Allen Fouste Dies

 

Allen Fouste

As a freshman, Allen was involved with Football, as as a senior with Auto Mechanics.

For one of our reunions, it was mentioned that Allen E. Fouste was living in Franklin, Illinois.

 Allen Fouste passed away at 11:30 pm on May 4, 2022, according to his wife Mary.

Allen E. Fouste, 74, of Waverly, IL, passed away May 4, 2022, at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, IL.

Allen was born June 28, 1947, to Gaylord and Essie (Hamilton) Fouste in Decatur, IL. He graduated from MacArthur High School in 1965, and served our country for four years in the U.S. Air Force. Allen married Mary Dick on August 4, 1972.

Survivors include his wife, Mary; sons: Aaron (Angie), Jeff (Katie); grandchildren; two brothers; one sister; and numerous other family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be June 11, 2022, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., at Knights of Columbus in New Berlin, IL. Donations may be made to Waverly American Legion, Waverly, IL, or Franklin Outing Club, Franklin, IL.

Milly Smith noted that Allen Fouste is the 87th member of the Douglas MacArthur High School Class of 1965 to have been lost.

 

Dianne Gustin Passes Away

Unfortunately, over Thanksgiving 2021, a third classmate passed away.

Dianne Elizabeth Gustin was an active member of the Douglas MacArthur Class of 1965. As a Freshman she was the Girl's Choir Treasurer; on the Girl's Choir as a sophomore; "Take Five" as a sophomore; and "Musical Montage," "Curtain Raiser," and Fall Concert as a junior. As a senior, Dianne was on the A Choir and Choraliers. She participated in the Christmas Programs, every year, from Freshman to Senior.

Dianne was a Class Council Representative, Student Council, and Homecoming Committee as a freshman; in the French Club as a freshman and sophomore; Art Club member as a sophomore and junior; and was in Music Man as a senior.

For the Mac '65 reunion, she noted her first car was a Mazda 626, and she went on to be the director of marketing as her career. She said she married "Steve Kirtley."

On Facebook, Dianne Gustin Kirtley listed herself as living in Mission Viejo, California, but then she added "Just moved back to Decatur Feb 2011! Had lived in Orange County, CA for 34 years. Have two grown daughters and three grandchildren. Married to my best friend."

Her obituary lists her as having moved again.

Dianne Gustin Kirtley 

(February 26, 1947 ~ November 14, 2021)

Dianne Elizabeth Kirtley passed away at her residence in Delta, Colorado on Sunday, November 14, 2021. She was 74 years old.

Dianne was born February 26, 1947, to JoAnne Faye (Allsup) and Dale Gustin in Decatur, Illinois. She graduated from MacArthur High School in 1965 and then attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.

She was a “Total Craft Lady” that loved any and all crafts from jewelry to home décor. She was always on a search for “Pretty Little Things.”

Dianne is survived by her husband Malcolm Steve Kirtley of Delta, CO; two daughters Julie Baker-Sweet of Rancho St Margarite, CA and Betsy Johnson of Lake Forest, CA; brother Mark Gustin of St Charles, MO; and three grandchildren.

Dianne is preceded in death by her parents; sister Nanette “Nan” Smith and an infant son James.

This is a December 6, 2011 photograph in which Rita Ooton hosted a Christmas luncheon of MacArthur High School friends. In front is Rita, left to right is Millicent Smith, Dianne Gustin Kirtley, Judy Wayne Rexroad, Susan Wakeman Lemons, and Carol Carter Hill. A fun Christmas memory!

2010

2011

Di and her daughters ~ 2016.

Her obituary photo published in 2021. Di suffered from Alzheimer’s in recent years.

Our condolences to her family, and friends.

Two Passed Away Over Thanksgiving: Mary Ann Bass and Leslie Jane Glynn

During the days surrounding Thanksgiving (November 25, 2021) this year, we have separately learned of the deaths of two women who are MacArthur High School graduates of the Class of 1965. 

Mary Ann Bass  

On Thanksgiving Day, after an ongoing battle with cancer, Mary Ann Bass Davis, whose home was in Hanover Park, Illinois, died.

Her Matt wrote on Facebook on November 25, 2021:

"It is with a very heavy heart that I share the news that Mom has passed away this evening. She is no longer in pain and back with Dad. MaryAnn Bass Davis was an amazing woman and me, Dawn, and Dominique are so happy that we got to call her Mom/Grandma!! Give Dad a big hug for us!! Love you Mom!!"

June 14, 1947 ~ November 25, 2021

In the Class of 1965 yearbook, The Cadet, Mary Ann Bass was listed as the Vice-President in the senior year. She was in the Orchestra, Pops Concert, and the Fall Concert from the freshman to the senior year. Mary Ann Bass was in the Girls Glee Club her freshman year.

Leslie Jane Glynn

Douglas MacArthur High School graduate of the Class of 1965, Leslie Glynn Lowe of the Warwick, Rhode Island area, passed away on November 18, 2021.

