Ad in the Eastern News (Feb. 1966)

Walt Mizener recently posted this newspaper ad on his Facebook page - - with his permission, I share it here. Today he has it framed in his New Hampshire home.

Right click and open image in another tab for larger view                                      

It is a joint ad for the Ko-Op, Walt's, and the Short Stop - - must be near the time that the Short Stop opened. Walt said that it was found in his father's house.

Notice those 1938 prices at Walt's. A meal with a jumbo milk shake for 20 cents. I can't remember when I've heard the phrase 'Combination Salad?' Tuition and room rent are a bargain. Can you still recite the sandwich list from the Sixties menu?

John 'E J' Ganley

Sometime during the mid-seventies, I heard that John Ganley was severely injured in a car wreck - - I thought it was in the Memphis, TN area, but I never learned the outcome. But like with the Mongoose, Whitey, and some others of the Ko-Op days, I continued to search. Last fall I came upon an alumni site for Newton High School, and discovered a recent small photo taken of John (No address or way to contact him, but I recognized that face). Led me to further searching until I discovered him and his wife on Facebook. Here are John's remarks shared from our recent email exchanges:

"After graduation from EIU in 1967, I taught and coached at high schools for 35 years. At first, I moved around quite a lot including jobs at Chicago Mt. Carmel (IL), Memphis (TN), Baton Rouge (LA) and St. Petersburg (FL).

John Ganley on the sidelines (Photo in the 1966 Warbler Yearbook)

Yes, I was in a serious car accident in Normal, Illinois, and it was a close call back in 1975. I was in the hospital with a head injury for a week. There were no lasting effects (My wife might disagree with that one).

Early coaching days (John on the right)

In 1976, I got married and stopped the moving. First our daughter, Shawn, was born. Then the twins, a boy and girl - - Erin and Chuck. They were ten weeks old, when their mother suddenly, unexpectedly died. That was in 1986. I was a single father for thirteen years. 

John with the twins (c. 1997)

Today my oldest daughter teaches high school and is an athletic trainer in Clearwater, Florida. In college, Shawn majored in health and athletic training but she teaches Algebra, health, English or whatever they need covered. My youngest daughter, Erin just graduated from college in December. She always wanted to travel and hopes to teach in South Korea. My son, Chuck graduated from Durham, England in January with his Masters in Finance and a 3.5 overall average. He is currently job-hunting in the New York area. None of my children are married; I encouraged them to travel and see the world first!

Dining in Hot Springs, AR  (Nov.  2011)

I had a heart attack in January of 1998 and after thirty-plus years had to retire from coaching. I almost kissed the world good-bye. Doctors implanted a defibrillator in my chest, and I am good as new. More recently, I have had a knee replacement (2004) for an old football injury. I take good care of myself. I bike ride daily and have gotten my wife to join me.

In June 1999 I married Dianna. She is the reason I moved from Florida to West Monroe, Louisiana. We have a good life. She is an artist and teaches art at West Monroe High School, her alma mater.

I enjoy watching the local teams play. West Monroe High has the 5AAA state championship football team, and I don't miss a game. I substitute teach there almost daily. Dianna says that she will retire in five years. I want to move back to Florida if that can be worked out. Dianna has lived in Louisiana all her life and her family is here, so this may take some convincing.

We travel back to Illinois every year. My mom (92 years old) and two of my brothers live in Decatur. Dianna and I go to Charleston and look around the old neighborhoods. The Ko-op is still there, but it appears to be unused. We also visit friends in Newton. Dianna's former pastor is retired in Springfield, and we have visited him.

EIU Football Reunion in 2008 (John seated at the table)

Back in 1974, Walt Stine was living in Normal, IL and was fixing to move to West Virginia - - last I heard of him.

I guess at the time I didn't know it, but my experiences at the Ko-op were some of the best years I ever knew. It's hard to believe I complained as much as I did then and have such good memories now. The best people I ever knew came from there, customers and co-workers alike. I think a reunion would be great."

Back in Florida (Summer 2011); enjoying retirement

John, you've had quite a life journey so far, and I'm glad that I and other Ko-Op workers have reconnected. Hope to see you sometime later this year. lj

706 Lincoln Evolves

   In Feb. 2011 the former Ko-op Restaurant, located on the SE corner of Lincoln Ave. and Seventh St. in Charleston, IL, was for a short time “Georgie Boy’s.” Georgie Boy's was owned by a Mattoon family and served breakfast, lunch and dinner fare.
   From the late 40s through the 70s, the two-story red-brick building directly east of Old Main had housed a restaurant and been a place of employment for many EIU students. The second story that originally was housing for a number of students and student workers was later converted to apartments.
   The building was originally owned by Walt Warmoth, who also owned the famous eatery Walt’s (across the street from McAfee Gym, now called Marty’s) and later sold to Larry Mizener, a Phi Sig who had worked for Walt. Except for Old Main and the northeast corner of campus, for a few decades Larry Mizener controlled that area around Lincoln and Seventh. 

