O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1

A “John the Barber Foundation” Publication

“Nothing but good news ! And Good people doing Great things!

From Arlington, Cherry, Ladd, Seatonville/Hollowayville, Spring Valley,and Dalzell, Illinois”

Peter Francisco….we almost lost ya!

Here is a Great story of good news from a number of angles. A few months ago, following a trip to Cherry, I headed to a Fall Festival near Morris. Walking through the festival site, I was struck by an antique photo of a World War I “Dough Boy.” It looked very familiar. I had to walk past that same booth on the way out and again I stopped thinking that the photo looked like something I had definitely seen before. It was chalk sketch of a handsome young solider in a modest but very old frame. I actually said out loud, “he looks like someone I think I have seen in the Bureau County World War I Honor Roll book.” The antique dealer, who had been noting my interest in the picture, immediately said, “Wow, I bought that picture in Spring Valley!” At that point of course, I knew I had to have it! As soon as I got home, I looked in the Honor Roll book and sure enough, it was in there! It was Peter Francisco of Cherry who was actually killed in World War I. The Francisco’s were an interesting family. For one thing, there real name was Franciscovich and they were Austrian. That in itself was a bit unusual…while many Italians were changing their names to NOT sound Italian, the Francisco’s basically did the opposite. I always wondered about the mother Josephine Francisco and I’ll tell you why. In 1909, her husband John and oldest son August were both killed in the Cherry Mine Disaster. Then in 1918, she lost three daughter of the influenza within one week. The same day that her third daughter passed away, she received notice that Pe-ter had died in France. In 1918, she was a widow with seven chil-dren. Still, although she didn’t have to, she let Peter go off to war. What a Great and brave lady! What a blessing that I happened to be there in Morris that day or Pe-ter’s photo may have been lost for-ever. Instead, it will take a place of honor in the Cherry library so that folks will forever know of the brav-ery of the Francisco family! (story by Jack Rooney)

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“No one can sum

up all God is able to accomplish through one

solitary life that is wholly yielded,

adjusted, and obedient to him.”

-D.L. Moody, American Evangelist and Publisher

The “John the Barber” Foundation

P.O. Box 88 Cherry, IL 61317

editor@JohnTheBarberFoundation.com

“Here’s what people around the country are saying about “Up Ravioli Alley!”

An anonymous URA writes, “Dear URA; I wanted to tell you this story about some-thing Great that happened to me because of your efforts. I was reading URA and I paid special attention to a piece regarding the idea that it is easy to be nice to “people that are easy to be nice to,” but in order to act in a Christ-like way you should be nice to everyone, especially those that are not nice back. It just so hap-pened that that afternoon I had a ladies event to go to. The lady across the table from me was unfortunately in a very poor mood actually saying at one point, “I don’t know why I am here.” Thinking about the piece in URA, I remained talkative and supportive, the rougher she became the nicer I became. I actually gave her an door prize she had been admiring. A couple of days later a mutual friend of us both called and said, “Thank you so much for being nice to that lady at your table the other day….she went on and on about what a Great time she had at the event and how nice you were. I want to let you know that she is very, very sick and I ap-preciate what you did for her.” As it turns out, that lady at my table passed away just a few weeks later. Thank you URA for teaching me something Great!

Another anonymous URA wrote us with the following “doing something Great sto-ry.” Thank you and your gang of elves for all you have done for a needy family. “One Sunday after work and running errands I sat down to put my feet up and thought I'd scan Facebook. BIG MISTAKE! There was someone on one of the web-sites asking if anyone needed work done in the LaSalle area. She wasn't looking for a handout, her husband would clean a basement, garage, etc. they just needed to get a little food and diapers to get them thru the day. So I put an "all call" on Face-book. Got friends promising to send checks and put my coat and shoes back on and went grocery shopping…$300, some McDonald's burgers and fries, and my WII and games later we arrived at the home. Mom, dad and 8 children living in a xxxxxxx apartment, no beds, a TV with no cable, and 1 movie to watch over and over. It broke my heart! So I put out another "all call" on Facebook. Gathering clothes, gently used baby items, microwave, I had an extra TV, DVD player. Then I got a call from a friend and she took on organizing donations for x-mas presents. One friend gave me a tree and another lights and decorations. These kids are young, ages range from three- eleven. They had nothing. I had friends cook a tur-key dinner for their dinner and Santa made a huge appearance!” Hoping URA readers out there will all look for opportunities to do something a little bit Great like this this Christmas!

