USA > Illinois > Jasper County > Sainte Marie > History of Sainte Marie, Saint Mary's Church and Sainte Marie Township, Precincts 1 and 2, Jasper County, Illinois, celebrating [the quasquicentennial] Sept. 1, 2, 3, 1962 > Part 4
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Charles Herchel Valbert Clarence W. Wade Clyde E. Wade
Peter Victor Burgund
George Audrew Dallmier
World War II War Veterans St. Valentines Cemetery
George Geiger, Pvt., Hq., 8 Army Corps. Edward W. Klueg, Pvt., Co. 1, 1 Bn., 160 D. B. Paul J. Mccullough, 1st Lt., Co. B, 130 Inf., 33 Div. Eugene F. Michl, Sgt., Co. A, 311 Signal B. N.
As in all wars prison camps are bad. Andersonville Prison, Andersonville, Georgia, during the Civil War came into existence in February, 1864, under conditions which made it inevitable that it would become the worst of the lot. Lieutenant Xavier Picquet and Joseph Shedlebower of Sainte Marie were two of the prisoners there. There was little food and less water. The men were actua starving for water. They started digging on a hill side in the hope of finding water. Without question many were praying.
A bolt of lightning struck the hill side and water gushed forth and to this day is fresh spring water gushing forth.
Providence Spring
The prisoners cry rang up to heaven. God heard and His thunder cleft the earth And poured His sweetest water gushing here.
The above historical data taken from American Heri- tage, August, 1959, and Leaflet from Andersonville Prison Park, Andersonville, Ga.
Korean War
In trying to find the names of the Korean War vet- erans, we found it utterly impossible to get them correct- ly. Many young men who were in uniform and in the armed forces for some time were not considered a Korean War veteran. So we gave it up.
However, any young man who has been in the armed forces has our sincerest admiration.
American Legion and Post Home
When World War I was over and the American Legion was formed in 1919, the war veterans from Sainte Marie joined Post 20 in Newton. There were possibly 12 of them.
After the World War II veterans came home, it be- came evident the veterans of Sainte Marie and surround- ing territory needed a Post Home of their own.
An American Legion post for Sainte Marie was dis- cussed in December of 1945 with the first organizational meeting being held in the Sainte Marie School. The first membership cards were issued under date of Dec. 17, 1945, and were for the year 1946.
H. T. Kirts was elected the first post commander. A post charter was applied for Dec. 13, 1945, with Howard Fehrenbacher, Dan Ochs, Leonard Menke, Louis Kirts, Noah Bahl, Andrew Bolander, Charles Curtright, Ralph Curtright, Robert O'Brien, Joseph P. Strutner, Oscar Strutner, Charles A. Frauli, Edward W. Faltemier, George Derler and Joseph E. Barthelme as charter members.
The post was incorporated Nov. 17, 1949, under the "General, not for profit" corporation act of the State of Illinois, with M. R. Brackett, Harry Hunzinger, Leonard Menke, Louis Kirts and Howard Fehrenbacher as the first board of directors.
In the fall of 1949 the members hit upon the idea of building and owning their own post home. Up to now, they had been meeting in the room above the Alblinger & Kirts hardware store. Donations for the building cost were taken up among the members and other interested persons and lot No. 14 in block "C" was donated by J. J. Alblinger, H. T. Kirts and L. C. Kirts.
After construction was completed more funds were needed to pay outstanding bills, and a mortgage was given to the Sainte Marie Bank for the amount borrowed, for a period of five years payable in installments.
In 19 months on Aug. 29, 1951, or 41 months ahead of the due date, this mortgage was paid in full. On Wednesday, Nov. 14, 1951, the post held a mortgage- burning ceremony, with Auxiliary members and their husbands, the Town Board, and a bank representative as guests. The mortgage was burned in the old tin hat Louis Spannagel wore in combat during World War I. A real party was held with free food and drinks, and a dance in the evening.
The post continued to grow in membership, as also did the Legion Auxiliary unit, making the building on occasions too small to accommodate the crowd. At the first meeting in January, 1954, a motion was brought before the post to build an addition to the building. The motion was voted on, and carried by a vote of 38 to 4.
