Pow Wow Days 2010
Members of the illustrious Class of 1960 greeted their admiring public during the parade. Of the 30 living class members, 22 attended the reunion. Three classmates are deceased.
Lots of happy visitors at the Museum on Main took a closer look at the new wigwam. The wildlife specimens were provided by Chuck Hopper, taxidermist, of Tiskilwa.
More than 200 visitors at Tiskilwa’s Museum on Main smiled and reminisced their way through the numerous exhibits during the weekend.
The 23 old cars on display in the Museum’s west lawn proved to be one of the highlights
for old and young visitors alike. Here, several folks inspect a 1964 Renault,
whose first and only owner was the father of Neva Lucas.
The 2010 Tiskilwa High School Alumni Banquet drew a crowd of 169 to the lodge at the Elks in Princeton on Saturday night. The 22 attending members of the honored fifty-year class, THS ‘60, gave special recognition to their class sponsor, Margaret Ringenberg, and their all-sports coach, Bob Prusator. Classmates from 1934 to 1995 shared stories and memories throughout the evening. In a new feature, Community Service Recognition was awarded to Clifford “Tweet” Vaughn as well as Elza and Vivian Moses. A committee of volunteers, spearheaded by Suzanne Ary and Sondra Owens (THS ’84), organized the reunion. Erin Gorman Shore of Denver, CO, represented the Class of 1985.
Elza and Vivian Moses greet Suzanne Ary at the Alumni Banquet. In September, when Elza turns 102 and Vivian 97, they will celebrate their 80th wedding anniversary.
To conclude the evening, several former THS cheerleaders led the crowd
in a rousing version of the Tiskilwa Loyalty song.
A member of the 75-year class, Mrs. Evelyn Verbeke Farley, shared a humorous story with an appreciative crowd. Here, Evie is pictured and her daughter Judy O’Brien,
talking about old times with Edward Bates, THS ’61, of Naperville.
Wigwam on Display Beginning August 6th
On July 31, several ambitious members of Boy Scout Troop #1068, along with their adult leader Scott Owens, constructed a replica of a Potawatomi wigwam as a gift to the Tiskilwa Historical Society. From 1769 to 1832, several hundred Potawatomi people hunted, fished and made their homes in the Tiskilwa's hills and valleys, giving it the poetic name, The Gem of the Valley.
In anticipation of Saturday's construction date, four Tiskilwa boys -- Taylor Carlson, Cody Sinderman, Ryan Owens and Dylan Carlson -- harvested a big supply of willow saplings and then last Saturday, they used twine to form the saplings into a framework for the reed covering. After working for several hours on the project and using methods associated with the traditional construction of Woodland Indian summer lodges, the boys can be proud of their accomplishment. Their gift commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. The lodge will be on permanent display in Gallery Two at the historical society's Museum on Main.