What was life like in Mt. Morris, IL, in the 1940s?

This is an AI generated answer.

"Life in Mount Morris, Illinois during the 1940s was shaped by its role as a printing and publishing hub, which insulated it from the worst effects of the Great Depression and continued to drive its economy into the post-World War II era. The Kable Printing Company was the town’s economic cornerstone, producing affordable periodicals and newsletters that were in high demand nationwide.

This industrial stability provided steady employment and sustained the local economy through the 1940s.

The end of World War II brought a housing shortage, which Mount Morris addressed by becoming home to 18 Lustron homes—prefabricated, steel-framed houses designed for quick assembly and low maintenance. These homes, clustered on First Street, Hannah Avenue, and Sunset Lane, were part of a national effort to house returning veterans and their families affordably. The town embraced modernity while maintaining its small-village character, with a population that grew from 1,902 in 1930 to 2,304 by 1940.

Community life centered around local institutions, including Mount Morris College (formerly Rock River Seminary), which occupied the town square before closing due to economic pressures. The town’s demographics were predominantly white, with a strong sense of community and family life reflected in its schools, churches, and civic organizations.

Mount Morris’s relative prosperity during the 1940s laid the foundation for its mid-century growth, distinguishing it from many rural communities that struggled during the era."

Pretty close, although the college closed in 1930 during the Great Depression after a fire. 

Mount Morris College | lost-colleges

Collection: Kable Printing Company Records (Mt. Morris) | Special Collections and Archives

Then for the High School, also AI generated

Mount Morris High School in Mount Morris, Illinois, was a public high school that operated from 1868 until 1994. It was officially known as the "Mounders", with school colors of red and black and a school song titled "Mounders". The school was located on Illinois Route 64 in Ogle County and served as a central institution in the community for over a century.

After the school closed in 1994, the district merged with Oregon School District #220. The former high school building is now David L. Rahn Jr. High School, serving grades 7–8 as part of the Oregon CUSD 220 district. The school building was previously used as Black Hawk Junior High and is the only school currently located in Mount Morris, following a 2004 fire that destroyed Rahn Elementary School. [dated information--the school has closed]

The Mounders were particularly successful in boys basketball, winning three IHSA District Championships (1924–25, 1926–27, 1970–71) and eight Regional Championships, including four consecutive titles from 1973 to 1976. The team’s most notable game was a six-overtime victory over Polo on January 5, 1968, winning 79–77. The school also had strong programs in football, golf, cross country, baseball, softball, bowling, and track & field.

Alumni can stay connected through a Facebook group: Do You Remember This in Mt. Morris?. A virtual yearbook and alumni directory are also available online for former students.

The fungus like growth of the Epstein story

From the beginning of the Epstein death reports (called a suicide but most thought it was murder) in 2019, I've puzzled that the public and our ghoulish media were more interested in a few teen women being used as sex toys by rich men than the millions of women and girls trafficked over our own border to make money for rich cartels in Mexico and their partners in crime in the U.S. The proportions seemed out of whack.

 
Now as more and more is uncovered, the "cancelling" of careers of prominent (mostly) men sounds strangely familiar going back to the Tulip Mania of the 17th century, the MacMartin Preschool scandal in the 1980s, DEI hysteria in the 2000s, the "me-too" movement and the Ivermectin ban for Covid stories in the 2020s.

Recent disclosures (by whom?) brought out that Epstein was also interested in the sexual transitioning of children and funded academics those maiming experiments then became standard care in many prominent university hospitals. More careers down the toilet.

 
I smell a giant hoax mixed with evil and lust to keep these stories going to make more money for the two bit players who want their cut of the profits. The growth of this story is an expanding poisonous black fungus. Frankly, I don't see how one guy got that rich and so diversely evil. Perhaps it's been franchised and may be the cover up for something/someone else to keep us busy looking away from the actual story?

