Marjorie Buell Harris

(Information is from a DeKalb Chronicle obituary printed in January 2006)

 

Marjorie (Buell) Harris, 67, of Chicago, Ill., formerly of Sycamore, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2006, after a brief illness.

Marge graduated from the University of Illinois and later received a master's degree in library science from Rosary College.  She worked as a teacher and school librarian for 30 years before retiring from the Chicago Public Schools.

She is survived by her husband, James E. Harris; a daughter, Mala (Hans) Wolfe; a stepdaughter, Celia (Fred) Cole; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and two brothers, John and Kenneth Buell.

She was preceded in death by her father, John W. Buell; her mother, Olga Reinmiller; and her stepfather, William Reinmiller.

NORMA SABLE JOHNSON

January 16, 1938--unknown date 

Norma Sable Johnson was born January 16, 1938. She married Gary Phelps in 1957.  Their marriage was blessed with three children:  Teresa, Gary Jr., and Steven.  Gary Sr. passed away in 1972.

She met and married  Elmer Johnson in 1973. 

Norma worked at General Electric in DeKalb for many years.

Elmer and Norma moved to Florida where Norma worked for a school district. 

In 2004, Norma developed Parkinson’s disease.  She passed away that same year. 

Shortly before Norma died, her son Steven died of a heart attack.  Steven was only 41 years of age. 

Norma leaves behind many friends and a family who loved her very much. 

Francis “Fran” Elaine Blade Hartman

Died March 8, 1999

 

Francis “Fran” Elaine Blade Hartman was born in Sycamore.  Her parents were Vernie and Pauline Blade.  She had two sisters:  Carol and Linda.  Linda died when she was 6 or 8 years of age as a result of a freak accident. 

 

Fran started school at Lovell’s Crossing, a country school east of Sycamore.  Later, the Blade family moved to a house on Walnut Street in Sycamore.  Eventually, they moved to the house on East Exchange Street where Fran lived during her high school days.  That house has since been demolished to make way for a parking lot.

 

Fran attended Central School and junior and senior high school in the old high school building. 

 

She was very active while in high school.  She was a baton twirler with the band, sang with several music groups, worked on the class play, was on the Leaves staff and was a four-year member of the Pep Club.  Fran was a member of Marilyn’s Majorettes for several years.

 

After high school, Fran went to nurse’s training at the Swedish American Hospital in Rockford.  She successfully completed the training and became a Registered Nurse following in her mother’s footsteps who also had been a Registered Nurse. 

 

She met her future husband, Henry “Hank” Hartman at Swedish American Hospital where he was a patient. 

 

Fran and Hank were married for 40 years.  They raised four beautiful daughters:  Pamela who lives in Michigan and Lisa, Carla, and Christina all of which live in Arizona. 

 

The Hartmans lived in Woodstock, Danville, and, for the last 26 years, in Shorewood, near Joliet.

 

Fran died on March 8, 1999 of complications of breast cancer.  While we were unable to find her birth date, we think Fran was either 61 or 62 when she died.

 

 

 

 

Editor’s note: I am sad to say that I did not see Fran after graduation.  I always thought that Fran was the most attractive woman in our class.  She was tall, slim and had a perfect complexion.  Everyone liked her.  And why not?  She was bright and always pleasant and friendly to everyone.

 

She must have been a terrific nurse.  She was well organized, competent and efficient even as a high school student. 

 

I am sure Fran had a very positive influence on all with whom she came into contact.  She must be greatly missed by Hank, her children, and her grandchildren.--GRB.  

 

Phyllis Eggers Knutson

December 28, 1938 -- July 6, 1976

---

by Cindy Eggers Adams

 

Phyl got her start in a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp in the mountains near Spokane, Washington. From there, she went to an army camp near Baraboo, WI, then on to Sycamore. She was born at Evanston Hospital on December 28, 1938.

 

She really did not get to know her father, Doctor John F. Eggers, until he returned from World War II in which he had served as an Army field surgeon.  There was not a good connection at first…my dad giving orders and my mom, Frances (known as Fritz to friends), keeping Phyl under her protective wing.  Phyl and dad ended up being very close.

 

Since I was thirteen years younger than Phyl, I was entering kindergarten when she was entering college. I remember her bedroom being far down the hall filled with stuffed animals, but I do not remember her being there until I was about ten years old. By then, we had moved to the woods north of town.