At this time, Lawrence Hartrich was commander. A. building committee was appointed. Paul Hartrich was chairman, and Joe Strutner, Joe Barthelme, Leonard Menke and Paul Bogard were selected as the other mem- bers. The new addition added 30 feet to the Legion Home.
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Stanley R. Hynes Paul George Hunzinger Harry Elden C. Hunzinger Richard A. Hunzinger Leroy Huss Ralph Harold Huber
Lawrence C. Huber
George M. Keller John M. Miller
Greetings From Dot's Beauty Shop Sainte Marie, Ill.
Ruge' Fashion Shoppe
Newton's Leading Ladies Ready-to-Wear
West Side Square Newton, Illinois
Compliments Of Mont Eagle Mills Inc.
Phone 1221
Oblong, Ill.
Mason True Blue Gas Co.
Oblong Appliance & Furniture Co. Call Us Collect In Oblong, Ill.
Gaffner's
For Drugs & Jewelry Olney, Illinois
Compliments and Best Wishes From
Burton's Store
Oblong, Ill.
Best Wishes to a Fine Community for a Successful Quasquicentennial Floyd's Place Oblong, Ill.
O. A. Davis Newton, Ill.
Real Estate, Farm Management, Appraisals Sales, Farm & City Properties Office 3rd Door North of First Nat'l. Bank Neil Strole, Salesman O. A. Davis, Prop.
Jos A. Boos & Son
Dry Goods and Clothing Newton, Ill.
Compliments Of Rauch's Jewelry
Southwest Corner Square, Newton, Illinois
Compliments Of Parklanes Bowling Center and Dining Room Newton, Ill.
Where Quality Meets Economy Sims Furniture Store Furniture - Rugs - Bedding Magic Chef and Tappan Ranges Newton, Ill.
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The basement also was extended equally, making room for a fully equipped kitchen, which the Legion Auxiliary furnished.
Orville Collings donated the digging of the basement and post members gave their labor, working whenever they could. The American Legion Home of Post 932 in Sainte Marie was made into a building any small town would be proud to have.
The Legion this year has reached a new high in mem- bership, 151 members, and that figure in a town of 400 inhabitants is something to be proud of. Donald C. Spitzer was the 1961-62 commander with Patrick J. Moran in- stalled July 2, 1962.
The above historical facts were taken from the min- utes of American Legion Post 932, Sainte Marie, Illinois, Jasper County. The two men from our community who died while in the service during World War II were: William Ochs, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Ochs, and Virgil Ederer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Ederer.
Francis Schwager lost his life in the Korean conflict, and Charles Rodgers overseas.
Commanders of Post 932
1945-46 H. T. Kirts, W. W. 2, Sainte Marie, Ill.
1946-47 Edward Faltemier, W. W. 2, Livingston, Ill.
1947-49 Paul Hartrich, W. W. 2, Sainte Marie, Ill.
1949-50 Otis Maxwell, W. W. 2, Brookane, Ill.
1950-51 1951-52 1952-53 1953-54
Harold Hartrich, W. W. 2, Sainte Marie, Ill. Louis Spannagel, W. W. 2, Willow Hill, Ill. Maynard R. Brackett, W. W. 2, Newton, Ill.
Lawrence Hartrich, W. W. 2, Sainte Marie, Ill.
1954-55 Riley Chapman, W. W. 2, Willow Hill, III. 1955-56 James A. Geltz, Korean, West Liberty, Ill. Leonard Menke, W. W. 1, West Liberty, Ill. Irenaeus D. Kocher, Korean, Sainte Marie, Ill.
1956-57 1957-58 1958-59 L. D. Robins, W. W. 2, West Liberty, Ill.
1959-60 George W. Moran, W. W. 2, Sainte Marie, Ill.
1960-61 James J. Cunningham, Korean, Sainte Marie, Ill.
1961-62 Donald C. Spitzer, W. W. 2.
1962-63 Patrick J. Moran, Korean, Sainte Marie, Ill. Installed July 2, 1962.
