A group of us meet for lunch every couple of months,memories are never forgotten from our childhood.Said to say we lost two good friends,all us remember the good times growing up on one block.There was approximately 15 boys living on each side of the alley,our play ground.We will never forget playing inside new homes that were taking our prairies away from us.
How many kids went to Havliceck,Lincoln,then Morton East High?
I did, but of course, you knew that. Now, Marcy, will you give us any clue as to where your location is? Chances are good, something or another "went down" near there before you arrived, which Senator or I are possibly aware of.
berwynson
How many Kids played softball at Lincoln School at 16th. & Elmwood during the 60's?
Gosh, we all did! In October 1963, I wrecked my7 Mercury on Elmwood and 18th. St., do you remember it? Sometime around there, Sue had banned you for puking in our basement, do you remember that??
I had a half-full bottle of Tequila on the rack behind me, and you demanded I give it to you, which I did. You said, "Hell, I can chug this!"
I swear to God your eyes rotated in opposite directions, and presently, you threw up in the garbage can. That's when she came downstairs and caught us. I think Ted was there. Ask him if he remembers it!
What times they were! berwynson
Tequila hell the cheap scotch also did a number on me sick for a week. I can remember passed out on your basement stairs news year eve your parents came home early,your mother opened the door saw me said excuse me and closed the door. They did put up with plenty of nonsense, and were very nice about our fooling around the house.I remember the neighbor to the south bitching about something we did but was afraid to push the issue.
I would guess we are the only two from Lincoln that are on Berwyn Talk,or some do not want to admit their presence
Hey, Senator, back before then, the guy at Foremost Liquors on Roosevelt carded me, but not you! Before that, we had an old guy who met us out in front, gave him dough plus a couple bucks as the clerk outside watched us through the big front window, guy went in, bought a bottle of Cobb's Creek", cheapest hootch there, came out and gave it to us. then we went to my house to play cards and swill it away. Once, we tried to get my mother's canarybird to try some!! But, Ted and George always went light on the bottle, smarter than us. Bryan, I don't remember drinking at all. Was he younger yet?
Years later, somebody told me, proly Charlie, that Bryan had moved to Phoenix. Meant he was there while we were, but I didn't know. That he came back to Berwyn, screwed up head, some kind of nervous breakdown? I liked the kid! Once, at the light on Austin and Cermak in George's Imperial, first at the light, a nice girl walking across in front of us......you told him say hello to the girl....he said, "Hi-ya, Cu&t"!
Cobb's Creek ruled!!
Byron was always nervous,Came back from Nam real weird did not socialize at all.I have no Idea where he is,I met a guy in wisconsin,he was built like sponge bob and looked like Rodney Dangerfield speaking just like him, that used to work with George and Byron at a GM parts center. Byron was very withdrawn,George was the Bird Man.Always making bird calls in the warehouse.Even his x-wife will not disclose where Byron is located real strange.
Foremost I remember buying Tawny Port,Gallons of Pizzano $1.39,and beer five guards for a $1.00.We drank all the good stuff! Georges father used to send us to Foremost to buy him beer only a small portion made it back to his house, hell we were Freshman them so Charley was a senior? .One afternoon we came back from Foremost.Ray was in the garage with George's father.They both were drinking warm beer from the garage, the old man's hanky was hanging out of the old mans pocket.I don't have any idea why Ray decided to light the hanky on fire!! The old man started to run around the garage hollering "watch your step buster" Finally one of us hosed the old man down, he just said give me my beer, nothing about his hanky.George's mother found out so we were barred form the house.Only lasted a few days!!!!
What we did years ago if we did that today we would all be locked as sex offenders!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have times changed, imagime can't call a girl Bush! today it might not be a girl!!!!!
The other day I was on my parents front porch helping my mother walk in the house,A gentleman walked by and said he was from Berwyn and just walking around.He was from 16th & Elmwood the weather was miserable so by the time I got down the stairs he was gone.Just wondering if he was one of the kids we played ball with at Lincoln?
I can remember a card game up north, driving there in the Thunderbird with a bottle of Cobs Creek,we did get away!!!!!!!!!!
I often wonder if any of the kids we hung out with and played ball with at Lincoln school on 16th.st. ever read this sight? I would like to hear from them if still living, this would have to be in the 60's.I do keep in touch with some, others are dead,quite a few remain.
Charlie sent me the 50th. anniversary of Morton graduation for 1960. Out of around 500, over 100 were dead! That was when I was 68. I asked him names, the twins from 18th and Elmwood, Bruce & Wayne Jensik, both dead. Larry Rempert, Steve Bykowicz, Steve Hanzlik, many others. We be gettin' old, guy!
'Course, I didn't graduate with my class, thanks to Grace Elliot. Went an extra semester. They mailed me my diploma. Bad year, that Senior year.