 

Phyl was a very happy person, always laughing and joking around. She held a lot of respect for my parents. We had a stern upbringing and mine was more isolated as we did not live in town. I anticipated Phyl’s visits to our country home with joy.

 

Phyl attended Northwestern University, graduated from Milton College, and then from Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago in 1963. She married Richard D. Knutson on August 16, 1963.  Their only child, son John, was born in 1966.  John lives with his wife and children on the northwest side of Chicago.

 

I was a year or two into college when Phyl was diagnosed with cancer at age 33. She died at age 37 in July, 1976.  She was a delight to know and we still miss her.

 

Phyllis is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore.

 

(Editor’s note:  Phyllis had two sisters:  Cynthia (Cindy) Eggers Adams who lives near Stockton and Christine Eggers Hunt who lives in Atlanta. Her parents passed away some time ago.)  

Jane Elaine Henry Hudson

September 24, 1938 -- March 16, 2001

---

 by Grant Henry

 

Jane Elaine Henry Hudson died at age 62 on Thursday, March 16, 2001 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois after a brief illness. She was born on September 24, 1938 in Chicago, Illinois to Bill and Charlotte Henry her parents, who at that time lived with his relatives. After two more kids were born and another was on the way, the relatives (Grandma Chapman, two aunts, and uncle) had enough and Bill and his family moved to Sycamore. Luckily, Charlotte's mother and stepfather lived there and were able to get my Dad a job at Anaconda Wire and Cable Company.

For all who knew Jane, affectionately known as Janey or Red (she had red kinky hair and hazel gray eyes), she was full of life, excited about everything except homework, very loving toward her family, full of pranks and devilment. She used to chase her sister, who was four years older, around the house with a crutch, which allegedly belonged to an old man who died in the house.

She aspired to be a singer, dancer, baton twirler, model and homemaker. Jane was very entertaining and did become a great cook for family and friends.  She graduated from SHS in 1956 after yelling and screaming for the basketball and football teams as one of the best cheerleaders ever and much to the relief of her family. Jane chose the homemaker role and married Billy Hart of Aurora, Illinois, shortly after high school. Jane had three daughters:  Sharon was the first followed by Kim and Lisa. Her brothers and sister got to become uncles and aunts and loved it.

Jane did join the workforce and held a variety of jobs.  She was telephone operator and entertained her family with interesting calls such as, “How do you bake a cake? How do you get to Alabama?”  When the kids were small, she took a job as a nurses' aide on the night shift and did enjoy it. Later, she returned to Illinois Bell (Ameritech), where she held a number of positions. In her last job there, she held an engineer title and determined where to lay cables. As the industry and technology kept changing, she was encouraged to take an early retirement. She divorced after ten years and returned to Sycamore for several years to raise her daughters with family support.  She moved to Aurora when the girls were in their teens.

 

Jane was not a person to sit still for long and soon other career choices were under consideration. She contacted a friend who had a travel agency in Chicago and every weekend she traveled to the city to learn the travel business. She thoroughly enjoined learning the mechanics of booking travel, using the computer, and expanding her horizons.

 

She acquired a taste for Las Vegas and the slot machines and the Caribbean. She met her next husband, Madison Hudson, who also worked at the same travel agency and who also loved Las Vega. They were married in Las Vegas in the wee small hours of the morning in one of those cute little wedding chapels. Her maid of honor was that older sister she use to chase around with the crutch. The rest of the family had to watch the video of the nuptials. After the wedding vows, breakfast, and a glass of Dom Perignon, they returned to the slot machines.  They resided in Chicago and she worked part time for a travel agency in Riverdale, IL.

 

Jane enjoyed the final chapter her life. She traveled much further than she ever dreamed and affected many more people than she ever imagined. She dearly loved her daughters Sharon, Kim, and Lisa; she adored her grandchildren Christina (took her to Las Vegas as a graduation present), Monique, and Ny; grandchildren Amber, Rodney, Maghon, and Jasmine; and last but not least granddaughter Jalaine who she babysat for and looked forward to picking up from the school bus. She died before there was a chance to see her great-granddaughter who was born on the anniversary of her death.

 

Jane devoted herself to her mother and cared for her until she passed away. She took care of two elderly aunts as well as assisting with her mother-in-law. Her husband Madison died in 1995 after a brief illness. They only had five years together but they were happy years and I think she felt she finally made it.

