Whitey . . . Member of Ko-Op’s Incoming Class of ’64

Russ White and Gary Cook first began working at the Ko-Op at the beginning of fall quarter in 1964. I started work there by early November. Other ’64 high school grads, Ken Kirby and Gus Pekara later came on board.

I still remember how surprised I was when Russ left EIU in 1967 to enlist in the Army.

Christmas day 1968 in Vietnam, Hill 53
(Sargeant Russ White on the far left - with half of platoon)

After boot camp training, Russ spent 1968 and began '69 in Vietnam. He was assigned to the 3/82 Artillery, 196th Light Infantry Brigade. In February, He was blown up on a landing zone (LZ) south of Danang. After recovering from wounds, Russ was assigned for eight months to a burial team out of Ft. Lewis (Near Tacoma, WA). Then he returned to Eastern.

I last saw and visited Whitey around 1971 at his then home in Mattoon. Ken Lowry was also there. At EIU, he had changed majors and soon graduated with a teaching degree in Botany and Zoology.

Russ taught science for six years east of Decatur at Atwood-Hammond school district. He also married Cindy, adopted two children, and they had another daughter in 1978 (Daughters Amber and Tamara and son, Cory).

During that time, Russ also completed a Masters degree in educational administration at EIU. In 1980, he then switched jobs to become the principal at Cissna Park.

Russ continued his education at the University of Illinois and completed a Doctoral degree. Beginning in July 1986, he was superintendent for six years at Crescent City. He also taught classes for the Masters program at Governors State University.

End of June 2004, Russ White retired after serving fourteen years as the superintendent of Wilmington School District 209U, located fifty miles southwest of Chicago in the Kankakee River Valley. During his tenure there, Russ served on the Superintendent’s Advisory Board for the ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) and advocated for changing school funding to be based on State income taxes and reduced property taxes.

After retirement, he worked one more year as a principal at an alternative high school in Cook County.

Russ and Cindy live near Bonfield, Illinois. They share a Facebook account and post family photos (Nine grandchildren) on their pages. It’s a nice connection to their lives and activities. Enjoy seeing some of their travels. Last March, Cindy and Russ went back to Vietnam and visited the LZ where he was wounded.

Vietnam - the War of Our Generation

It's mere coincidence that the article last posted here was about Howard Skidmore, a decorated WWII 'Ace' pilot who managed the Ko-Op until joining the war effort. But during the mid and late Sixties, the war of our generation was in Vietnam.

My connections were that my two older brothers were in the Navy - one training pilots at the Naval Air Station Meridian (MS) and the other on a carrier off the Vietnam coast. I remember when Lyle Mowery attended the Fairbury funeral of a close hometown friend who died in the war. A schoolmate and neighbor from my hometown was killed in 1969. Others from Findlay, IL also served; another neighboring farmboy was severely wounded, endured a long recovery, and today lives with the effects of those injuries.

Wars are terrible, and young men and women often make huge sacrifices. In this trying to recognize and remember those persons from my Ko-Op days who served, I risk unknowingly leaving people off the list . . . but here goes with those known:

Kel Thrush - When he graduated, I thought he was off to a management trainee position with Sears. However I've learned that he never made it to that job, instead was swept into the military and the war effort. Lives in Louisville, KY.

Russ White - Took a break from EIU in late 1967, joined the army and was stationed at a landing zone south of Danang in Feb. 1969 when he was wounded. After recovery, he was assigned to a burial team at Ft. Lewis for 8 mos. Russ returned to EIU, graduated and went into teaching, finished a doctorate at UofI, and retired as the Supt. of Schools in Wilmington, IL. Russ lives in nearby Bonfield.

Sam Steinman - Graduated in 1969. Married Brenda Karcher (Who worked at the Short Stop) and in the fall after his basic training, he was selected for the honor guard at Arlington National Cemetery. Sam is a Vice President at AGCO Finance and lives in Suwanee, GA.

From earlier postings here, I know that both Gary Cook and Ken Lowry served in the Air Force.
There were also many who roomed above the Ko-Op but did not work downstairs. Certainly, several served in the armed services. I'm aware that Sonny Greco left EIU and went into the Army from 1966-1968. He was a staff sergeant and was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Like Russ White, Sonny returned to EIU and was a 1972 honors graduate (Served in state government positions - Dir. of personnel under Gov. Jim Thompson and Dir. of finance for the state department of transportation). Sonny was also a Springfield, IL businessman. He died in June 1993, 46 yrs. old.

Earlier this year another close childhood friend and neighbor, Coy Thomas died after years of battling cancer. Coy served in the US Army from Nov. 1967 to Nov. 1968, in Charlie Company, 2nd Platoon, 3rd Squad, in the 22nd Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was no less a casualty of the Vietnam War, a soldier exposed to Agent Orange. Coy earned a Bronze Star, two purple hearts and a Combat Infantry badge as well as a good conduct medal - several of his service mates "are still trying to figure out who the hell in the US Army put Coy in for the good conduct medal!" He left behind numerous tales of his wartime escapades.

Today is Veteran's Day, a day when we honor the service and sacrifice of men and women from all armed services. It also marks the anniversary of the end of World War I - - "the war to end all wars." If only that were true.