The State of the Union, February 24, 2026

Can't believe we watched the whole thing--the SOTU--one hour and 48 minutes (I can hardly stand for 10 minutes). Even Spectrum Cable early news today led with the beating up of the few Democrats that showed up, and not the important news of Trump's successes. Usually, it is a rather bland and middle of the road source, good for weather, but the lead matters whether in print, video or audio. Every news program, writer, essayist, dramatist and entertainer has a bias, but please be a bit more subtle and remember who pays your salaries. You are a capitalist.

I have a 2" x 3" 60 p. "The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America" on the desk behind me. I just read it--very short and sweet put together by a genius class from the past. Democrats were absolutely wrong in not agreeing that their responsibility is to represent the citizens of the U,S, and not foreign and alien peoples, criminals and agents of other nations. But not a one of them would stand when the President asked them who they represented. Shocking. Outrageous. But completely in character by the (no longer) fringe element of their party. Their hatred for Donald Trump is being manipulated to destroy the Constitution and everything it says.

Affordability and inflation

I'm not sure why anyone thought that if Trump stopped the rampant inflation that things would actually go backwards. We crunched numbers when we sold our home in September which we bought in 2001 and based on 2 decades of inflation and all our improvements and repairs, we lost money. Yes, prices were up, but it just wasn't a recent thing.

 
The Biden era inflation was real--I saw food increase 40% on items I was accustomed to buying. I didn't buy a house or a car or fancy clothes, so I can't speak to that. Those grocery prices have not increased under Trump but they haven't gone down either, and I don't think they will.

 
Also real was the Covid shut down of the economy and throwing money at people who could have been working but weren't. Both parties (remember PPP--that was Trump) were responsible for the irresponsible throwing free money at people who wanted to be at work. It also created the ripe fraud atmosphere such as we have now in Minnesota and California, but which probably is robbing us all.

My advice is the same as it was 25 years ago. If prices are too high and you don't feel rich, stop eating out, taking destination vacations, buying clothes you don't need, and give up those manicures. Maybe someday if you work hard and save like your grandparents did, you'll live like they do,

Finally, know that Democrats will scream no matter what. Don't listen to their complaints. They are sliding into the Communist mind set of their fringe. They hate Trump (and their fringe are using that mental state against them) and if he could walk on water they would complain he can't swim.

Jeanne's 90th birthday party

We had a fabulous weekend in Indianapolis celebrating with Bob's siblings (Rick, Debbie, Jeanne and Bob, L to R seated) and families his sister's 90th birthday. It was touch and go for us with getting last minute approval that Bob could travel. Nothing like all those hugs to make one feel good. Thousands of photos, but this one of the sibs with spouses is a favorite. This is a group that really loves to party. Thank you, Kimberly Rosenberg for the photo. Our niece Joan had planned a lovely dinner party held in the school gymnasium and there were many of her siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. We stayed in a hotel along with brother Rick and his wife Kate from Arizona. Bob's sister Debbie brought her children and grandchildren, her partner Gary, and her friend Sue from California. We're so glad we went.  Even the weather cooperated.

  

Use of the word Jehovah

This morning in my devotions I was reading Ps. 104. Fabulous. The book was, "Meditations in the Book of Psalms" by Erling C. Olsen. Mr. Olsen wasn't a priest, pastor, or professor, but a businessman. His work began as a radio broadcast in the depths of the Great Depression in the 1930s. Eventually those broadcasts were distributed in print and then in book form (1939) that went through many printings, and I found it (4th ed. 1967, 1985 printing) in one of those "little libraries" that are sprinkled around the country. Some items are delightfully dated, like comments on the current news, which was the Depression.

 
Use of the word Jehovah really stopped me, yet it was common in the 40s and 50s when I began reading the Bible and still appears in favorite hymns. So, I asked AI when did Protestants stop using "Jehovah," why, and who decided what was the right transliteration (we generally have trouble agreeing on anything including baptism and communion, or even Ash Wednesday which is today.

 
Catholic Answers had the most convincing response (I always check AI's responses since a slight rewording of the question can make a huge difference and AI didn't tell who and when).
"In Hebrew the name of God is spelled YHWH. Since ancient Hebrew had no written vowels, it is uncertain how the name was pronounced originally, but there are records of the name in Greek, which did have written vowels. These records indicate that in all likelihood the name should be pronounced “Yahweh.”

