occurred about 6 (Continued on Page 8) (AN EDITORIAL.) It Makes Good Sense To Shop At Home This Christmas With the passing of the Thanksgiving holiday, thoughts will be turned almost exclusively to the approach of Christmas. Althougn there is no official start of the shopping season, the trend toward early buying indicates that the hustle and bustle of the Dec. 25 holiday will be evident by next week. This year, more than at any time in the past, McHenry businessmen are cooperating to make this annual holiday shopping task as easy and pleasant as possible. They are spending considerable effort to provide an attractive atmosphere, both on the streets and in their places of business. In addition, at least forty-five merchants are offering a wonderful vacation trip for two, to some fortunate person who registers in one of their stores in advance of Christmas. The McHenry shopper has everything to gain by doing his holiday buying early, and at home. The merchant who serves you here has a greater interest in pleasing his customers than anywhere else, for you will return, if pleased. Isn't it true that anyone who puts forth this kind of effort in the pursuit of his business merits our support? When our fellow townsmen can compete successfully with others in the matter of merchandise, and offer so many extra inducements, isn't it only good sense to SHOP AT HOME THIS CHRISTMAS? Postmaster LeRoy M. Smith this week said that "early mailing of all Christmas cards and gifts is the biggest single factor in getting all of the mail delivered before Christmas. Post office facilities have been expanded, ample help will be available and everything is being geared up to handle a record Christmas mail this year." The local office will not be a collection center for northern post offices this year, and for this reason no extra clerical help will be employed. In past years, as many as nineteen extra employees were added to the roles. McHenry will not be a center because of the leasing of additional facilities in the north and south suburban Chicago area. However, applications are being taken immediately at the McHenry office, and those accepted will work in Franklin Park at 3412 N. River road. "Big Battle" The entire Christmas mailing period is described as a big battle against time. Even though Christmas is a month away by the calendar, it's Christmas every day at the post office from now on. Santa is busy, too, but any letter sent to Santa Claus, North Pole 9907, and having a return address will be answered. Postmaster Smith advises, "Don't take chances on mailing poorly wrapped packages. Use sturdy corrugated mailing cartons, plenty of heavy wrapping paper and strong cord. Cartons containing several gift packages should be well stuf- TOWN MEETING SET DEC. 10 ON ROAD IMPROVEMENT A special town meeting has been called for Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 8 p.m. when electors in McHenry township will decide whether or not the town board of local improvements will proceed to improve the roads and streets* by a special assessment on all lands in subdivisions known as Lakeland Park Units No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 and Sunnyside Estates Unit No. 5. Roads in the-.e areas are private streets and do not now meet township specifications. Residents there h(t$e expressed a desire that they be improved. Since they are private roads and do not come under the township road program, a special meeting must be called. If the December vote is approved, the town board will then proceed to have a survey made and ascertain costs, after which residents who will benefit by the improvement must make the final decision on whether the road program will be undertaken. If favored the assessment will be only on those who live in the areas affected. SHOT IN FOOT Charles Epperson of Lakemoor was accidently shot in the foot while he was target shooting near Johnsburg last weekend. He was released after treatment by a physician. (Continued on Page 8) Attend Church Thanksgiving. A large shed containing valuable farm equipment and A small amount of corn was completely destroyed by fire early Monday afternoon, on the John Hogan farm, west of Ringwood. A nearby building was scorched, but a number of animals contained therein were led to safety. Ronald Creutz and several friends were hunting on the Hogan property when they saw flames emanating from the roof of the shed about 1:15 o'clock. They notified the Hogan family, who were having dinner at the time. Calls to the McHenry and Wonder Lake fire department# immediately brought approximately twenty-five men to the farm, located at 6606 Barnar«d Mill road, but the fire had already gained such headway that they concentrated efforts on saving surrounding structures. Fortunately, the wind wms In a position so that they were able to save a huge barn located to the east of the shed about seventy-five feet. Lost besides the building itself were a baler rake, chopper, wagon, blower, a $700 generator, mowers and a 1960 car. Estimate An estimate of the damage was made at about $20,000. Before the flames became so intense, four tractors, a corn picker, cultivator, plows and. a back hoe were removed from the burning structure. A small building near the shed was scorched, but the Hogans managed to lead out two cows and about a dozen calves. Although the origin of the blaze was not known, it was believed it tnay have resulted from defective wiring. Fire Chief George Gutzman of Wonder Lake said the shell of th'J building was beginning to collapse when they arrived. Dedicate New Baptist Church In Impressive Ceremony Sun., Dec. l Dedication of the new First Baptist church of McHenry will take place next Sunday, Dec. 1, with ceremonies at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Everyone is welcome to attend this impressive rite. Rev. Virgle Chappell has announced as featured speaker of the afternoon, Dr. Noel Taylor, executive secretary of the Illinois Baptist State association. Also present will be Mayor Donald P. Doherty and other citizens who will give their impressions of the church. The church now has a membership of 142, including adults and young people, who worship at Sunday school at 9:45 each Sunday and the regular worship service at 10:50. It was in July of this year that the congregation moved into the attractive, new edifice on Rt. 31, which had not yet been completed. About a year ago the City Council acted favorably on a petition for zoning change which permitted work to start on the church. At that time, services were held on Main street, in the business section. The property on which the church stands was annexed to the city last May. The new structure is a 5,000 Rudi J. Phot6 square foot semi-modern architecture designed to gccomjjjodate 250. About half of the building is used for educational purposes (Sunday School) and the other half for worship services. Establish Church Rev. Chappell, his wife and four children came to McHenry in June of 1961 from Fort Worth, Texas, serving much in the capacity as missionaries since there was no established church here at that time. Rev. Chappel points out that contrary to popular conception, although the local congregation (Continued ou Page 8)