 

Surviving relatives include her brother Grant, sisters Audrey and Charlotte Asalee, two nephews Donald and Stacey; and all of her children.  Daughter Sharon, born in 1957, is married and lives in River Falls, Wisconsin. She has three daughters and a granddaughter.  Kim, born in 1959 lives in DeKalb and has five children.  Lisa, born in 1960, resides in Sycamore and has one daughter who is a senior at Sycamore High School.

 

Her parents and brother Willie preceded Jane in death.  Her oldest sister Shirley died one year after Jane passed away. 

 

I will always remember her compassion for family and friends, extraordinary sense of humor, and great cooking, with an avid appetite for reading. She left us with a greater sense of life and family.

 

Jane is buried in Elmwood Cemetery.


 

                          
                                   Darlene Frantum Swanson
             
                                           March 5, 1938 --- July 10, 2003


Darlene Carol Frantum was born March 5, 1938, in Sycamore.  Her parents were Carl and Ruby (Peterson) Frantum.  She and her brother, Robert, grew up on the family farm north of Sycamore where her mother and aunts grew up.

 

Darlene and her brother attended North Grove Country School, a one room schoolhouse, until it closed along with the others in DeKalb County; she then came by bus to Sycamore Central School.

 

Darlene and Fred O. Swanson were married on September 19, 1959.

 

Their first daughter, Karen Sue Swanson, was born November 11, 1962, and died suddenly September 19, 2006.

 

A second daughter, Carol Ann Swanson, was born January 19, 1966, and married Glenn Bolander on September 17, 1988.  They have two sons, Justin, born in 1995, and Josh, born in 1997.  They are the 6^th and 7^th generations to live on Glenn’s ancestors’ family farm near Sycamore.

 

After Darlene attended Northern Illinois, she worked at Duplex and Automatic Electric in Genoa, cleaned homes for 35 years, and was a homemaker.  First and foremost, Darlene was a devoted, loving wife, mother, and grandmother. 

 

Entertaining, cooking, baking and going out dancing were some of Darlene’s favorite things.  She was known for her good meatballs, tapioca, rice pudding, and cream puffs!  Cousins and other visitors to her home always felt welcome and had a good time. 

 

She was member of the Sycamore United Methodist Church and was active in circles and get-togethers in addition to volunteering in the kitchen and at the rummage sales.

 

Darlene waged a courageous, 15 year fight against breast cancer which took her life on July 10, 2003.  Her death was mourned by many.  She is buried in the Hampshire Center Cemetery in Hampshire, IL. 

 

Her friendly smile is missed!

(Editor's note: Darlene, Joyce Elliott Holtman, and Loretta Astling Gut are cousins.)

James Paul Carlson

January 31, 1938 -- October 24, 1999

 

James Paul Carlson was born on January 31, 1938 in Sycamore.  He was known as Mongie or Mungie to his high school friends.  His parents were Paul Edward Carlson and Alice Genevieve Carlson.  He had two older brothers, Gordon and Ronald and a younger sister Nancy, all Sycamore High School graduates. He died October 24, 1999 in McMinnville, Tennessee.

 

Following graduation from high school, Jim went to work for Ideal Industries.  He began working for Ideal while in high school with the Diversified Occupations (DO) Program.  Later, he moved to Missouri where he was employed by Breakshoe Manufacturing as their chief engineer.

 

His final employment stop took him to Tennessee where he served as Purchasing Agent for a large gear manufacturer. His purchasing agent duties required him to travel occasionally to Europe and Asia. 

 

Jim married Barbara Ann Pitts on November 16, 1968 in Sycamore.  Their marriage was blessed with two children: Charles (Chuck) Darrin Carlson and Christy Dawn Carlson.

 

Chuck married Christy Michelle Craven on September 6, 1991 in McMinnville, Tennessee. They have three children: Cole Landon Carlson, born November 19, 1993 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Cali Alexis Carlson, born April 8, 1999 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and Cade Landon Carlson born January 15, 1997 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

 

Christy married Anthony Quinn Dishman on July 13, 1995. They had one child; Keesha Ann Dishman born September 23, 1986 in Cookeville, Tennessee.

 

Jim’s main hobby was playing golf – anytime, anywhere.

 

He was very active in the Fraternal Order of the Eagles.  He served a term as President of the State of Tennessee Eagles and served on the Eagles’ National Board.

 

Jim was killed in an automobile accident in 1999 shortly after he retired.