The Jensik twins died at 45 years old, when their younger brother turned 45 he also died.He had medical problems from Nam,that didn't help his situation.Was at the parents anniversary two weeks before they each died, hard to believe this happened. There appears to be some type of tragedy in most everyones life.The sad part is even if I was nose to nose with one of the kids from Lincoln would not recognize who they were! Did manage to meet several old class mates from Morton our music brought us together.I really enjoy visiting with them.
I would wager that many of the kids we grew up with read Berwyn Talk!
Hope you had an enjoyable Christmas, old buddy!
We must be the only kids that grew up in Berwyn!!!!!!!!
I grew up in Berwyn, but not till the 60's-70's!
We would play softball at Lincoln School during the 60's,all went to Morton East a few went to West.The 70's we were all married, by the eighties some divorced, some deceased, some remained others moved out.I have been in berwyn almost seventy years with no plans on moving, love those bungalows!! have a Yellow Octagon Bungalow second home all refurbished great neighbors.As much as I bitch I love the area and all the bull shit.Where can one find anything better?
A relative youngster, compared to Senator and I! The '60s were a great time for us in Berwyn. I finished a 2-year degree at DeVry Tech up on Belmont Ave., worked for Motorola in Forest Park for three days, and quit, having spent drudgery-like shifts moving slowly sideways adjusting the color electron guns in T-V sets on a conveyor belt, summer, 1963.
Victor Mfg. & Gasket Co. on Roosevelt Rd. hired me as a Development Technician on Sept. 23, 1963. Best job I have ever had. Quit
in '72, moved to desert southwest, finished college, wound up divorced, took a job in Colorado, then returned to Victor as Facilities Engineer at the Oil Seal Plant in Indiana. There I met a little lady in '78, we married, took a good position in Phoenix, AZ. We are together today, still, almost 40 years later.
I've missed Berwyn, because it represents my youth. Born & raised there, lived there for my first 30 years.
berwynson
I think my mom may have worked at Victor Gasket, but not until the 70's, that name sound familiar. Like I said, I grew up in Berwyn in the 60-70's, graduated from Morton East.
Got married, moved to the western suburbs, got divorced, moved back to Berwyn, sold the family house and moved further out into the western suburbs.
I still go to the Larry Dominick, I mean houby parade! Stop at the bakery to get some hotdogs in a bun.
It's not the same Berwyn I grew up in!
Funny thing mentioning Victor Gasket, my grandmother worked there for many years, she used to car pool with a group of women from Lyons. Haven't been to a Hobby parade in years'used to be all Czcek not any more, which I find is a bunch of bowlshit. But the Czechs moved out so what can we expect.Berwyn is just fine, people are people, I have been here for years so far everything is good.Where can a person move and not find something wrong? Veseckys Bakery is still in business, at times the bakery can be old, my neighbor owned Jim's Meat Market across from Freddie's on 16th.Street used to make good hotdogs for Veseckys.Next time in town try Old Fashioned Candies on Cermak road north side west of Lomdard.Do not waste your time going to any of the Czech restaurants in the area all are bad!
Many of the kids we played ball with had younger brothers and sisters who would come to Lincoln School.Most of us were all from North Berwyn,we played in the alleys, rode bikes together and played tag.
I lived on the south side of Berwyn, closer to Ogden. We had a lot of kids on our block and surrounding blocks, played kickball on the corner or in the alley, we new everyone's name on the block. I still see a couple of them, and have found a few more on Facebook. We spent plenty of summers at the pool at 31st and East, we could walk there. My mom would send me there with 25 cents, .10 for the locker, and .15 for a snack afterwards.
Since Ogden was in close proximity, I remember Winkies on the corner of Ogden and Ridgeland, next to the Convenient Store. There was a Texaco gas station on Ogden and Gunderson, then it was a Pepe's, and now the laundromat. I remember Golden Rexall Drug store. The old White Castle, and then building the new one in the parking lot while the old one stayed open. Sitting outside the McDonalds eating cheese burgers. The Big Boy drive in, then restaurant, that ended up burning down, my parents always thought that was suspicious. I used to go to Vern's when I was old enough to own a car, and smart enough to fix it on my own.
Then the was Uptown, going to Schoen McAllisters to buy Cub/Boy Scout supplies. Going to the toy section at Raikes, the Blue Fountain restaurant for cream of chicken soup. And the hobby store to buy American Flyer train stuff.
Sheesh, I'm old!
Everything you say brings back memories,Texaco station owned by two brothers used to by auto parts from Vern at Chicago Auto Parts.I worked for Vern delivering parts during the summer up and down Ogden Ave.Kenny was the other driver.Big Boy was a hang out for drivers setting up drag races,White Castle was the same.East of White Castle was another drive in we used to cruise through then east down Ogden to Henrys Hot Dogs,last I think was Dog and Suds across the street.Windsor Hobbies was a favorite spot,Bob Soucek was the owner and new all of us kids.During the summer we used to hand out there and Colonial Camers bought all our Cameras from a model Railroader who worked there by the name of Karl.