American Legion Auxiliary Post 932
With the full-fledged and flourishing American Legion Post in town, it was soon evident that a Legion Auxiliary would be a great asset. A meeting was held in the Alblinger and Kirts Hall in January, 1949, and on Feb. 2, 1949, an application for a charter was made. There were 14 charter members: Mrs. Georgiana Brown, Marjorie Barthelme, Marie Curtright, Elizabeth Geltz, Lucie Hart- rich, Clara Hartrich, Romona Hunzinger, Viola Keller, Martha Kocher, Frances Menke, Geneva Shedlebower, Marcella Strutner, Agnes Strutner and Olivia Sheridan.
The new Unit adopted the name, Sainte Marie Unit Post 932. Mrs. Christine Rockemeyer, district director, Mt. Vernon, installed the following officers for the first year of the new American Legion Auxiliary: President, Mrs. Clara Hartrich; vice-president, Mrs. Frances Menke; secretary, Mrs. Geneva Shedlebower; treasurer, Mrs. Agnes Strutner; chaplain, Mrs. Martha Kocher; sergeant- at-arms, Mrs. Lucie Hartrich; historian, Mrs. Olivia Sheridan.
Miss Joan Kirts, daughter of H. T. and Lena Kirts, was the first junior sent to Girls' State at Jacksonville, III.
At the close of 1950 there were 63 members in the Auxiliary. Mrs. Dorothy Huber, past president as dele- gate attended the American Legion Auxiliary convention in Chicago, Aug. 6-9.
Sainte Marie Auxiliary has been 100% and quota every year since its beginning, averaging 36 members per meeting. The unit now has grown to 111, a grand exam- ple of what a small town with determination to grow, can do. Through the years Sainte Marie Auxiliary has enter- tained guests from Newton, Olney, Robinson, Effingham, Breese, Carlyle, Mt. Vernon, Mt. Carmel, Annapolis and Lawrenceville. One of the members, Mrs. Louis Span- nagel has attended every meeting of the past 12 years.
Past Auxiliary presidents are: Mrs. Clara Hartrich, 1949; Mrs. Dorothy Huber, 1949-50; Mrs. Olivia Sheridan, 1950-51; Mrs. Agnes Strutner, 1951-52; Mrs. Maxine Hart- riclı, 1952-53; Mrs. Martha Kocher, 1953-54; Mrs. Mabel Grove, 1954-55; Mrs. Lucy Hartrich, 1955-56; Mrs. Verma Elder, 1956-57; Mrs. Grace Ochs, 1957-58; Mrs. Regina Faltemier, 1958-59; Mrs. Johnnie Moran, 1959-60; Mrs. Renee Spitzer, 1960-61; Mrs. Lenore Spannagel, 1961-62.
Girls who were sent to Girls State at Jacksonville, Ill., by the Auxiliary were Joan Kirts, Sylvia Ann Geltz, Joan McCormack, Joyce Alblinger, Patsy Reis, Marilyn Beaver, Nancy Hartrich, Shirley Stone, Marjorie Keller, Mary Ruth Hartrich, Ann Moran and Celeste Schmidt.
Besides sending a girl to Girls State each year to learn, the Auxiliary sponsors many worthwhile projects. They decorate the war veterans' graves on Memorial Day. They are active in child welfare, care for a boy at Dewey Cottages, have a clothing drive each year for the under- privileged children and disaster areas of the United States. They do many things for war veterans and sell veterans' crafts each year. They also take part in cancer programs in the county and have many interesting and informative speakers through the year.
The Auxiliary is not all work and business. They have fun as well with Halloween dances, Christmas par- ties, gift exchange, Legion birthday supper and dance, potluck supper with entertainment, sings and auctions.
Our membership includes members from West Liber- ty, Dundas, Willow Hill and the Bend as well as Sainte Marie.
Sainte Marie has always had the name of being a most friendly place and co-operative, too. May the Auxiliary help to keep it so.
On June 11, 1962, at the regular American Legion Auxiliary meeting the following officers were elected, for 1962-1963: President, Evelyn Kocher; vice-president, Betty Ochs; secretary, Renee Spitzer; treasurer, Mary Hartrich; chaplain, Regina Faltemier; historian, Lenore Spannagel; sergeant-at-arms, Hilda Dallmier.