 

Editor’s note:  Mongie was quiet and few people really got to know him well.  Most would be surprised to know that beneath that rotund and seemly quiet exterior was a very competitive person who had a subtle but great sense of humor.

 

I first became aware of his competitive spirit when I came home on spring break during my first year in college.  I had played a lot of ping-pong in my spare time and felt I had mastered the game.  I  mentioned that to Mongie.  He said he liked to play and suggested we go to Ideal Industries’ recreation room to play a few games on a Saturday afternoon. With my long reach, good reaction time and overall quickness, I figured it would not take long to dispatch my good friend.  He beat me soundly.  The games rarely were close. 

 

He was an excellent card and game player.  In fact, in any activity where he was able to compete physically, he was a strong competitor.  Mentally, he was competitive in any endeavor. 

 

However, Mongie’s real competitive edge came in business matters where he had exceptional skills.  In any kind of financial or like dealings, he invariably came out on top.  His later success in life is a testimony to astute skill in business matters.--GRB.  

 

(Most information furnished by Nancy Carlson Spoor who can be reached at Nancy@omniranch.com.)

 

 John Bell Clark

November 19, 1937 -- May 1, 2006

 

John Bell Clark was born on November 19, 1937 to the late Dr. Carl Clark and Maurine Bell Clark in Sycamore, IL.  He had one sister, Audrey, now deceased, who graduated from Sycamore High School in 1951 .

 

One of Sycamore’s best and brightest; John was an outstanding scholar who was elected to the National Honor Society in his junior year.  He was active in many school clubs and organizations.  At the same time he was a fine athlete who lettered in football all four years of high school.  He was the punter for Sycamore’s great undefeated team in his senior year.

 

John had a lifelong interest and passion for science.  In high school, he researched and worked on something called polymer resins.  John was a pioneer in polymer resin research--quite an accomplishment for a high school senior.  Later, as explained in a subsequent paragraph, he developed and patented a polymer resin product.

 

As a result of his efforts, while in high school he was elected to the Illinois Junior Science Academy and honored by the Westinghouse National Science Talent search.

 

After high school, John attended the University of Illinois where he earned math and chemistry degrees.  He then accepted a graduate position in biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley.  Following that he did post doctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology near Boston.

 

John married Merrill Hahn on August 22, 1959 at the First Congregational Church in St. Charles.  John and Merrill first met at high school band concerts.  They met again at the University of Illinois where both were members of the campus church choir.

 

John’s wife, Merrill writes: 

 

            Music was big in John’s life. His French Horn playing was excellent. He also played in the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the Illini Marching Band (not his favorite activity, no matter how up-lifting to the Illini in the stands).

 

Once, while I was in high school, I sneaked a trip with a girl friend from St. Charles to Sycamore to look John up after having "met" him at a St. Charles District Music Contest in which we both played French Horn solos. I left a note in his mailbox, and surprise, he actually responded to it. We, however, never met up with each other again until I saw him on campus at U of I and then, at the First Presbyterian campus church choir. I had to remind him that I was "that girl who left the note". etc!  Well, he was intrigued, we went out ... etc, etc. Got married after we graduated.  

 

            He continued playing the French horn almost up until he died, actually. He had had a heart attack and subsequent stroke on the train to California many years ago, and the muscles around his mouth/lips never regained their French horn status, unfortunately, so we had to back out of the bands he played in here. Not too many years ago, however, we sang our one solo duet at First Presbyterian in Niles, Michigan, where we sang in the choir for years.

 

After obtaining his doctorate, John took an assistant professor position at the University of Notre Dame.  Later, he did research work at Miles Laboratories.

 

More interested in creating a creative niche of his own, John and Merrill founded and patented Vesperglas, a natural plant craft product consisting of resins and fiberglass-embedded flowers, grasses, leaves and butterflies.  They sold this product at craft trade shows, at Mole Hole shops around the country, and at local gift shops.

 

In the 1970s, the Clark’s Vesperglas Originals booth was featured in an Arts and Crafts Show held at the Ellwood House in DeKalb.   The booth won the "Best of Show" award.

Despite the Clark’s great success in the craft business, John set those endeavors aside when he began farming 1800 acres near Cassopolis, Michigan with his wife and two sons, Toby and Lincoln.  They named the farm Roseland Organic Farms. 

 

Roseland Organic Farms is one of the first and largest, certified organic beef farms in the Midwest. The Clarks marketed certified organic beef to stores, distributors and individual customers in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. 