Everything you say brings back memories,Texaco station owned by two brothers used to buy auto parts from Vern at Chicago Auto Parts.I worked for Vern delivering parts during the summer up and down Ogden Ave.Kenny was the other driver.Big Boy was a hang out for drivers setting up drag races,White Castle was the same.East of White Castle was another drive in we used to cruise through then east down Ogden to Henrys Hot Dogs,last I think was Dog and Suds across the street.Windsor Hobbies was a favorite spot,Bob Soucek was the owner and knew all of us kids.During the summer we used to hang out there and Colonial Camera bought all our Cameras from a model Railroader who worked there by the name of Karl. Been in South Berwyn 45years
On Lombard and 16th. St., NE corner, there was a Texaco station long ago, owned by a retired vet named Herb Felthouse. He called himself a "wooden-shoes", and walked with a limp, war injury. His two bays had pits to work under the cars. I don't recall any other stations with pits, which eventually were outlawed. Herb's Texaco had no lift for cars, that I remember. My brother in law worked for him awhile, when I was 6 years old, 1948. Across the street was a Shell station, north side.
By that time, there were few vacant building lots left in Berwyn. Two were on Harvey, NW corner of 16th. St. New homes were built on them. One snowy slippery night, George took the corner too fast off 16th. onto Harvey, slid his Imperial up on the grass in front, got stuck. As I heard it, Berwyn Senator was shoving & pushing, while George tried to get moving. Owner came out front door, raving, Senator yelled back, "Don't stand there bitching, help us push!" Poor George is now dead, I hear.
Remember that one, Senator?
I will never forget, remember Herb my parents used to go by him.The lots we used to play army in soon new homes were built they were a magnet for kids. George passed away 2 years ago heart attack, hell he was in better shape then all of us.We meet once each year for dinner with his wife,Charlie,Ted,and I. She now can laugh about some of the stories about the Imperial,She was going out with George and did hang with us all before they got married, best thing that happened to George! That Imperial spent just as much time on the curbs as it did on the street. One evening we were looking for George,he wasn't home we new something was up.Drove two blocks from his house cops all over,we spotted the Imperial up on a curb smashed into a house.George was laughing, cops couldn't get a straight answer from him as to what happened, we parked and got out Charlie was laughing like only he can.There were several girls in the car finally we helped get the car off the curb, we convinced the cops to give him only one ticket if he paid for the damage on the house. Lucky for George the home owner was not home.When we got back to Georges house he told us one of the girls was driving{no license no insurance under age} Over to foremost back to his house pulled the car in the alley George started putting roof cement on one of the big dents.We were soon off riding around!!! We never worried about anything except wine and wheels!
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How about the 54 Pontiac? Straight Eight, four doors, four kids fit in the back seat, three in the front.We would cruise the neighborhood turning the ignition key off and on back firing the tank.The sound was like gun fire, we went down Riverside drive bang, bang.all the way up until the tracks Uh!Oh! the police were waiting for us!Charlie started cussing in the car, the others laughted.The police approached pistols drawn, we all put our hands up, asking what is the problem officer? All of you punks get out of the car we obeyed,where is the gun they wanted to know? Officer there is no gun we were just having car trouble and trying to get home,search the car if you like.The cop stuck his head in the car and backed out smells like vinegar! we forgot George had tossed his cookies after too much wine and tried to use vinegar to clean up the smell the day before.None of us could hold a straight face, officer can we go now ? His exact words get this piece of shit out of Berwyn if catch any of you again your going to the station.In the car ready to go the battery was dead so I begged the officer for a jump.Bitching and swearing he helped us the car started with a bang and off we were.Over to Foremost then Burcals on Roosevelt for cheap gas 24.9 per gallon. headed into Riverside car back firing all the way! George was 15 no drivers license,we were younger, the car was bought for $25 dollars. No way this could happen today!!!!
When we were very young, cowboys and indians were played in the vacant lots.We would strap on our holsters and six guns and off we would go.For hours we would run around the lot firing our cap guns, can anyone imagine doing this today?
I am most interested in what happened to the kids we used to hang around with? I did receive a note from a Patricia Stuart whom we went to Grammar school with would like to reconnect with her but misplaced her address! the mind is not as sharp as it was.Have been in touch with several High School pals but none from Lincoln school.
I had previously requested that any kids we played ball with contact me, well unfortunately I learned George Krejci pass.Also Rich Kennedy and most recently Bob Vashinko also passed. It seems like yesterday we were all at the ball field playing our championship game!!!!!!!!!
Every time I pass Lincoln School on 16th. Street,I think all the ball games and kids we hung out with.I hate seeing the huge addition taking up our old ball field. Most of us walked to Lincoln while older kids drove every evening, we played until dark leaving the game to be continued the next day. These games continued until the weather stopped us. When spring came back we were playing baseball at Lincoln.I can still remember all of the kids, positions each played, who could hit the ball on the third roof. I guess such memories don't matter to most which are much younger. When we took our bikes, baseball bats were held across our handle bars others carried the softball riding with one hand. Later on Berwynson would drive up with his 1955 Mercury, bats and 14 inch rubber coated soft ball. A new type of game came into play!!