Sainte Marie Tribune 1906 (Sainte Marie Market Corrected Every Thursday)
Wheat per bushel
$ .80
Hay per ton 8.00
Corn per bushel-new
.34
Oats per bushel .26
1
Flour per cwt. 2.50 I
Corn Meal per bushel
.60
Potatoes per bushel
.80
Onions per bushel
.75
Eggs per dozen
.13
1
L
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Compliments Of
ED. BARTHELME'S
SONS STORE
Sainte Marie, Ill.
Compliments Of
TONY'S TAVERN
Sainte Marie, Ill.
Compliments Of
OLNEY COCA-COLA
BOTTLING CO.
Olney, Ill.
Compliments Of
D. D. HAMILTON SALVAGE YARD
Dealers in Oil Field Scrap,
Structural Pipe and Rods.
Hi-Way 130-South Edge of Newton, Ill.
Bus. Phone 130
Res. Phone 445
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Breakfast Bacon per 1b. .13
Country Lard per lb. .10
Hams, country cured, per lb. .15
Country Bacon per lb. .08
Shoulder per lb. .08 I 1
Butter, country, per lb. 1 .16
Butter, creamery, per 1b.
1
.30
Chickens --- Hens per lb. .09
Turkeys per lb. .13 1
Turkey Gobblers per 1b. .13
Ducks per lb. .07
Rye per bushel
.60
Land Worth 200 Times Cost
Sainte Marie is essentially a farming community. Many of the land owners can trace back for four or five generations the land belonging to the same family.
Much of this land has increased in value more than 200 times its original priec of $1.25 per acre paid by the founding fathers. With one son or daughter taking over the farm, the others would have to look for work or busi- ness ventures elsewhere. That is one reason why Sainte Marie hasn't grown in size and so many fine young people have been lost to the community.
With the older generations continually taking erops off the land and never putting anything back, yields were getting to a dangerous low. Then the younger genera- tion, with their knowledge of limestone, phosphate and fertilizers, again brought the land back to its original fertility. Once again, the farming area looks like, as the early history books described it, "the fertile prairies of Illinois"
River Bottom Farm Land Development
The early settlers chose the low bluff along the River, Enibarras (English, one "s") with broad river bottom land above and below for a settlement of Sainte Marie. A wise selection, but times changed in the course of 90 years. The clearing and drainage of land throughout the river drainage basin brought increased flooding and made much of the land worthless.
In 1919 interested eitizens got together on the prob- lom of flooding which resulted in the formation of two drainage and levee districts above and below Sainte Marie, The Captain Pond District was developed under Commis- sioners Anthony Reis, Ferd Hartrich and Frank Kraus and the Sainte Marie District under Alex Ritz, Leas Litzelman and James Kaufmann. The levees served their purpose for about 40 years, but additional upland drain- age brought more frequent and higher floods.
The program of the Wabash Valley Association on flood control became popular. This was a plan by the Army Engineers to construct reservoirs upstream to im- pound flood waters. In 1959 the Jasper County chapter of the Wabash Valley Association was formed. The fol- lowing year brought inereasing membership with Eugene Hartrich as president of the chapter and Merle D. Yost as director from the county in the Association.
In the course of less than three years the member- ship of the chapter grew to over 150 and recognition was secured in Congress on flood control. The Army En- gineers, in co-operation with the State Department of Waterways, have completed a total water resource survey of the basin.
Protestant Settlers
So little has been written in this history about the rine Protestant people who lived here and helped to make our community grow, that I am most happy to add this material.
In January of 1961 I received a letter from Mrs. LeRoy Harris of Wakeman, O. She had learned through the grapevine system of the history of Sainte Marie being written. Mrs. Harris was interested in geneties, had in faet traced her family baek to 1635 when they first came to America. She was looking for something about her grandfather, Zenas Bradish, "good or bad". This much she knew:
In 1861 a family by the name of Zenas Bradish came by covered wagon from Wakeman, O., to Illinois, erossed the Wabash River at Vincennes, Ind., then came on to Sainte Marie. Mr. Bradish was a carpenter, a shingle and shake maker. He also was a preacher. The Bradish family bought land south of Sainte Marie and when the railroad went through it was west of the railroad track.
Zenas Bradish -Iso preached at a little church ealled Bethel Church, which was one-half mile west of the Eber- hardt Hatchery corner. Mrs. Bradish's sister and her husband eame with them. They were Dr. William Nieker- son, his wife and family. Dr. Nickerson practiced medi- eine in and around Sainte Marie. He also was one of our Civil War veterans.