Leslie Jane Glynn was in MacArthur High School's Class of 1965 French Club during her sophomore, junior, and senior years. She also was in the American Friends Society Club as a sophomore, and on the Cadet yearbook staff as a senior.

Leslie went on to study at University of Rhode Island.

Her former husband Lynn Lowe wrote:

"Leslie was a wonderful mother to three children and grandmother to six.
She was a medical secretary working for the chief of staff at Brigham and Woman’s hospital in Boston, at Albany Medical Center, and at Woman and Infants hospital in Providence.
She loved to knit and cross stitch and loved her pet dogs.
She will be missed by all."

Elam's Drive-In Silverfross Root Beer

Do you remember Elam's?

When I was 14, I worked at Elam's exactly one night. What an experience. Worked one shift and had to pay management because two jerks stole two entire trays and mugs I served them. 

Rough night.

But I still loved their root beer, years later.

An antique store now occupies the former building that was Elam's Drive-In Silverfross Root Beer.

Have you visited there?

I wonder if they ever have Elam's souvenirs for sale? They had cute "baby mugs."

Tracey Boyle Devore Passes Away

The always-smiling, humorous, friendly Tracey Boyle, 72, has passed away, according to her daughter, on the evening of Halloween 2019. Tracey loved Batman, and I'm certain she would enjoy her final event synced with this costumed holiday. We all are in mourning, and yet celebrate having known this wonder woman of justice.

Tracey was forever popular. At Roosevelt Junior High School, before Gary Devore, whom she would go on to marry, I was one of Tracey's boyfriends.

Moving on to Douglas MacArthur High School, Tracey Boyle got more involved in the broader social life of high school and beyond. She was in French Club 1; Big Mac Day 3; Prom Committee 3; Office Assistant 3; Class Float 2, 3, 4; Student Government Day 3; Homecoming Decorations Committee 4; and Class Council Alternate 4.

In high school, her first car was a 1960 Pontiac Starchief.

After graduating, Tracey studied at Sparks Business College, married Gary (Mac ’65), and eventually moved to the American Southwest. I once asked her why she and so many others in the Class of 1965 moved to locations like Albuquerque, New Mexico, and cities in Arizona. She told me that one Mac '65 person moved there, and through word-of-mouth, other families would follow, based on the good reports of the weather and work.

Tracey Devore found work quickly in the SW. She was a civilian employee of three police departments for 25 years, as a Police Records Division transcriber. She retired as a Police Records Technician with the Glendale, Arizona, Police Department.

Tracey and Gary would end up living in Sun City, Arizona, which is where she was when she died.

Tracey and I would privately message each other about serial and mass killers, attempting to figure some things out and covertly help the authorities. She was always in communication with her old police contacts.

But in the last two years, Tracey began to detail her health concerns at length. In December 2018, she shared with me, in part, that:

...I had an exacerbation of my COPD. My oxygen level was 83, which is bad. I went to a sleep center to see if I have sleep apnea. I didn't sleep all night. When it was over I was really sick and couldn't breathe. They called 911 and I had an ambulance ride to the hospital. I was there five days. They gave me LOTS of prednisone, and shots in my stomach to stop bleeding. (That was proactive.) Anyway I went to the lung unit and was then transferred to the heart unit. They think my heart was weakened by the attack. I didn't go for the stress test (chemical) until next month. So they put me on a no or very low salt diet, limited my fluids, and can have chicken, turkey or fish if it is broiled, boiled, but no breading and nothing fried. I am so limited that it is miserable. I used to love to cook, but not now. Even going to the store is difficult. I can't have anything in a can, frozen, it has to be fresh. I am still tired, but worse. So many doctor appointments. You know how it goes....
Oh, and all the heavy prednisone doses have given me diabetes. So I have to watch sugar for the next three months, then they will test it again. Are we having fun yet???

Tracey's 72nd birthday was on August 26, 2019.

In September 2019, she back channeled me some of the following:

Hang in there, Loren! I have had a copd exacerbation where oxygen was 83%, which was like that for too long. Long enough that it caused heart damage and had only 40% left. Now I have 20% left with heart, congestive heart failure, very low blood pressure (used to be 140/70), but 85/40 now. I've fallen several times, the last was in front of the restaurant where 12 people were waiting on me for my b'day party. Hurt my foot and thought it was broken as the pain was over the top. However, they said it is gout. LOL Gary has had it for 20 years, but I've never had it. Anyway, that's my story. Still in rehab. Haven't been home in 17 days. I got over my stroke almost immediately because I thought it could be one and took an aspirin immediately. It was in my left eye. Was only blind about 5 minutes....
I was in the hospital in Phoenix from 9/3 to 9/13. They sent me by ambulance to this care home/therapy location that is closer to the house. I have been taken care of from 9/3 to 9/26. They are trying to build me up enough to have open heart surgery, to walk again, etc, Starting tomorrow trying to walk. Every time i turn around its something new.

Publicly, on Facebook, Tracey then wrote on October 16, 2019: "Hi...at home, doing fine. Still ornery and positive. :) Gary says to tell you we are hangin' in there. Love you all and thanks for your many prayers."

