An International Fourth of July was celebrated at the home of the Roger and Geri Grant last week. There were Forest Parkers, Oak Parkers, Nigerians, a person from Thailand wasn’t able to make it, but his wife and kids were there. Shown in the picture are Jenebu and Samuel Ochennjele, from Nigeria, Norm Gill, Oak Park, Karen Hermannsen, Roger Grant, Karen Batty and Geri Grant. A few dogs left the party early when some neighbors started to pop off firecrackers.
If you’ve never read this column, please read it today. This is an important announcement: To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I Centuries & Sleuths will present a most timely speaker/historian, Donald Sender. Mr. Sender is a veteran cryptologist technician from the Korean War; he is past president of the Salt Creek Civil War round Table, is a retired U.S. History professor, a chief warrant officer in the U.S. army reserve and he holds many other positions in service to the community. The title of his speech is Assassination in Sarajevo in which he reviews history from the assassination of the emperor Franz Josef and his wife Sophie to all that followed: World War I, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afganistan, etc., eventually ending with what we have today. That whole tragic mess. If you’ve known there was a connection between all these events but weren’t quite sure just what the connection was, come Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m. to Centuries & Sleuths. Madison Street. For more information call Augie at 708.771.7243.
Congrats to Erin Brown, who received her master’s degree from North Central College in Naperville June 14. Timothy Miller received his master’s in industrial psychology from Elmhurst College.
In case word hasn’t reached you yet, there will be a 50th grade school reunion of all the schools in the Forest Park, Oak Park River Forest area October 11. More information will follow, but you’ll probably know more I do from Facebook, the Internet and all the technology available today. The sites will be Kevil’s and Goldie’s since both owners were graduates of the class of 1964. More to come soon.
It’s always great to run into Mike Farrell. His brains, charm and good looks have taken him far, but he’s always a Forest Parker at heart.
Happy birthday to Lisa Faber, Pete Callis, Zeno Jacquat, Diane Bugajsky, Matt Cappolino, Tim Houren, Cheryl Jargstorf, Grant Neubeiser, Anthony Huynh, Jackie Vince Clifton, Keegan Brown, Peggy Grams, Mike Martinski. Happy anniversary to Ramy and Carl Tellarovic, Darcy and Kelsey Carlson, John and Diane Rice, Jennifer and Mark Hosty,
Congratulations to Vicki and Nick Martinski who tied the knot last week!
Jackie is a former Chicago and Elmwood Park schoolteacher with an undying love for music, friendly pets and a host of life’s other treasures too numerous to list. She was born on the far southwest side of Chicago in a great neighborhood when it was a great time to be young.