Bethel Church is no more, but the little cemetery is still there. A few head stones still tell you of the burial place of Zenas Bradish, his wife and two sons, Dr. Nieker- son, his wife and two sons resting in peace there sur- rounded by green pasture-land.
Mrs. Elmore Buss of Dundas, Ill., is also a grand- daughter of Zenas Bradish. Edward Buss, father of Elmore Buss of Dundas, also was a carpenter. He helped to build the Catholic Church in Sainte Marie in 1891, and many other houses and churches in the county. We are happy to include this bit of history in the History of Sainte Marie.
Hotel
One of the oldest buildings in town was the Geltz Hotel. It was across the street from the old post office. It stood squarely in the street corner not wasting a bit of ground either north and south or east and west.
Who built it is not known, but Mr. and Mrs. Frank Geltz remodeled it into a hotel. Everyone who came to town for a few days or overnight stayed at the Geltz Hotel. Mr. Geltz also kept a livery stable here and the drummers (salesmen) would put up their horses there,
On a trip to Mexico City one evening we stopped at a little mountain inn. After dinner, a band of little Mexi- ean boys entertained us, singing and playing their guitars and we talked with a businessman and his wife from St. Louis. He was delighted to hear we were from Sainte Marie, Ill. As a young man he used to make this town to take orders from the stores, and he always stopped at the Geltz Hotel.
What a character "mine host" was!
His good wife had sent him to the store to get some- thing. Arriving there he had forgotten what it was. "Here, Frank, have a cigar," the storekeeper said to him. "It will help you to remember."
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Here 52 Years
Father Peter J. Virnich served St. Mary the Assumption Parish as priest from Oct. 27, 1881, until the summer of 1934.
Bishop O'Connor
The Most Rev. William A. O'Connor, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield- in-Illinois.
Pioneer Sainte Marie Couple
Pioneer Joseph Picquet and his wife, Mrs. Caroline Picquet.
Civil War Officer
This is a photo of Col. J. J. Rider of Sainte Marie, a veteran of the Civil War.
First Priest
This is Father Stephen Theodore Badin, pioneer priest in this area, who also was the first priest ordained in the U. S. A. He was ordained by Archbishop Car- roll, who was a cousin of Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independ- ence.
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St. Mary's Church
This is a beautiful winter scene showing St. Mary's Church of the Assumption in Sainte Marie.
"Oh, yes, I know what my old lady wanted, it was cabbage," he recalled.
The businessman went on to say "Never have I eaten such cooking. Those chicken and dumplings, and that apple pie that Mrs. Geltz used to make, I'll never forget".
Just lately we learned Mrs. Geltz was presented with an aluminum teakettle, an unheard of utensil at that time, for being the best cook in Jasper County.
Oil Wells
In the year 1906 an oil company came into Sainte Marie Township and drilled three prospecting or wildcat wells; one was on the S. F. Laugel farm south of town, one on the David Spitzer farm north of town, and one on the Peter Yager farm in the Bend, just above the Yager Bridge. None of these wells showed oil prospects, and all were plugged.
Down through the years at different times oil com- panies came in, drilled a few wells, then left; but in the fall of 1941, there came into the township an oil pros- pector, William Krone. He got together a plot of leases in the Embarras River bottoms. These had originally been under lcase to the "Denver Producing and Refinnig Co.", but they had given them up.
Bill Krone being something of a gambler, or perhaps he had some inside information, put down a wildcat well on the Clarence Wade Farm. As a general rule where there is so much on top of the ground there is little below. but here was fine farm ground where a man could grow 100 bushels of corn per acre, if he farmed it properly. One farmer, in fact, had such a fine field of clover that he re- fused to let the oil company in to drill a well, even after the oil field's presence had been proved.
Luck was with Bill Krone, for in November, 1941, the discovery well, Wade No. 1, came in with a bang, pro- ducing 800 barrels of oil the first day. "Joy was in the Duggan household" that night, as the Irish would say. Those closely connected with the well stayed up all night, talking, playing cards, telling stories.