Then, Tracey stopping writing.

We all sadly will miss her. She was greatly loved by the Class of '65. And she loved Gary and her family so much...

Missing Mac '65 Grads

No telling why someone vanishes from the rolls of the graduates of a high school. But it usually does not have an outer worldly explanation. A little digging might find the new locations for some folks with whom we use to go to school.

There are some still missing classmates from the Douglas MacArthur High School, Decatur, Illinois, Class of 1965. 

Do you know where they are? Can they be found? If you know them, know what has happened to them, know where they are, please contact Sandy Porter, Donna Maddox, or Millie Smith, if you are in touch with one of those folks. 

Or you can overtly or covertly alert me to the missing people's whereabouts by clicking on CONTACT, and I will forward the info to our class's private MHS '65 database. 

Here is the list of our...

MISSING CLASSMATES

Jim Alexander
Martha Allen Taylor
Donna Barfield Barlow
Dan Cole
Bob Cross
Donna Cunningham Fehrenbach
Annie Kate Currie
Diana Dotson
Pam Goodwin Kemp
Shirlee Grupe McCartney
Maira Lynn Harris
Barbara J. King
Jim Douglas Klausmeier
Joan McElrath
Darrell Lynn Miller
Susan Ramsey
Kathy Elaine Reeter
Beverly Ann Rogers Donovan
Linda Mae Rutherford
John Shields
Joanne Marie Singleton
Nancy Karen Smith
Jeanette Ann Sullivan
Carolyn Trudy Summer Cummings
Joanne Elizabeth Taylor
Lucille Paulette Taylor
Claudia Voelcker (Purviance)

Thank you.

Bear Logue Dies

Larrie "Bear" Carl Logue, 70, of Decatur, Illinois, passed away on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at St. Mary's Hospital, according to the Herald-Review.

Bear's birthdate is November 2, 1947.

Logue, a 1965 Douglas MacArthur High School graduate. He was in the Cadet Band 1, 2; Rifle Club 1; Concert Band 3, 4; Dance Band 3, 4; and Ensemble 3, 4.

Larry used the nickname "Bear." He worked and was retired from IBEW Local 146 (as Journeyman Wireman). He attended Southern Illinois University, and studied Biology-Chemistry, with the Class of 1967. He had one daughter, Mary Beth. He was in a relationship with Joyce Johnson-Beggs.

Liturgy of the word service, to celebrate the life of Bear Logue will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 24, 2018, at St. James Catholic Church, in Decatur. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday before the service at the church.

Thanks to Bob Hayes and Millie Smith.

Staley Building

Gary Blackburn passes along a well-illustrated article, "Inside the 'Castle in the Cornfields,' the office of A.E. Staley remains frozen in time. Take a look" by Tony Reid, from the Herald & Review, about the Staley Building. The Decatur "skyscraper" is now called the Tate & Lyle Building, named after the British firm that bought Staley's.

If a dramatic building could ever transmute into limestone, marble, bronze, glass, wood and steel the essence of the man who inspired it, Decatur industrial baron Augustus Eugene Staley's former corporate headquarters is the place.

Completed for him 88 years ago in April 1930, the building at 2200 E. Eldorado St. was more than a mere head office for the founder of the former A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company. Staley wanted a capitalistic ode to joy sung in soaring architecture that would rise to a height of 217 feet and stretch to 263 wide and 103 feet deep.

Faced in gleaming white limestone and built in the avant garde style of the time — Art Deco — everything about this $1.7 million architectural confection was in-your-face. Staley, who started selling corn starch more than 30 years earlier from the back of a wagon and fought endless battles against ruthless competitors to carve out a corn and soybean processing business empire, had finally arrived at the top of the heap. And he wanted the world to know it, building a citadel for his company that would set him back $24,955,400 in today’s inflated prices, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Rest of the article, see here.

These four frames of the same angle show some of the colors of the lights on the Tate & Lyle building. The lights, first installed on what was then the headquarters of the A.E. Staley Mfg. Co. in 1930, have been restored. Photographer Jim Bowling, Herald & Review.

The article is about a tour that served as "a fundraiser for the Staley Museum, which preserves the founder’s memory and his family’s history in the grand Decatur Arts & Crafts style home he lived in.
The Staley building is now owned by London-based Tate & Lyle, and opening it up for its first public tour is a gift from the company to the public and the museum, which opened two years ago. Last year, the company delighted Decatur residents when it restored the colored floodlights on the building, allowing for mesmerizing displays of vivid color in the Decatur skyline.

Staley Museum director Laura Jahr sits in front of a display featuring some of the many products by Staley Mfg. Co. The museum features the history of the company, family and athletic teams. Photographer Lisa Morrison, Herald & Review. Source of the photos of the Staley Museum.

So, a question I have: Does the Staley Museum sell miniature collectible replicas of the Staley Building for all of us former Decaturites who want to obtain a souvenir of our youthful hometown's skyscraper?