Shortly before the first century A.D., it became common for Jews to avoid saying the divine name for fear of misusing it and breaking the second commandment (“You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain” [Deut. 5:11). Whenever they read Scripture aloud and encountered the divine name, they substituted another Hebrew word, “Adonai” (which means “Lord” or “my Lord”), in its place.
Eventually Hebrew developed written vowels, which appeared as small marks called vowel points and were placed above and below the consonants of a word. In the sixth or seventh century some Jews began to place the vowel points for “Adonai” over the consonants for “Yahweh” to remind the reader of Scripture to say “Adonai” whenever he read “Yahweh.”

About the 13th century the term “Jehovah” appeared when Christian scholars took the consonants of “Yahweh” and pronounced it with the vowels of “Adonai.” This resulted in the sound “Yahowah,” which has a Latinized spelling of “Jehovah.” The first recorded use of this spelling was made by a Spanish Dominican monk, Raymundus Martini, in 1270."

 
There's more to this interesting word study. https://www.catholic.com/qa/is-gods-name-yahweh-or-jehovah

But if you're reading an English Bible translation you're not saying anything the way Christians spoke in the first century. God knows when you call on his name, no matter the language.

The Democrats battle over ICE and DHS

Democrats in Congress don't like how DHS is obeying the laws they put in place. It's a form of TDS--but the shutdown they demand to stop ICE arresting violent criminals in Democrat sanctuary cities is hurting those who protect your air travel and clean up the damage of hurricanes, fires and floods of the non-Trump years. That's what hate and revenge can do. Something about "cutting off the nose to spite the face. "

"One of the most cited origins of the phrase involves Saint Æbbe the Younger, an abbess in 9th-century Scotland. According to legend, when Viking raiders threatened her convent, Æbbe and her nuns disfigured their faces by cutting off their noses and upper lips to make themselves undesirable to the invaders. While their actions were intended to protect their chastity, the Vikings, enraged by the defiance, burned down the convent, killing all inside. This tale exemplifies a self-destructive act intended to thwart an enemy, aligning closely with the idiom’s meaning. Source: theidioms.com"

I don't specialize, I just fill in the gaps

"When I graduated, one of my favorite professors pulled me aside and told me I wasn't done learning. My education framed the house, and I would spend the rest of my life finishing the house. I've never forgotten that, and strive to learn more and fill in the gaps of my knowledge. I also remember a quote by the science fiction author Robert Heinlein: "Specialization is for insects." And so I do not confine my research to a single area, as I've found that knowledge is interconnected, and that specialization closes one off to life's richness. " (from the author's comment about, "The Development of the Canon" by Kristofer Carlson, preprint 2019)

I like that. I've got a lot of gaps in my education and I certainly don't specialize. Now I have to look up Robert Heinlein, but not until I figure out all the other canons.

The killer was not a woman--Canadian school shooting

Wake up, Canadian liberals and U.S. Democrat crazies. People identified as trans have a very high rate of violence and murder. They are mentally ill and instead of helping them, you are egging them on. They consume large amounts of prescription drugs that drive them crazy and get horrible advice from peers, doctors, teachers, celebrities and the internet. They have been lied to by academics, drug companies, media, and political powers, to say nothing of the so-called LGB community which decided to adopt them and the XYZs to increase the funding base for their agenda.

Check the Epstein files. He was funding "science" intended to create these Frankensteins (or his own fetishes), using vulnerable children and gullible parents over 15 years ago.

Tumbler Ridge mass shooter ID'd as 18-year-old transgender ex-student Jesse Van Rootselaar

Jeffrey Epstein Was Into 'Trans Kids' - by Matt Osborne

February 10, St. Scholastica

On February 10 Christians honor Saint Scholastica, sister of Saint Benedict. She was born in the 5th century and is known mostly for her famous twin brother and a miracle at the end of her life. If I were to write about her, I'd have to include the word "traditionally" in just about every sentence, because there just isn't a lot known about her. If you have a famous sibling, spouse, grandparent or cousin, you may know the feeling. Although being a Saint, she may have just prayed about it if she felt overlooked.