About midnight the crowd got hungry and Clarence routed Mrs. Wade out of bed (she didn't believe in such goings-on) asked her to get a couple of fat pullets from the hen house and make chicken and dumplings. Being the good soul she was, Mrs. Wade went to work. The feasting went on until morning. The discovery well, Wade No. 1 leveled off to 500 barrels per day and it is still a producing well.
Of course, this set off a feverish activity in the Em- barras bottoms. Offsets were immediately demanded, and for some time oil was the main topic of conversation. There were 21 producing wells drilled in this field in a very short time. On Wade there were 2, on Kraus 5, Reis 3, Burton 3, Derler 1, John Ochs 2, Zuber 1, Shryock 1. A. C. Bolander 1, Benefiel 1, Yost 1.
After 21 years several of the wells are still producing. but the oil fever moved a few miles west into Pond Grove.
Zenitas drilled one on Harding, one on J. Reis, one on J. Barthelme, two on Zuber, one on Noah Bahl, two on Weiscope and one on Ederer.
Mansfield drilled two on Menke, one on Valbert, one on B. Ochs, one on Hahn, one on Copper and one on Boehl.
Humorous Stories
After reading the History of Sainte Marie of 1957, a
young teacher, Sister Francis Xavier, Saint Theresa's Academy, Decatur, Ill., formerly Eugenia Pictor, wrote me: "All the little humorous stories intrigued me. I teach history to a class of seventh graders and all amus- ing incidents help to make history more interesting." So we will add a few here.
Our mother often talked to us of her youth, on days when the old "Ambraw" was on the rampage and we couldn't get from the old brick house to town and school. One story we laughed over many times was:
Our mother, her older brother, and two younger sis- ters were invited by the grapevine system to a dance in Pond Grove. They lived on the Prairie and it was five miles to the dance, so they walked to it, knowing full well they would dance all night, walk home, then follow the reaper, shocking wheat all the next day. But they went anyway! Now in those days, when you gave a dance, you simply cleared the furniture out of one room, not a big job because there wasn't much, got yourself a fiddler, and you were in business. At midnight they paused for refreshments, which in this case was a jug of hard cider and Schnitz (dried apple) pie.
Al, one of the hosts, cosied up to one of the girls and confided "Me and Jake sure need a woman around here; we tried and tried but our Schnitz pies are a total failure."
Dancing in the home back in the 1875's or 80's was a favorite pasttime. One young girl making a new print dress which was wonderful, considering most of their dresses were woolsey linsey, a heavy thick material, but not getting it finished in time, simply basted the sleeves in. At the dance the boys swung her with such vigor they pulled the sleeves out of her dress.
Her granddaughter, telling the story, remarked "What would happen to me if I came home with my sleeves pulled out of my dress ?
Another incident that tells a silent story of pioneer endurance was:
Grandfather Valbert had a pair of huge oxen which he called Buck and Berry. They were faithful, plodding beasts, but when the heat and flies got too much for them, they would head for the deep slough or Captain Pond, whichever they happened to be near, plunge in, plow and all. There was no moving them until they were cooled off and ready to come out. Aggravating as this was, they never got a thrashing; somehow grandfather always understood.
Processing Plant
The younger generations of those old French pioneers are as energetic as their ancestors. In 1928 J. J. Hartrich purchased the S. F. Laugel farm. It had formerly been part of the Jacques Picquet estate. Here they grew fine cattle and hogs.
With several boys growing up, this was not enough, they needed more to do. So on Nov. 17, 1952, they pur- chased the Robards grocery in Sainte Marie. This turned into a flourishing business, and to have fresh pork and beef for their customers, they did their own butchering. This gradually expanded to custom work, then to pro- cessing.
Their hickory smoked hams and bacon are famous for miles around. Hartrich's grocery co-operated with the Swine Herd Improvement Association and on Nov. 3, 1957, they helped sponsor a lean pork demonstration. Mrs.
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Priest for Both Parishes . . . Other People You Know
Upper left photo shows, left to right, Basil Ikemire, trustee of St. Valentine Church in the Bend, Rev. Fr. George Windsor, pastor now serving St. Valentine Church as well as St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Sainte Marie, and Elmer Kocher, also a trustee of St. Valentine's.
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