Aging gracefully in St. Charles

Mention that someone lived in a community from day one for more years than anyone else until passing, and you're likely to stir up interest about residents with extraordinary staying power and longevity.

That's what happened after mentioning that 89-year-old Tom Peck was the longest living continuous resident of Geneva at the time of his death two weeks ago. Readers sent notes asking about who might have that status in St. Charles.

It is not easy to confirm, but folks at the St. Charles Heritage Center felt that it was likely to be 92-year-old Julia (Montividos) Swanson, who graduated in the St. Charles High School Class of 1936 with the likes of the late Joe Anderson and "Bud" Ziegler. Her son, Steven Swanson of Batavia, was certain his mother qualified for such status.

Some thought it could possibly be Adele (Carlson) Stoeckel, a resident of Pineview Care Center. St. Charles historian Melvin Peterson said Stoeckel is the oldest living member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, but he wasn't certain of her age, saying she was maybe 100 years or older. There also was an outside chance that she lived in Wasco for a short time after getting married.

I spoke to Swanson, who also couldn't be certain if she qualified as being in town the longest, but it was fun to talk to her about St. Charles.

"I remember Melvin Peterson driving his car to school when he was just in sixth grade, because we lived only a block away from Shelby School," Swanson said. "He had to follow some really strict rules, but all of those farm boys learned to drive vehicles when they were very young."

Swanson worked at Community Market on Third Street, before the Blue Goose took over that property at what is now The Yard. Her sister, Alpune, worked at Gartner's Bakery, where Kettley Realty is located now at 203 W. Main St.

Regardless of who is the longest living continuous resident, it is fascinating to revisit the past with these people.

Fest flat no fun: Eileen Ritter said she and her 84-year-old mother were "feasting" all day at the Festival of the Vine last Saturday but had an unpleasant surprise awaiting them when they got back to her mother's car parked on Third Street.

"She had a flat tire, and we thought, what are we going to do?" Ritter said.

Two men walking by with their wives saved the day by offering to help.

"They got the spare tire from the trunk, pulled the flat tire off and changed it," Ritter said. "We were so grateful, and they were so nice."

Ritter, who lives in Bartlett, said her mother lives in Oak Brook and could have had "a real problem" if the tire had gone flat on her way home.

She wasn't certain the two men were from Geneva but left with the impression that "everyone in Geneva is real nice."

A lifesaver: Jim Rodgers had to figure out a way to salvage his own life, and he apparently saved another in the process.

Last October, I wrote about how Rodgers, a Batavia resident and English teacher at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, had turned his life around after his wife left him - after they had moved to California because of her work transfer. He wrote a book titled "The Old Guy Rules" about recovering from that blow and being a single father, raising his kids alone.

He said he wrote the book so others who were facing difficult times would realize that they could come out OK on the other side.

The message of the book carried special meaning for a young girl in one of his classes. A published report last week told the story of the girl, who was depressed and contemplating suicide, giving credit to Rodgers and his book for helping her overcome problems and straighten out her life.

Rodgers faced an uphill climb himself, but his decision to write a book about it has paid off in the way he hoped it would.

The ultimate tribute: Every man should hope that, upon his passing, he led a life that would cause his spouse to make a comment like the one Kris Conley made last week after the death of her husband of 37 years, Bruce Conley, the beloved funeral home director in Elburn.

"Bruce was the best thing that ever came into my life. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather, and continued to be that until the very end," she said.

From our past: You don't have to drive too far west of Randall Road to find we still have farmland. Fifty or 60 years ago, this entire region, and most of Illinois for that matter, was farmland.

Add another 100 years to that, and you've got the perfect example of our rural past sitting out at Garfield Farm.

This trip back to a pioneer past is on Garfield Road, off Route 38, and today is a pretty good one to try to visit - especially if you have any interest in the history of our barns and rural buildings from the 1840s.

They're calling it a Barns 101 lecture, and it takes place at 2 p.m. at the farm. Cost for the lecture is $6, and you can also tour the 1842 hay and grain barn and the 1849 horse barn, which has been repaired since a 2005 lightning strike did plenty of damage.

If you can't make it to Garfield today, the Primrose Farm Park off Crane Road in St. Charles is offering a Farm Frolic next Sunday with plenty of family activities.

Helping Mexico's poor: Sergio's Cantina at 30 W. State St. in Geneva will donate 15 percent of its proceeds today to an organization seeking to improve life in poor communities along coastal regions in Mexico.

The PEACE (Protection, Education, Animals, Culture and Environment) organization is located in the Bay of Banderas, Mexico, and the fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

dheun@sbcglobal.net