[Above excerpted from an article in the Spring 2011 Phi Sigma Epsilon Newsletter]

   By July of 2011 Georgie Boy's was closed and a 'For Lease' sign was placed out front. The Aug. 22, 2011 issue of the Eastern News printed the following: "While the abrupt closing of local diner Georgie Boy's surprised many Charleston residents, they can take comfort knowing the restaurant will soon reopen under new ownership as a sports bar." 

   An article in an early Oct. issue of the Eastern News announced plans for the new restaurant, Dirty's Bar & Grill:

http://www.dennews.com/the_verge/dirty-s-bar-grill-to-open-in-near-future/article_91428c14-fb80-11e0-a40f-0019bb30f31a.html

   Eastern News followed up with the announcement that Dirty's Bar and Grill opened for business (Oct 30, 2011)

http://www.dennews.com/news/local/dirty-s-bar-and-grill-opens-for-business/article_13257d3a-037a-11e1-91f8-0019bb30f31a.html

R.I.P.

     Tom Lowry worked at the Ko-Op and graduated from EIU in 1964. Like many teachers, he returned during summer terms to complete his Masters degree.
     Summer of 1965 was when I first met him; he rejoined the Ko-Op crew. Older student-workers like Kel Thrush, Carl Nosbisch, John 'E J' Ganley and Walt Stine knew Tom, and those of us who were newer soon got acquainted with a man who generally had a warm smile on his face.
     Summer of 1966, his younger brother, Kenny came to EIU as a freshman, worked at the Ko-Op and lived upstairs in the 'hall.' Tom finished his M.S degree in a few years; Kenny left college. I never saw Tom after that, occasionally wondered if he still was in education and where he lived?
     My father has lived in Shelbyville for several years. Every once in awhile, I scan the Shelby paper online and the other day, noticed a familiar name there. Four decades of visits back home to Shelby County to see my parents and siblings; I didn't know that Tom worked and lived in the area.

**********************************

Donald Thomas 'Tom' Lowry, Jr.
Date: Thu, Feb 24, 2011
Donald Thomas “Tom” Lowry, Jr., 68, of Shelbyville, IL., died at 6:19 a.m. Wednesday, February 23, 2011, in Decatur Memorial Hospital.


     Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 26, 2011, in Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville, with the Rev. Jim Whitaker officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Friday. Memorials may be given to the National Niemann – Pick Disease Foundation or the American Cancer Society. Send condolences to www.howeandyockey.com.
     Mr. Lowry was born on April 30, 1942, in Mattoon, IL., the son of Donald T. and Betty Haverstock Lowry, Sr.
     He graduated from Stewardson-Strasburg High School in the Class of 1960 and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
     He taught middle-school science and math for 37 years at Windsor, Stewardson-Strasburg and Central A and M.
     Tom was the Golf Pro at Sullivan Country Club for 30 years. He was a member of the Fourth Street United Methodist Church in Shelbyville, National Teacher’s Association, George Sentel Masonic Lodge #764, Sullivan, and Sullivan Country Club.
     He married Sandi Robbins Traxler in 1997. Surviving are his wife, Sandi; son, Justin Lowry of Decatur, IL.; step-son, Nick Traxler and wife, Kelli, of St. Louis, MO.; step-daughter, Callie Traxler of Shelbyville, IL.; mother, Betty Lowry Ellison of Mattoon, IL.; brothers: Kenny Lowry and wife, Mary, of Toledo, IL.; and Chuck Lowry and wife, Angela, of Newbern, TN.; sister, Carol Lowry of Mattoon, IL.; grandchildren: Andrew Lowry of Bloomington, IL., and Emma and Brynn Traxler, both of St. Louis, MO.; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Bob and Betty Robbins of Shelbyville; and several nieces and nephews.
     He was preceded in death by his father, Donald T. Lowry, Sr.; and daughter, Cori Lowry.

Ko-Op Konnections (706 Lincoln, Charleston)

     Welcome to a blogsite for posting information about the Ko-Op Cafe and Short-Stop Drive-In; both located on or near corners of 7th and Lincoln in Charleston, Illinois.
     The Ko-Op was a cafeteria-style establishment that catered mainly to students, faculty, and staff of Eastern Illinois University. The Short-Stop was built and opened in the mid Sixties and was a faster-food establishment that also served EIU students and the larger Charleston community. Both businesses were operated by the Larry and Jean Mizener family.
      Today the Ko-Op building is used for activites of a neighboring church, and the Short-Stop is now a Domino's Pizza business. The former Mizener residence (located on the third corner of the intersection) is a Christian bookstore.
      I invite former workers and customers of both establishments to re-introduce themselves, post their memories here, and reconnect to friends and co-workers from their EIU days.
     Myself, I worked at both the Ko-Op and Short-Stop from November 1964 until graduating from EIU in August 1968. You can visit my profile section here to learn more . . .
Larry Johnson
larrjoh@gmail.com
http://eduscapes.com

Updated information (Fall 2011): Son, Benjamin tells me that an eating establishment of some kind is now operating in the old Ko-Op location. Have to check that out the next time I am in 'Chucktown.'