Decatur, IL: Dr. Sterling Glen & Margery Butler Parker
My parents decided on Decatur, IL as it was halfway between the homes of both their parents. My dad opened his practice in 1948. We lived on E. Decatur in a small, white frame house. Anne was just a baby then. Mom would give me 25 cents & I would walk through Scovil golf course and go to the beach house at Lake Decatur. I was about 5-6 yo. I think it cost me 12 cents to swim. I didn't know how, of course, so only waded. I remember picking up LOTS of golf balls as I walked back home across all the greens. I also remember going to the summer crafts at Roach School; we did projects on a big picnic table outdoors under the elms--mainly bondoogle lanyards and rafia coasters around cardboard cutouts. ..(cont'd below in Memories section)
Parker Travels
Mostly through AMA medical trips, my parents visited Africa, South America, and more. They also owned a chalet on Lake Tomahawk, WI. Some photos below:
About Decatur
Decatur Memories, cont.
We then moved to 468 S. Crea for a few years. Myers Market was behind us on S. Siegel. Mom had a charge account there, so I would ride my bike and pick up milk for her--mainly for baby Nancy. I tried to surprise her once when she was taking a nap by baking a cake. I knew nothing about measurements so used 1.5 cups of salt instead of 1.5 t. I nearly sent us all to the hospital! We had black grate radiator covers in the floors and I remember we sat on them to warm up during the winter. We had a coal-fired furnace & my dad had to clean out the cinders and put them out for pickup. We also had a milk wagon with a horse.
I remember an accident where Anne cut her forehead & had to go to the ER for stitches. I also was trying to carry 4 glass bottles back to Myers to get the deposit money back & my bike hit a rock. I fell on the bottles & cut my palm badly; mom sent me to the ER in a taxi. They stitched me up & then I took a taxi back to 4th grade at French School. I remember Nancy had chicken pox or something & we bathed her in an oatmeal bath. The neighbors across the street used to catch catfish in the Sangamon and all the kids on the block went out at dusk with flashlights to help them catch nightcrawlers. They also kept crawdads in a bucket on their front porch. Bruce Gray lived there; Sharon Hopkins lived to the right and Patti Carmody to the left.
I used to get to go to Mass at St. Patrick's with the Carmodys, but was not allowed to take Communion or use their rosary beads. Patty said it was a venal sin I think. Mass was done all in Latin & very beautiful. I covered my head with Kleenex as I recall or a handkerchief. We played many outdoor games as I recall and loved it when it rained as the street corner sewer flooded, so we'd all go out & wade in our homemade pool. One house always had a silver Christmas tree with blue lights. Johnny Fry's family lived on the corner & his dad had a motorcycle; he would take us riding sometimes around the block. Barney Oldfield lived up the street; his drive was very steep and great to sled down when it was icey. Miss Moffatt lived a block over on Siegal Street where we'd take piano lessons. We walked to French School 4Xs/day--including home for lunch. I usually walked with Liz Borchers and met up with Linda Cooper, Kathy Ennis, and Pat Edie near Siegal St.
We next moved down the street to 637 S. Crea to a wonderful home that Dr. George & Irene Rivard had owned. The Ulrichs and Maddens lived north of us and the Toneys & Borchers next to us on the south. The Crawfords lived not far away & the Tom Samuels lived across the street. Lincoln Park was a short hike away & the scene of many trail climbs and days investigating the Sangamon River.
I remember an accident where Anne cut her forehead & had to go to the ER for stitches. I also was trying to carry 4 glass bottles back to Myers to get the deposit money back & my bike hit a rock. I fell on the bottles & cut my palm badly; mom sent me to the ER in a taxi. They stitched me up & then I took a taxi back to 4th grade at French School. I remember Nancy had chicken pox or something & we bathed her in an oatmeal bath. The neighbors across the street used to catch catfish in the Sangamon and all the kids on the block went out at dusk with flashlights to help them catch nightcrawlers. They also kept crawdads in a bucket on their front porch. Bruce Gray lived there; Sharon Hopkins lived to the right and Patti Carmody to the left.
I used to get to go to Mass at St. Patrick's with the Carmodys, but was not allowed to take Communion or use their rosary beads. Patty said it was a venal sin I think. Mass was done all in Latin & very beautiful. I covered my head with Kleenex as I recall or a handkerchief. We played many outdoor games as I recall and loved it when it rained as the street corner sewer flooded, so we'd all go out & wade in our homemade pool. One house always had a silver Christmas tree with blue lights. Johnny Fry's family lived on the corner & his dad had a motorcycle; he would take us riding sometimes around the block. Barney Oldfield lived up the street; his drive was very steep and great to sled down when it was icey. Miss Moffatt lived a block over on Siegal Street where we'd take piano lessons. We walked to French School 4Xs/day--including home for lunch. I usually walked with Liz Borchers and met up with Linda Cooper, Kathy Ennis, and Pat Edie near Siegal St.
We next moved down the street to 637 S. Crea to a wonderful home that Dr. George & Irene Rivard had owned. The Ulrichs and Maddens lived north of us and the Toneys & Borchers next to us on the south. The Crawfords lived not far away & the Tom Samuels lived across the street. Lincoln Park was a short hike away & the scene of many trail climbs and days investigating the Sangamon River.