Joan wraps up the year with annual awards and a few words to readers
Today is the 50th Lisle column for 2008. To put a wrap on the year's columns, it is time to announce my annual Post Awards.
The Post honors have neither a nomination process nor plaque but are a means to update a few stories and speak to readers.
Can-do Spirit: Lisle business Pieceful Heart Fabrics, owned by Gina Ellingen, is a great resource for quilters with classes and superb fabrics. In addition to its charitable work, this year Gina added a number of days for people to come together to sew pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer. The nationwide organization makes kid-friendly pillowcases for children facing severe illness.
I wrote the ConKerr Cancer story in my June 6 column. Last week, founder Cindy Kerr won the National L'Oréal Paris Woman of Worth award and $25,000 for her organization.
In one year, the group grew from distributing 13,000 pillowcases to 40,308.
One day in November, sewers came together at Pieceful Hearts Fabrics and made 119 cases to add to 194 people did on their own and donated to the store that month, said Chicago coordinator Sue Abraham. Children's Memorial Hospital benefits from our local effort with plans to add several more hospitals.
As ConKerr Cancer grows, Pieceful Hearts Fabrics earns my Can-do Spirit Post Award as a business that makes a difference.
Heartwarming Thank You: Writing the Sept. 22 column on the 50-years Tim White taught at Benet Academy was fun. In addition to interviewing White, I contacted some of his former students and found they enjoyed and benefited from White's teaching as much as the dedicated professional enjoys his time in the classroom. A poignant part of the achievement is that White, who is working on his 51st year, missed only one day with an excused absence.
No matter how good-natured an English teacher is, writing about one can be a little intimidating for a writer. I keep fingers crossed that the newspaper copy does not get returned with red corrections. Thanks to my fine editors, that has not happened.
Instead, I received from White the most heartwarming thank you that earns my Post Award this year. He wrote that he appreciated the story and the 15-minutes of fame it gave him. He bought extra copies of the newspaper so that his wife could see he was not "making it up." He then went on to tell me that the article brought tears to her eyes. His thoughtful words left a lump in my throat.
Loyal weekly reader: I first met Birdie Sheahan a number of years ago at a Lisle Heritage Society gathering where she is a member. The longtime Lisle resident told me about her son Dan's eye-catching display of Christmas lights.
Since then, another son, Jim Sheahan, who taught in Australia for 25 years, was the subject of my Aug. 11 column. Jim is an Australian Rules Football tipster for an Australian radio station from his Lisle home. He is an avid Bulldogs supporter and knows a lot about Footsie, Australian football.
Birdie reaches for the Daily Herald each Monday, to read my columns in the Neighbor section. She was concerned a couple weeks ago when my usually Monday slot did not contain the Lisle column, which ran in the Wednesday newspaper that week.
I give Birdie the Post Loyal Reader honor this year. It allows me to add that this wonderful lady has five children, 10 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and my sincere appreciation.
Treasured Memory: The column this year that garnered the most unexpected responses was the Sept. 8 column on the St. Joseph Bohemian Orphanage, which once occupied the center building that is part of Benet Academy today.
I heard from readers who fondly remember the orphanage and those who knew someone who lived there. All responses related a positive experience and sincere appreciation for the care and dedication the sisters gave the children.
A particularly moving request for more information came from an adult son whose father and three uncles grew up in the orphanage from roughly 1908 to 1918. The inquirer would like to fill in some of the missing pieces to his father's youth. If anyone knows where this reader may look at orphanage records from that time, please help me help another reader.
To all who shared their memories for the column, and in particular Sister DePaul Stava and Sister Rosalie Marie Major, the collective Treasured Memory Post Award.
Fascinating Story: For the baseball column on Oct. 6, it was my pleasure to meet and write about longtime Lisle resident Lois Balchunas. This modern pioneer earns my Post Award for her fascinating story.
Lois played for the Chicago Colleens in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and has her name in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
The 1949 team photo the Hall of Fame sent to run with the story had three unidentified players and Lois "Punky" Bellman Balchunas was not listed.
At the same time, Balchunas's daughter, Lisle resident Karen Balchunas, sent me a photo of her mother. It didn't take long, and with supporting evidence, to realize that one of the three unidentified players in the Hall of Fame's team photo was Lois Balchunas.
The column ran with the story up to that point, but now there is more.
Balchunas had her original team photo on which team members signed the back. She quickly identified another player as her maid of honor, Shirley E. Danz.
The remaining single question mark bothered me. As I faced my deadline, my ongoing research paid off. I talked long-distance with Sister Toni Ann Palermo, one of the Chicago Colleens, and exchanged team photos. She identified the remaining player as Florence Hay from Chicago.
My contact at the Hall of Fame will be delighted to have all the team players identified. It is not often that you can help out the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Best Wishes: To all readers, I wish you the willingness to make a difference, the recall of treasured memories and the opportunity to help someone.
My best to you and yours for the holidays,
Joan