This blog features articles from the pages of “The Winfield Glimpses” newspaper. I have been reading a collection of the papers that span from the 1950’s to the 1970’s (and now the 40’s thanks to the microfilm at the Winfield Library). I’m constantly finding interesting articles that reveal the history and personality of our village. I post items that I think are worth sharing, including articles, photos and advertising. New articles are up on this site three times each week (Mon, Wed, Fri).
Thanks for stopping by,
kevin F schramer
Here’s a picture of me hard at work, preparing the next post…
Glimpses of Winfield 
I absolutely love this blog – thank you for doing it! I live along the creek and have been digging for old pictures of Winfield, history, even looked at the census reports to see the history of my home – if any. I grew up in one of the original farm houses in Westmont and my mom later became curator to the town museum. Apparently my “thirst for old town history” is in my genes. 🙂
you’re welcome and i love putting the blog together. I’ll keep it up until I run out of stories (should be awhile ;))
Winfielder – did you write you remember the story about Bobby Bly frm Winfield?
I don’t remember a story about Bobby Bly. What was it and when? I’ll keep my eye out for it.
Jan 6 1966 Bobby Lee Bly was struck & killed by a train while coming home for lunch. I’ve searched and can’t find it but it was clearly noteworthy. I’ve seen references to the ‘tragedy’ but not the few articles and pictures. Let me know please.
I’ll go through my collection and see if I can find the story.
Awesome, Thank You. now it could have been 1967 but I think it was 66. It was my brother and we were young so it’s kinda blurry. My mother passed away and I have a box of her things so maybe there is an old Winfield paper in there. Let me know please.
Awesome, Thank You. now it could have been 1967 but I think it was 66. It was my brother and we were young so it’s kinda blurry. My mother passed away and I have a box of her things so maybe there is an old Winfield paper in there. Let me know please.
It was Friday, January 6, 1967. I was only four years old then, but I remember that night older kids in the neighborhood (like the Murnanes and maybe the Russos) came to my parents door and told us about the accident.
From the Mt. Vernon Register (1/7/67, page 1):
Winfield, Ill. (AP) – Bobbie Bly, 11, of Winfield, was killed Friday when he fell beneath the wheels of a Chicago & North Western Railway freight train at the Church Street crossing in Winfield.
Suzy, our family will never forget the day Bobby was killed. When I walk down Jewell Rd (where your house was located)and whenever I am at the train station, I think of your family. There is a brief mention of this tragedy in the DEC 2010 blog archives in the article, “goodbye 60, hello 70.” You were in my class and my older sister was in Steve’s. My mom still lives in our childhood home..since 1959!
I very much enjoyed perusing your blog and seeing pictures of relatives.
thanks joe, I’m glad you liked it
Hi, I grew up in Winfield (1961 to 1972; age 3 through Jr. High) and have been working in Tokyo for the past 30 years. Just discovered your blog — what fun. And really makes me homesick! Thanks for all the work it must be.
Recently ‘bumped into’ an old kindergarten classmate from Winfield Public School on Facebook! Reminiscing led to scanning our class picture and making a simple website for other classmates to leave comments, share photos, etc. It’s not from the Glimpses (though I did ‘borrow’ a Glimpses illustration of the school for the web page) but I thought it might be worthy of a post on your blog?
Thanks!
Our family, the Keeley’s lived in Winfield from 1962-1972. We had twelve children so were well known in town. I loved growing up in Winfield and have so many good memories. After Winfield we moved to West Chicago and I kept in touch with my friends in high school. Our 8th grade class at was the last graduating class before the middle school opened. Tim S. was in the afternoon kindergarten class but my brother and I were in the morning class with Mrs. Dunnett so we knew the same kids in first grade and on. She must have made a good impression on me because I became a first grade teacher! Thank you for your blog.
Tim,
I love your picture. I was in the same kindergarten, only the other class. So many people I know in your picture. Kinda makes me want to dig out my old school pictures too….
Your name is crazy familiar to me. I likely knew you. My name is Suzanne (Suzy) Bly. I had two brothers, Bobby & Steve. Do you recognize our names ?
Yep! I think you were in my class. Or at least I knew you pretty well. I lived in the second house in on Jefferson just around the corner from you guys. Some kid had picked on you and Bobby came after me and was about to punch me in the nose when you caught up with him and said, “No, no, Bobby. Not him!” Saved my life — I’ll be forever grateful 🙂 The accident was such a shock to all us kids. I’m sure it was devastating to your poor family.
Are you on Facebook? If I could see your face I could place you. Bobby often came to my rescue and I loved him dearly for it. I’m glad I was able to save you from a good whippin from Bobby. Yes, the accident was devastating. Perhaps more than most imagine.
Are you still in Tokyo? What do you do?
Tim, I was younger than you, but I lived up the street, on the circle at the corner of Jefferson and Bolles. I lived in Tokyo for ten years 1985 to 1995, and I am fluent. I lived in Nishi-Ogikubo and Shin-Kemigawa (near Makuhari). Where do you live?
Hi Joe,
お久しぶりですね！
I remember you well — unfortunately because the older kids on the block used to tease the younger kids (you!) pretty mercilessly. Let me apologize for that in retrospect now that we are older and wiser.
Amazing two kids from Jefferson St. ended up in Japan. What were you doing here? For most of our time here we’ve lived in Nerima Ku, three stops out of the ‘mega station’ Ikebukuro.