At The Estates where we live in an apartment, I've noticed a lot of widows and widowers, of course, but also sibling groups, twins, cousins, in-laws, and former neighbors. One woman told me that as children she and her cousins always played together in the neighborhood and then went on to establish careers and families, seeing each other only on special occasions because of distance or busy lives. Now they have breakfast together daily. Women who used to carpool their kids' swim team or soccer club together now 40 years later share stories of the old days at table. I would have expected that at Pinecrest in Mt. Morris, IL where my parents lived. Dad and his Uncle Orville were able to enjoy their final years together sharing stories because they were close in age and Dad had been his best man.

I actually do have a first cousin once removed on Dad's side, Joy, right here in Columbus. I saw her in 1993. We really should get together while there is time.

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/february-10-saint-scholastica-virgin/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholastica

https://faith.nd.edu/saint/st-scholastica/

Cardioversion

 Today my husband went to Riverside (Ohio Health) for a cardioversion. Although he had 4 stints in 2020 and 2021, in recent months he had developed atrial fibrillation. My personal, non-medical opinion is it was due to the stress of moving.

"Cardioversion is a medical treatment that uses quick, low-energy shocks to restore a regular heart rhythm. It's used to treat some types of irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias. An example is atrial fibrillation (AFib). Sometimes cardioversion is done using medicines." Mayo Clinic

I spoke with the doctor after the successful procedure about the causes and future care.  Got a little of this and a little of that. Mostly things we can't change like genes and age.

Cardioversion: Procedure, side effects, and recovery 

The hospital is constantly under construction. When we got there today the Red parking garage/drop off had a detour, so we had to return to the main road and go around the building to get to the drop off. In 1980 a book was published titled, "The Hospital that Ate Chicago." I think there's one in Columbus.

                    

 

Ash Wednesday, 2026

It's hard to believe we're talking about Ash Wednesday already. I should have read our pastor's meditation before I bundled up and went out to scrape ice off the car and move it slowly around the neighborhood. I needed this reminder,

"In a couple of weeks we will mark a Christian holiday called Ash Wednesday. For some of you this might be a new experience. For others, it might be deeply familiar. But whether this is new for you or a long-established habit, Ash Wednesday confronts us with a truth we have worked hard to forget. “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

It’s a stark and sobering reminder. And we don’t only hear these Biblical words, we feel them. We experience them as they are marked onto us in the sign of an ashen cross on our foreheads. Our mortal bodies are marked with the sign of Jesus’s cross. And it’s a reminder of a truth that our hearts so deeply need.

 
We need it because some of us are sick and dying, and we need to know that Jesus has gone ahead of us. We need it because it helps us make sense of the ridiculousness and tragedy of the world around us. We need it because it reminds us to live for the eternity that lasts and not for the trivia that fades. We need it to remind us that earthly power is so often corrupt, but God’s power is infinitely different and greater. In this and many other ways the Holy Spirit applies the truth of the cross to each of us individually, applying the same profound truth to each different moment of need in each of our hearts.

We need this reminder because we never really do forget. Our mortality and deep need will not always be at the front of our minds, but the ache is always there. And Ash Wednesday speaks to us with merciful candor. The crosses on our foreheads are there to name the problem we know we have. But crosses are not just crosses. They are Jesus’s empty cross. They are the sign of the death which has been put to death, so that life might triumph and go on forever and ever and ever." Senior Pastor Steve Turnbull, Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, Feb. 5, 2026.

I will be rereading this many times.

Darlene Dimitrovski, Obituary

 Darlene Reese Dimitrovski Obituary March 30, 2025 - Beggs Funeral Home

I was reading through my blog and came across a 2018 message from my UALC friend Darlene Dimitrovski. We had met in a Bible study many years ago--she was beautiful, joyful and full of the Spirit of God. Life hadn't been easy for her, but her light was always shining.  I remembered she had moved a few years ago and for a while I heard from her regularly via her newsletter.  I included her message in one of my blogs about Praying for our leaders written in 2018.  She died in March 2025.