June 2012: Forty Plus Years

From reports received from P-nuts (Ken) Lowry and 'E.J.' (John) Ganley, the recent get-together of five former Ko-Op workers of the Sixties was a rousing good time. Lots of catching up, reminiscing, and great stories of back-in-the-day were shared. They also provided these photos:

L to R: Lyle Mowery, Ken 'P-nuts' Lowry, Russ White, Gary 'Mongoose' Cook and E.J. Ganley

Seems appropriate, fitting that the guys are standing in the parking lot underneath the two windows of the 'Bahamas' room. If those walls could talk, they would tell some great stories - - some would be true and some might be slightly exaggerated.

Click on any photo for a larger view

Attending the mini-reunion were Lyle Mowery (Ames, IA and St. Louis Park, MN), Ken and Mary Lowry (Toledo, IL), Russ and Cindy White (Bonfield, IL), Gary and Becky Cook (Buford, GA) and John and Dianna Ganley (West Monroe, LA).

They ate lunch at Dirty's Bar and Grill, the food establishment that is currently housed in the old Ko-Op building. After lunch they moved to Roc's ('Black Front') and sat on the back deck.

The group met for the evening and had dinner at The Stadium Grill in Mattoon.

Thanks guys for the report and the great photographs. It's apparent to me that all of you had a good time. I'm sorry that I missed this one, but for sure we have to get together again - before another 40 years. Here's to good times and safe travels. And if any of you ever get out West to south central Utah, you have a place to stay near Teasdale! Johnse

Comments from Lyle Mowery

Lyle Mowery or “The Mow” (rhyme with now) as generally known by the Ko-Op crowd:
     I (Lyle speaking) really enjoyed working at the Ko-Op and most of my collegiate friends and colleagues worked at the Ko-Op or hung out there. Most of the core group in the 1964-1969 time frame lived above the restaurant, as well as worked there. Mongoose (Gary Cook from Dupo) and I lived in the southeast penthouse room commonly referred to as “The Bahamas” due to the extreme heat which could only be regulated by opening and closing the windows. We also had transient roomies from time to time, including Ken 'Peanuts' Lowry (Strasburg) and Russ 'the Blob' White (Peoria).
     I could talk for days about the life and times of life in and around the Ko-Op, but I will limit this entry to one of my favorites. During one quarter (winter 1966-1967, I think) Johnson 'Johnse' and I opened the restaurant at 6:30 a.m. and made the pancake batter, prepared the salad, set up the steam table and cleaned up the crap the night shift left. When the quarter started, we only had one or two customers and generally cranked the juke box while we were working. I remember two songs we especially enjoyed were "Let’s Spend the Night Together” by the Rolling Stones and “Gimme some Lovin'" by the Spencer Davis Group.

     While we were working, we danced to the music and generally screwed around a lot. Our morning antics brought in many customers, most who came in for ”The Morning Show” rather than “2 over light with ham.” One of our regular customers was a female grad student who wore a green Hawaii sweatshirt and was very quiet. She read her text book and tried to ignore our antics. One day Johnson said “Mow, go over there and get that girl to enjoy herself." I walked out from behind the steam table over to her table and started dancing to the cranked juke box. I eventually danced up the booth and started a craze they now refer to as a 'table dance.' Hawaii, as we called her, began to get into the morning show and generally had a wonderful time for the rest of the quarter.
     Some of the Ko-Op group I remember: Richard Funk- all state basketball player from Decatur Eisenhower, Bob Warnsley, all state basketball player from the Stephan Decatur runnin’ Reds, the star tennis player - Jack Worthington (California), Tom 'Hair Ball' Baylis from Paris, and Al Yoder of Arthur. We all worked hard and generally were good friends. Much better than a fraternity, I think.
     At some point we should talk about the Ko-Op groupies, including Dianna Miller (Effingham) and Diana Roper (Decatur) - 'Dee and Di', Linda Christie also from Decatur and her own clique (Believe that Linda was from Rantoul?), Willy (blonde who dated Warnsley and started the multi-racial dating program), Vicky McDonald (Anna), Sonny 'the Fox' Greco (Springfield) who lived upstairs too, Sonny’s roommate - a quiet guy whose name escapes me (Duane Harms, now lives in Sarasota, FL), the 'Sarge' who tried to keep us under control but after a year with no supervision, and an overnite visit by his girlfriend - - he generally got blackmailed into keeping quiet. Brad Latvaitus (worked at Walt’s), Jerry Burtis from Hoopeston, Mary Ann Grooms (Sullivan), Julie Citch and her friend, Wendy Harder - (both from Chicago region). I may think of more later. Do you remember who used to go to Champaign with us to drink at Kam’s and other college bars? – Mongoose and Whitey have scars on their arms to prove it!"
     "It was great talking to you. Let me know when you are in the area and especially if you and your wife come in to visit Ames."
Your friend always,
Lyle
(Plant Manager, Carriage House Foods, Inc., Ames, IA)

I remember making the trip to Champaign once or twice. First trip on a Saturday, I was the designated driver for return back to Charleytown. You were sleeping and pretty much snockered. Your car's fuel pump began to leak (the '62 blue Chevy), and we made it almost back to Charleston. Tank ran dry a couple of miles north of town on Rte 130. It was 3 or 4 a.m. I hitched a ride to the Ko-Op, borrowed my roommate's car, came back to pick you up and got you home. The next day I'm working the Sunday lunch crowd shift, when you came downstairs wanting to know where in the hell your car was? (8-) lj

Spencer Davis Group singing 'Gimme Some Lovin'