John is survived by his wife of 46 years, Merrill, daughter Merry Clark of Los Angeles, CA and sons Toby (Holly) Clark of Cassopolis and Lincoln (Shelly) Clark of Dowagiac, MI and three grandchildren, Emily, 10, Landon, 7, and Grace, 5.

John would be pleased to know that Merrill and their two sons continue to carry on the family business.  In March, Merrill, her three children and three grandchildren attended the 2007 Michigan Organic Conference in East Lansing which was dedicated to John.

Merrill is currently working with the Dean of the College of Natural Resources at Michigan State University to establish an annual "Symposium on the Reducing the Use of Pesticides in Michigan" in John’s memory.

Merrill writes, “John talked at several MSU and organic events over the years on the back-firing of pesticides in the environment and leaned heavily on the fact that chemical pesticide use not necessary for the control of insects or weeds. Given that there is chemical resistance and chemical exposure all over the place now, he was right on target with his knowledge on how those particular chemicals would and do impact the health of the earth and its inhabitants.”

Merrill recently donated three acres to a community theatre group for use in rebuilding its theater building, which had burned down.  Merrill and son Lincoln have been active in the theater group. 

Merrill can be reached by regular mail at 27427, M-60 West, Cassopolis, MI 49031 or via email at macmerrill@aol.com.

John Clark was a great classmate, an accomplished scientist and inventor, a successful farmer, a loving husband and father, and our good friend.  His life has had a positive influence on us all.

 

John Brune Dunmore

May 28, 1938 -- June 30, 1957

 

 

John Brune Dunmore was born on May 28, 1938 in Sycamore, son of Brune and Aileen Dunmore.  He had one sister, Kathleen, who was a year older.  John died on June 30, 1957 as a result of a water skiing accident on the Fox River near St. Charles.  He had just turned 19 years of age.

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Remembering my brother, John Brune

by Kathleen Dunmore Johnston

 

John was born in Sycamore, Il on May 28^th, 1938.  He was the second child of Brune and Aileen Dunmore.  When John and I were young, we had four grandparents, many aunts and uncles, the majority of whom all lived in Sycamore.  Family and family functions were a big part of our early years as we shared birthdays and holidays with relatives.

 

John died on Sunday evening June 30^th, 1957 after a water skiing accident on the previous Saturday afternoon.  He had been out boating and skiing with the Florent boys after working all week for my Dad.  I was working at Henderson’s Department Store when I remember receiving a phone call to come home.  Mom, Dad and I then drove to the St. Charles Hospital where John was taken and to find out what had happened.  John had been placed in an iron lung to assist his breathing but died on Sunday evening.  When we finally returned home, I remember many family members, friends and many of John’s friends coming to the house after receiving word of his passing.  John had just finished his first year at Carroll College in Waukesha, WI where he was a Tau Kappa Epsilon(TKE) pledge

 

John loved Door County, Wisconsin where our Grandfather Dunmore had built a cottage on Green Bay in the late 1930’s.  This was a favorite family vacation place where we fished, went swimming, worked in the woods moving rocks and brush, clearing an area for an addition to the cottage.  We also cut down many dead trees which were then cut  for fire wood in our wood burning stove.  John and I used to carry drinking water from the nearby light house and also from a spring in the local area.  This cottage is now used by the fifth generation of Dunmores.

 

John played drums in the school band and I remember he had a contest with Ronnie Bowman, another drummer, where he broke a drum head for which my parents were asked to pay the damages.  I also remember we had to stay home on Memorial Day Weekend for John to march in the band to get credit for the year.

John was also an outstanding athlete and was a member of the undefeated football team in his senior year.  When I got my driver’s license, I used to pick John and his friends up from football practice.  I never will forget the night he had broken his nose and it was smeared all over his face.  He had re-occurring problems with headaches from this accident in college.

 

John and my Dad enjoyed working on projects together.  I recall them restoring an old canoe using a new product called “fiberglass”.  We used this canoe at the cottage in Wisconsin and John, Sue Safford, Don and myself canoed across Sawyer Harbor(and Don didn’t know I couldn’t swim!!)  Dad had given John an old Jeep for graduation and they had fun fixing it up, painting it white, and John gave many rides to his younger cousins.  During high school, John also had a speed boat and we spent many Sundays on Lake Delavan, usually with Dave Drenckpohl and his family.

These are some of my memories of John’s life.  John’s life was cut short and he has been sorely missed by all of his family.