Collecting My Thoughts: How to pray for friends and family

Church of the Acronym: On praying for our leaders

Collecting My Thoughts: Darlene's prayer for the Border Control

Now, Voyager (1942) with Bette Davis

Last night at The Estates we saw the movie "Now, Voyager" which stars Bette Davis and Paul Henreid (1942, B&W). She develops a sense of self confidence and independence after a nervous breakdown through the course of the story. (". . .the themes abound in this tale, including metamorphosis, mother guilt, emotional blackmail, pioneering concepts of psychotherapy and psychiatry, conditional love vs. unconditional love, and unconventional love.") It is based on a book (1941) of the same name by Olive Higgins Prouty who had two nervous breakdowns and draws on some on her own experience. I had never seen the movie, and I find the background of the author almost as interesting as the film. I discovered a podcast that compares books with the films on which they are based. So, if you've had an opportunity to curl up on cold nights with a good melodrama, and see this one, you might also enjoy two women talking about the book vs. film. https://youtu.be/A3ow2pF33Wc?si=qIO__ZmO3Ch5i5LB

All Of Bette Davis' Best Movies, Ranked By Fans

Storytelling. It's the big thing.

I've noticed for several years that "storytelling" is all the rage, Not dry facts and data. And in all fields. We had a lecture yesterday on "Drawing with Sound," where we listened to the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique which left me thoroughly confused about someone's fantasy/addiction. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphonie_fantastique) The host said it was storytelling and better than music appreciation.

 
Then today I get a message from the University of Illinois Library inviting me to a "visual storytelling webinar" "drawing from archival materials, such as letters from alumnus John C. Houbolt who served as Chief Aeronautical Scientist at NASA—the visit shaped how students transformed dense, abstract information into engaging typographic systems, visual explanations, and narrative-driven design artifacts."

 What?

I don't know if it's the popularity of Ted Talks or ancient peoples archeology or the riots in Minnesota, but I think that substituting telling stories for facts is a result of poor schooling or an agenda.
Or. Story telling is what we hear every day at lunch in retirement living.

 

https://scicomm.plos.org/2025/04/08/say-it-simply-see-it-clearly-the-scientists-case-for-storytelling/?

storytelling with data

Speaking Russian

Today when I checked the mailbox downstairs, I saw that the bulletin board had been decorated for Valentine's Day, "I love you" written in many languages. That's Bob's favorite and only phrase in Russian, Я тебя люблю:  ya tee-BYAH lyoo-BLYOO.

I taught him to say it years ago, but we don't remember when. When we were in Russia about 20 years ago no one seemed impressed. 

Mr. Blandings builds his dream house (1948)

 Tonight's movie at the Estates almost didn't happen. "Mr. Blandings builds his dream house" is a post WWII tale of "affordability" and "housing crises" that seems made for today's 21st century housing  woes. Many scenes reminded me of the tales of apartment dwellers in NYC--tiny living spaces, high costs and inconvenience. And it seems that teachers ridiculing capitalism and the lifestyle of their students' parents (who pay their salaries) is not new to our age.

It was supposed to be shown on Saturday, but there was no one to set it up because one of our buildings had a broken pipe and flooded due to record cold. All the staff had rushed across the street to help on clean up. So, Connie our sweet activity director rescheduled it for Monday which usually doesn't have a movie. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Our morning (Feb. 2) didn't have a good start either. Due to a water leak, our building also had the water shut off about 3 a.m., which few but the early risers (like me) found out until trying to flush.

"Cary Grant and Myrna Loy played a Manhattan couple who, tired of city life, decide to build a house in the country. The process, however, is marred by numerous problems, including cost overruns and shoddy workmanship. Grant’s character, a harried ad executive, discovers his dream home is more like a nightmare, all while having to deal with a hellish commute. The situation is further complicated by troubles at work and his suspicion that his wife is having an affair with his best friend (played by Melvyn Douglas).

