By Tim Dempsey

 

President Diana Taylor opened the meeting, Scott Hezner led us in the pledge and Greeter Ron  Lapins gave the prayer. No song this week.

 

-John McDonald sailed on the Harmony of the Seas with a crew that included his 4 kids and 7 grandkids. This is John’s third year as head of the speakers bureau and he received a standing ovation!

-Doug Fendon recently visited his Dad in Phoenix. His Dad will be 90 and is doing well.

-Tucker Olson and his wife celebrated 40 years of wedded bliss.

-Bob Zamor topped that with 45 years of marriage.

-Scott Hezner welcomed back Peggy Freese!

 

-Dan Lutter continues to improve. A card for him was circulated. Dave Potts visited him and he can catch a ball.

-Cubs tickets at the Brewers are still available. Contact ADG Kevin Stevens.

-There is no morning meeting on 8/29. There will be an evening event at the Risley’s. Steve needs a head count.

-Highway cleanup is at 7am at Sunset foods on 8/18.

-Engineers Without Borders is having a golf outing on 9/21 at St Andrews GC in West Chicago. See John McDonald for details.

-Bid Pal for the fundraiser goes live on 8/17.

-Bids will close at 9pm on the day of the fundraiser. Checkout will be on your phone.

-Sponsors are still needed. Tickets sales are about even with last year. Buy tickets online, enter your cell phone number and you will receive the Bid Pal link.

 

-Teri Dreher asked us to list our talents. One table had an enormous number of talents and received a reduced fine. Is it the truth?

 

Today’s speaker was Steve Magnusen, a former Sunrise member now living in Indianapolis and a new author. Steve got his writing start as a bulletin editor for this very publication! (Editor’s note: there are spots available on the editorial team. See Pat Hart.) Steve retired as the Village Engineer in Libertyville and moved to suburban Indianapolis to be near his grand kids. He has Gary Dowty as a neighbor. Gary is also a former Cub member.

 

Steve is a Civil War buff and decided to write about the romance between Rufus Dawes and Mary Gates. The book is titled: To my best Gal. Rufus and Mary are mentioned in Julia Carter’s “Civil War Journal “. Julia kept a diary of the Civil War. Rufus wrote Mary many letters during the war and Steve believed that the letters told a unique story in the perspective of the day that begged to be told. He decided to self-publish and wanted to bring the characters to life in historical fiction.  

 

Dawes was an officer in the Union army, rising to the rank of Regimental Commander. He fought at Gettysburg and was particularly haunted by the action at Antietam. His grandfather rode with Paul Revere. His father was abusive and had a business in Marietta Ohio. His father left his mother and moved to Wisconsin with Rufus and his brothers. Rufus attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison and transferred to Marietta College in Ohio. He met Mary in church. Rufus moved back to Wisconsin and was recruited into the Wisconsin Volunteers. He continued to write to Mary who showed little interest. His unit became a part of the Iron Brigade. They suffered 1600 casualties at Antietam alone. After the war Rufus and Mary got married and settled in Marietta Ohio.

 

During his research, Steve met Barb Moberg who is a descendent of Dawes. Barb lived in Libertyville and attended LHS. The family is very supportive of Steve’s book and the book is doing well.

 

Daily: $33 won by Seb Karasu.

 

Progressive: $435 (38 cards). Patty Bluh did not draw the ace. Rollover!

 

Program: Cong. Brad Schneider

 

Fun & Frolics: Doug Fendon

 

Greeter & Prayer: Tim Klein

 

 

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore  Roosevelt

 

 

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