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Safe Havens
My memories of Downers Grove are filled with the good people my husband (Kenneth) and I were fortunate to know over 39 years. We came to Downers Grove with our three children not knowing anyone outside of our family. We bravely started our own flower shop (Heritage House) not knowing if we were going to make it or not. But little by little the dear smiling faces of encouragement lifted our spirits to go on. We purchased our home in 1968 and Downers Grove became our town. There were many ups and downs along the way, but the people gave us courage. Our church, Immanuel, was our safe haven and the Downers Grove National Bank stood behind us all the way. The friends we made over the years will always make me feel blessed! Thank you Downers Grove.
Jeanne Nelson
A Friendly Village
Downers Grove feels like a small, friendly village to me. I was leaving the library one day holding a tall stack of books and Joyce Saricks took the top one off the stack, saying “You don’t need this one – you already read it!” Nice personal attention.
I went to the Tivoli to see Dances with Wolves, a very long movie. In the middle of the movie I asked the manager if I could come tomorrow to see the end of the movie. The manager said, “Certainly.” I asked if I should keep my stub and the manager said, “Don’t worry. We know you.”
Susan Shields
Welcoming Places and Faces
When we moved to Downers Grove in 1962, one of the first places we visited was the library. It looked so nice and welcoming that I expressed my delight to the first person I saw behind the desk. She happened to be Carol Steckmesser, who smiled broadly and said, “Well, thank you. My husband, George, designed this building.” That was the beginning of a long and happy relationship with the Downers Grove Library. I ended up working there, in Circulation, for 14 years.
When we moved to our home on Middaugh Ave. I was delighted to learn that Carol and George lived up the street, as well as Betty and Art Johnson (Betty was another long-time librarian). Both homes were designed by George in a distinctive and modern style. The Steckmesser house still stands, but the Johnson house is being replaced.
My neighbors in the Middaugh and 59th St. area were (and are) the best! When all our children were growing up and they gravitated to one or another of our houses or yards, they were that neighbor’s children for as long as they visited. We all seemed to subscribe to that idea without even talking about it much at the time.
We had neighborhood potluck parties sometimes on holidays like the Fourth of July. We even had a Fifth of July party once to eat up all the leftovers!
Nancy Goodman
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