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, which was adapted from Eric Hodgins’s popular novel of the same name, was timely, given the post-World War II housing-construction boom. To promote the film, the studio built 73 exact replicas of Mr. Blandings’s “Dream House” across the country, which they sold or gave away in raffles." Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House | Comedy, Cary Grant, Romance | Britannica

Why is it so much worse if Epstein is involved?

Still the fascination with Epstein, but not the thousands of underage sex and labor slaves brought across the border during the Biden years.

 
Also, are rioting Democrats and virtue signaling celebs as concerned about the welfare of the children of ordinary, home-grown criminals who are NOT illegal aliens? Why would they want them held in police vans or jails with their criminal parents instead of child service agencies? What are they doing with the children of aliens violating laws who are not in sanctuary cities? Do media report on them?

And it's as though they believe the victims of illegals don't matter at all. Would they take in or hide a murderer or rapist who has fled Ireland or Germany?

Our dear friend, Betty Zimmer

On January 21, 2026, our dear sweet Betty went to be with her Lord and Savior.  She probably greeted every artist in heaven by name. Over 50 years a docent at the Columbus Museum of Art, Betty had probably talked to and educated thousands of people. 

Obituary information for Elizabeth L. S. "Betty" Zimmer 

"Betty successfully managed a lifetime career as wife and mother to two children with her professional work as a home economist in business, interior designer, educator, and community service volunteer. Recently she was recognized for serving over 50 years as a docent at the Columbus Museum of Art. Other volunteer organizations were Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, Ballet Met, Kelton House, Thurber House, the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center/Advisory Council.

She is survived by her husband of 68 years Howard Zimmer, Jr., their daughters Cheryl (Christopher) Miller and Marcia (Aled) Greville; grandson Rhys Greville, and many nieces, nephews, and friends."

Heart healthy diet, sodium and potassium

 Now that we are watching sodium for Bob's congestive heart failure I did an AI search on sodium and potassium,

"Balance sodium and potassium intake to support heart health by reducing sodium and increasing potassium through whole, unprocessed foods. Most Americans consume too much sodium (averaging ~3,400 mg/day) and too little potassium (averaging ~2,300–3,000 mg/day), creating an unhealthy imbalance linked to high blood pressure and increased cardiovascular risk.

Reduce sodium intake by limiting processed and packaged foods (e.g., deli meats, canned soups, fast food), which are major sources of added sodium. Aim for less than 2,300 mg/day, ideally 1,500 mg/day, especially if you have high blood pressure.

Boost potassium intake by eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Aim for 3,500–5,000 mg/day of potassium, as recommended by the American Heart Association for blood pressure control. Examples:

Sweet potatoes (500+ mg per medium potato)

Bananas (450 mg per medium fruit)

Spinach, winter squash, white beans, tomatoes, and pumpkin

Consider potassium-based salt substitutes (e.g., blends with 75% sodium, 25% potassium chloride), which can help reduce sodium intake and increase potassium. Consult your doctor first, especially if you have kidney disease or take certain medications (e.g., ACE inhibitors, potassium-sparing diuretics).

Follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and lean proteins—naturally rich in potassium and low in sodium.

The ideal sodium-to-potassium ratio is not fixed, but higher potassium relative to sodium is consistently linked to lower blood pressure and reduced heart disease risk. A ratio of 1:2 to 1:3 (potassium to sodium) is considered beneficial.

Key takeaway: Prioritize whole foods, minimize processed items, and focus on increasing potassium-rich foods to naturally balance your sodium-potassium intake for better heart health."

 https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/how-potassium-can-help-control-high-blood-pressure

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10759559/  

https://extension.missouri.edu/news/for-a-healthier-heart-balance-potassium-and-sodium

https://youtu.be/8ZbiA_Akvgk?si=BAiihiAlq0Y40BBN  Potatoes a good source of potassium

USDA-Sodium-Content.pdf   26 page chart of USDA

HighPotassiumFoodList_sglpgs.pdf High potassium foot list by mycardiologist.com