October 24, 2020 - Saturday morning

31 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Galesburg, IL

As you can see, we didn't make it to Iowa yesterday. By the time we found various landmarks, visited Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, and do some exploring, we decided to simply stay where we were for another night. I'm glad we did. The hotel, Baymont Inn, is a nice place, the rates are reasonable, and we got a good night's rest.

It'll be on to Iowa today.

Friday was a mixed bag of sightseeing, discovering, and visiting.

We made our way downtown to a HUGE antique mall/museum on Main Street.

I remember the copper plated building from when I was young and visiting Grandma and Grandpa who lived a mere three blocks away. Before she and Dad were married, Mom worked at Kellogg Drake, a huge dry goods store, just down the block.

We had fun and browsed for over two hours.

I even told Sargie that if she treated me real good, I'd buy her a new washer. She just laughed and told me to keep on dreaming.

My life story... sigh.

The next two pictures are for my sister, Barb, or B'ann. I well remember when we lived on Windsor Road and B'ann got one of these.

She LOVED her new record player and wore out hundreds, if not millions, of 45 disks.

And then there was our kitchen table.

I'd occasionally get my hand slapped when I ran the tine of a fork between the chrome trim and formica top. Boy, does that bring back memories.

Sargie tells me the Milligan's had the same table as did much of America during the 50's and 60's.

With rain and wind making life miserable, we'd put off going to the graveyard as long as possible. It was a quiet trip out Rt. 150 to visit Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa.

The weather was fitting. I stood at the foot of each grave, filled with emotions.

What do you say to a plaque and piece of ground? 

In the end, I shed a few tears before putting on my big boy pants and sharing a few personal thoughts with each. I made a point of telling Mom and Dad not to worry, that Sargie takes very good care of me. I assured all we'd be back next spring/summer to see how they are doing and reminded Grandma and Dad to behave themselves. Buried side by side, in life, they continually played practical jokes on each other.

Grandma and Grandpa's Grave

Much of the afternoon was spent driving up and down Rt. 34 between Galesburg and Oneida in search of the old farmhouse where we lived in the mid 50's. 

We drove through several tiny farm towns during the afternoon and I can certainly see where my sister and I got our Christian Conservative, silent majority (I hope) values. Without fail, I heard more yes please's, no thank you's, where are you from, and God Bless You's, than I've heard in a long time.

It's refreshing to know that other than our slice of Heaven in the UP, there are still pockets of America, as I knew it long ago, left in our country.

Though a few of the towns are beginning to look a bit tired, the Midwest American spirit is still alive and well.

Our old farmhouse was ancient in the 50's and I've come to the conclusion that it's gone. I'm finding on this trip that much of my childhood still exists only in my memory.

We found Grandma and Grandpa's little house out on their farm, although it doesn't look at all as it did sixty years ago.

The road's been paved, the barns are gone, and it's like a teeny, fairly rundown structure among several new, high end, VERY EXPENSIVE, homes.

Some things are better left to memory.

We were hungry and tired and decided to stay another night in Galesburg. We did a bit of shopping, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed back to the hotel.

Nothing better to warm the body than a big ol' piece of coconut cream pie

It's time to wrap this up and see if Sargie Pants is ready to head west to Iowa. Today's destination is Dad's hometown of Solon, Iowa, and the cemetery at Morse, both on the outskirts of Iowa City.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...