Last Friday at the Southwest Regional Senior Center the theme was ‘Jazzin’ at Southwest’ featuring Ronnie G. and the Delivery Point Jazz Band with lead singer Tricia Tribble. The Southwest Multi-Purpose Auxiliary sponsored the band and the food, which included a regular picnic of hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, potato salad, fruit and cold drinks.
My plan was to drop off my library books across the street and then stop in at the Center to check it out. I enjoyed the music so much I ended up staying for almost three hours. The popular seven-member band has been playing together for about 30 years, with most members hailing from the south suburbs.
These are the kind of special events Regional Director Jewell Wilson and Assistant Regional Director Felipe Sanchez come up with every month. Of course, it’s not always jazz, but whatever they feature they sure do it up big. Why just the week before the Center held a Carnival complete with authentic Maxwel Street Polish. And these events are in addition to the regular and special activities, games, seminars etc.
I met Larry O’Connell there. The name sounds familiar I’m sure because he’s the guy that has been orchestrating the Record Shows here and in Alsip and in Orland Park for the past 40 years. While we were talking during the intermission, he shared some information that may be important to some of you, especially if you are interested in checking into family records, where your ancestors lived etc.
The National Archives, which has been at 7358 S. Pulaski for decades, is not going to be at that location much longer. I made a few calls and learned that the agency, which serves as the nation’s record keeper, will be closing in Chicago and San Francisco over the next few years and they will begin that process within the next few months.
And that is kind of scary because many of the records in Chicago have not been digitized and are only available in person. If you have never been there, I can tell you it is a huge building with massive amounts of materials on shelves.
I shared the following story about the archives 10-12 years ago but with the present situation I think it bears repeating:
I took my sister-in-law, Janet, there when she was working on the genealogy of her family. She was born and raised in Florida and lived there almost her entire life. She knew her grandpa had worked somewhere up here for a time when her dad was little and being that her ancestors are the Merrills who founded Merrillville, we spent time there going through records, and visiting cemetery plots etc., but found no record of her grandparents living there when her dad was a boy.
However, when we drove by, she saw the sign for Marquette Park and for some reason, it rang a bell, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.
Through the material at the archives here, which safeguards information from the Midwestern states, we found her grandpa’s exact address in the early 1900s, which was surprisingly right here in Chicago Lawn on Spaulding. We were able to go to the house, take photos, and talk to the current owners who were kind enough to let her go in and see where her dad had spent part of his boyhood.
Since Janet was focusing on her grandparents living in Indiana, you can imagine the shock when we learned we could not only find her dad’s boyhood address, but that it was actually within walking distance of my house here in Chicago.
The records we looked through were on large pages in binders. Remember, many records have not been digitized, so if there is something you want to look up, call and make an appointment with a docent before they are relocated to another state. The general phone number is (773) 948-9000.
The Teen DIY this week at the Chicago Lawn Library, 6120 S. Kedzie Avenue, is Air Dry Clay on Thursday, July 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Teens and tweens ages 10 to 19 are invited to experiment with air dry clay which can be formed into bowls, beads, ornaments and more. Once cured, the clay can be painted or decorated.
And save the date for the Annual Block Party at the Chicago Lawn Library coming up on Saturday, Aug. 8, from noon to 3 p.m.
On Thursday, July 30, the Wrightwood-Ashburn Library, 8530 S. Kedzie Avenue, invites tweens ages 10 to 13 to get creative with colorful sand art. Tweens can design their own layered sand bottles using vibrantly colored sand to create their own unique works of art. Supplies are provided.
The Monthly Novena to St Rita of Cascia takes place at the St. Rita Shrine, 7740 S. Western Avenue, on Thursday, Aug. 6, at 7 p.m. And as always everyone is invited to enjoy a slice of Kringle after Mass.
Now, back to 1976. When we left last time, I wondered if you remembered Sharko’s East and maybe a place called Shuffle’s Lounge? Larry O. was the first to remember the location of Sharko’s East on 78th and Western. He says it was always a class act. No one came up with the answer to Shuffle’s Lounge. I didn’t recognize it either. The address was 6352 S. Kedzie and they had live entertainment on the weekends.
I planned on us going back to 1965 but as memories or questions come up, I’m happy to put that off another week. So, this is still the 1970s: Bob D. wondered if anyone remembered the Atlas Drive-In?