I’ve got a buddy (Canadian video producer) who lives in Nishi-Ogikubo, and my boy was born in the SDA hospital in Ogikubo — they were the only hospital in Tokyo we could find that would let the dad be in the delivery room. Now (30+ years later) its standard practice.
I have vague memories of the older kids being rough on me, but the only vivid memory I have is you older kids up in a tree doing the “I know you are, but what am I” thing. Kind of a mild thing. Anyway, I outgrew my lonely only child syndrome and had a great time in high school doing theater and music (in part thanks to the friendship of the older sister of the guy who runs this forum). It shaped the rest of my life.
I taught English in Japan for a few years, and then got a job at a subsidiary of the trading company Itochu. Near the end of my stint in Japan, I met my wife. She is from Kagoshima, but had been living in Tokyo since going to college at Ochanomizu Univ. During the most recent 10 years, I have mostly gone to Kagoshima (not Tokyo), since that is where her parents live. I work for a Mitsubishi company whose main factory is in Wakayama, so I mostly go to Wakayama and Kagoshima these days. However, I do occasionally visit my company’s office in Tokyo (Marunouchi). Last year I stayed at the Mercure hotel in Ginza, and actually had time on Saturday morning to revisit Nishi-Ogikubo and Kichijoji (Inokashira Park). My kids both speak Japanese; they are 18 and 21 now. My son is about to head over for a post high school graduation trip from Kagoshima to Tokyo with three of his friends. We are planning to be in Kagoshima this coming New Year’s.
How about you?
Kevin, love the blog, I visit every week. Like Mr. Selander, I was also a member of the 1963 Winfield Public School kindergarten class, but I was in the morning class, and the class picture he posted, features the kids who attended the afternoon session. Many of those pictured became my classmates in the first grade at St. John’s, the following year.
I was however, on the same little league as Tim. We were team mates on the 1967 Minor Cards, and had our team picture in the 6/28/67 edition of the Glimpses. Which brings me to the point of my reply, how about a week dedicated to the 1960’s Winfield Boys Baseball Association? In addition to the 1967 Minor Cards, I would also feature the 1968 Major Braves (6/12/68). Just a suggestion.
Thanks again for doing this!
Hey Scott,
Glad you’re enjoying the blog….i’ll try and round up some baseball stuff for you…I aim to please!
I enjoy this blog. I am related to the Schlick & Dalieden families of Winfield. My family were members of St Johns Church.
This is a great blog! Thank you so much! What a treasure Donna gave you. I lived on East Street, just a few houses down from the Keeley’s. Winfield was a wonderful place to grow up! I had Mrs. Dunnet in kindergarten too, and Mrs. Baumgartner for 1st. Yes, we walked to school everyday and usually came home (walking) for lunch. I love the memories these articles bring back! By the mid 70’s we also read the West Chicago Press. Both papers went with me to college.
I remember marching in the first Good Ole Days parade. I remember the old fire barn. I remember the Bobby Bly tragedy. I remember the old house on the NE corner of Winfied and Beecher, and the old house we used to call haunted on the SW corner of Beecher and Church. I remember Boies Hill, the old Enders home, the hospital before all the renovations and Morken’s grocery.
Keep up the posts, and thank you so much!
Karen Lapp Gerber
Hey Karen. I just saw your comment of remembering my brother. Thank you for that.
I will never forget.
This brings back a lot of memories and I remember when Bob Bly was killed I was in class with Sue Bly, it was very tragic.
Hi Karen! How nice to see a reply from you since we’re now “related” through Erin and Steve. You have a great memory. I can remember all the places you write about here. We were still going back to Boies Hill even after I was newly married!
Hey Sue!
If you have a fb we should connect there….:)
I’d love to catch up!
Hi Karen, How r u
Hi Tim! Doing well, thank you. Are you still in the area?
Hello to my old classmates…seems many class of ’72 alum have found this blog. I stumbled on it accidentally. Our family moved to Winfield in 1959 on Jewell Rd. Mom is still there and I visit once a year and am somewhat saddened by the changes in our little village. As I look at the old articles and photos, I am reminded of what an idyllic town we were raised. I am fortunate to have all my class photos from WPS and could still point out Suzy, Sue, Tim K, Tim S, & Karen. I’m not on any social media (my choice), but I do email. Would love to know who this Blog author, Kevin Schramer is and what is his connection to Winfield. Enjoyed the articles about building a Winfield High School on High Lake Rd. Many years of debate on the issue and now the swampland is loaded with townhouse developments. Blessed to have gone to WPS K-8 with wonderful teachers and classmates. Thanks, Kevin for posting.
Please…continue the good work.
who i am and my connection to winfield is revealed throughout the past pages of the blog. read on!
Maureen! Wow. You are one of the ones I was hoping to someday, somehow, get in contact with again! (Along with Mike Quirin and Bobby J.) The internet is pretty amazing.
When my wife and I were ‘home’ in 2013 for a visit, I drove her over to Winfield Public to show her where I went to school. When we drove by your house on Jewell, I pointed at it and told her, “That’s where Maureen lived. She was one of my best friends in kindergarten!”
Been a long, long time since we were 5 year olds in Mrs. Dunnett’s class! Hope life has been kind to you.
Doesn’t look like we can get emails from WordPress…. if you’re interested (of course, perfectly OK if you’re not) try sending an email to selander (the usual mark) tkf (period) att (p.) ne (p.) jp
Tim