By HELEN SUE JOHNSON
Times-Leader correspondent
As my readers can tell, I enjoy writing about McLeansboro as it was so long ago, especially during the Great Depression area.
Times-Leader sportswriter Charles Pendell’s mother, Maxine, was a childhood playmate of mine. One time when we were both about 5 years old, she had a birthday party.
I was all dressed up for the party, but during the outdoor play, suddenly the kids acted boisterous and loud, and somehow I sensed it was about me! It turned out my mother, in dressing me up for the party, forgot to put panties on me and I hadn’t noticed.
When the other birthday celebrants started screaming, Maxine’s Aunt Lora investigated the disturbance, then took me inside and put a pair of Maxine’s panties on me! Now can you imagine?
During Maxine’s last days at the nursing home, she would squeeze my hand in remembrance of our friendship. July 30 of last year, I sensed something and went to the hospital in McLeansboro to see if Maxine was there. Yes, but she was gone; gone but not forgotten!
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Now who can forget Pa Sanders, the funeral parlor director for so many years in McLeansboro. Remember his saying “Stay in the buggy”?
He and Ma Sanders were very popular in town, and Pa carried out fine funerals, too. His parlor was at the corner of Pearl and Market streets.
Upstairs were rooms rented out to local workers and people passing through, too, needing a night’s sleep.
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Remembering as well Gillie Kirsch, manager of a grocery store from the Piopolis area and who fascinated customers with German accents, giving a German twist to items asked for.
Mom happened to be standing at the old L&N; station when Gillie returned home from the war. He always said Mom was his “welcoming home” committee. God bless, Gillie; we love your memory!
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Mary Cloud McCoy, of the bank and library family, was a student of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of Christian science, taking the last class of Mrs. Eddy’s in Boston in 1888.
When visiting her grave at the local Oddfellows cemetery I always recite the “Scientific Statement of Being.” Her grave marker gives no date of death, appropriately; nor will mine one day.
How blessed we are to be living in Southern Illinois.
• Helen Sue Johnson is a former Hamilton County resident.