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Remembering My Friend, John Dunmore

By Gene Behler

 

John Dunmore’s death was tragic.  Of course, you could say that the death of any young person is tragic. However, John’s death was especially tragic.  His future was so very bright.  He had just successfully finished his first year at Carroll College in Wisconsin and looked forward to returning in the fall.  He was in love with a great young lady and looked down the road at the possibility of running the very successful family business after college. 

 

No one really knows exactly what happened that fateful day.  John and John Florent were water skiing behind a boat driven by the late Martin “Jockie” Florent.    Suddenly, John disappeared into the river.  The Florents found him partially submerged in the water.  His neck was broken and he was unconscious.  He was rushed him to Delnor Hospital in St. Charles.  He died the following day.

 

The night John died is indelibly etched in my memory.  On learning of his death, I hurried to the Dunmore’s house on Turner Place.  It was a warm evening.  Mrs. Dunmore was sitting in a chair in the front yard surrounded by friends and family.  Everyone seemed to be almost in shock.  People were talking in hushed tones and you could hear soft sobbing.  The only light came from the street or maybe a yard or porch light.  As I approached Mrs. Dunmore, she looked up at me and smiled.  I put my arms around her but it was almost as if Mrs. Dunmore and her husband, Brune, were consoling and comforting me.  

 

Brune and Aileen Dunmore were some of the most gracious people I have ever known. How they made it through those dark days and kept their sanity is beyond my understanding.  They both have passed away now. 

 

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church was packed with mourners for the funeral.  While I felt honored to be a pallbearer, at the same time it was a painful duty.  I am sure the other pallbearers shared that feeling.  While funerals are supposed to offer closure, I did not feel closure.  For a long time afterwards, many of us struggled with the idea that John Dunmore was no longer with us.   

 

John and I had been close friends throughout high school.  We both were involved with the Student Council and other student activities and we both played on the basketball team.  We often double dated.  John usually drove his parent’s black Olds with the sun visor.  John’s friends were always welcome at the Dunmore house.  I felt almost as comfortable there as I did at my own house. 

 

In my mind’s eye, I can still see John.  This was, of course, in the days before anyone talked of body fat and the word “buff” was not yet in vogue.  Tall, slim, good looking with a shock of dark hair, there was not an ounce of fat on his hard body.  John clearly was buff.  He was a talented athlete who lettered all four years of high school in football and basketball.  He excelled in football and was known as a hard-nosed player who often delivered bone-crushing blows to opponent’s ball carriers. 

 

People looked up to John Dunmore and for good reason.  Yes, he was a physically imposing person.  But his real strength was in his heart and mind…in his intelligence and spirit.  He had the heart and courage of a lion.  At the same time, he was a compassionate man concerned with the well-being of others. 

 

John did not hesitate to stand up and be counted even if he held an unpopular view.  During our junior year, school authorities threatened to expel John for the heinous crime of growing side burns. In those days, facial hair was not permitted. Apparently, it was considered a rebellious act.  This happened in the days before the Beatles and before long hair and sideburns came to prominence.  John was not being rebellious--he just wanted to wear sideburns.  After careful consideration of the consequences, he chose to cut the sideburns.  He was a stand-up guy but he also knew a no-win situation when he saw it. 

 

Had work ethic been a term used in the 1950s, John would have been its poster boy. When he had a job to do, he let nothing get in his way until that task was accomplished and accomplished well.  No one was more dependable or determined than John Dunmore.  You could always count on John.    

 

John dated the same young woman through much of high school and after graduation.  While he never spoke of their plans for the future, when you saw them together there was little question in your mind.  One of my favorite high school pictures is Image #19 in the Class Website Activities photo album. If you go to that image, you will see John, Dave Drenckpohl, Jack Lindstrom and me with our dates at the Sadie Hawkins Dance. I believe it was our sophomore year.  Those were happy, carefree days.  As usual, John is flashing that wonderful boyish grin he so often shared with others.  How could anyone forget that grin?    

 

He was blessed with a loving family.  His parents and sister were among the nicest folks around.  John’s friends were always welcome at his house and treated like adults.

 

John was a good and loyal friend.  His life held such great promise.  He was destined for success as a husband, as a father, as a businessman, and as a community leader.  How sad that he did not have a chance to live up to his potential.

 

John is buried in Mayfield Cemetery north of Sycamore.    

 

John Dunmore was my friend.  For that, I will be forever grateful.