Cherry 50’s Softball Fun Mary Marconi Pattelli of LaSalle sent us this very cool shot of friends playing softball in Cherry during the 1950’s. (L-R) Romane Baker, Dale Noy, Jada Baldini, Jack McCook, Fuzzy Turner, John Barry, Donald Donna, Doris Lindenmier, Tom Templeton, Abe Winch, Paul Maioli, Lester Lindenmier (front). Brings up a few ques-tions….who was Romane Baker? Abe Winch? Was Doris “the team nurse?” Did she have to wear that outfit to every game?

P A G E 3

"I get up early…. at 5:30 a.m. it feels

Great to feel the Holy Spirit 'filling me up' for the day ahead. Trouble is, I start "sprouting leaks"

already by 7:00 a.m. Lord, help avoid the

leaks!” -anonomous URA

reader

“Dream no small dreams for they have

no power to move the hearts of men.” -Johann Wolfgang

von Goethe , German poet

We NEED your stories about people from your town “doing

Great things”…either now or in the past.

Please email or mail to JTB.

DO SOMETHING GREAT! Have your family or business sponsor the printing of “Up Ravioli Alley" for one month! Email or mail John the Barber to learn how to do it!

“Up Ravioli Alley” Needs Your Help Finding Assistant Editors/Field Reporters

Help! “Up Ravioli Alley” needs an Assistant Editor to help us get the newsletter done each month…. help layout and create content, dig for stories, etc. Please email editor@JohnTheBarberFoundation.com or mail Box 88, Cherry, IL 61317 to find out more! Thanks!

Who Wants A Purple Suitcase! Here is a recent story from another anolnomous URA reader who was out doing something a little bit Great. “Recently, a friend of mine brought up to our church some clothes and other items that she felt a needy family might want. She said to

me, ‘that purple suitcase was my daughter’s when she was little. It has been sitting in my laundry room for well over a year waiting for me to bring it to you. Matter of fact, it has been rolling around the trunk of my car for a month….I keep forgetting to give it to you.’ Later that day the phone rang and it was the pastor of our church. A family in our town was being evicted and she wanted to see what we all could do to help. The pastor gathered us up and we head-ed down to see what we could do. There the family stood…mother and three children in an alley….their clothes in gar-bage bags….nowhere to go. We got them fed and came up with a plan to get them transportation to some family they had out of state. I said that we should at least get them a few suitcases so they could at least get rid of their garbage bags. I announced to them that I was headed to the store to buy them a few little suitcases. The little girl yelled out, “I want a purple one!” Needless to say I was shocked. God’s timing there was incredible. ”

Spring Valley Mystery Photo

Anyone out there know what this photo is all about?

JTB would love to hear from you. Please send us a note if you know the story. JTB found this on Ebay this week. The note below says

“In the sunny south, Palatha, FL Jan 20th 1911.”

On the train car a banner reads “Globe Land Co. Spring Valley, IL.”

Anyone have some ideas?

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Don’t forget: Cherry Pie & Coffee

Social Hour, first Thursday

of each of month 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. at Cherry Church Hall.

Do something a

little bit Great and bring someone!

Invite others to meet you there!

Bring a friend!”

“If you want happiness for an hour – take a nap.

If you want happiness for a day – go fishing.

If you want happiness for a year – inherit a fortune.

If you want happiness for a lifetime –

help someone else.” -Chinese Proverb

Here’s a few quick Rav-notes... Cherry United Church of Christ at it again! CUCC members donated two

Thanksgiving and two Christmas baskets to Project Success! The team there also put together a collection of needed items for the PADS Homeless Shelter in Peru that will be delivered mid December. Thank you to the folks at CUCC for being a Great example of living a Christ-like lifestyle, helping those in need! Amen!

Ladd/HTC Virtual Mass: Again this Christmas, the Ladd Community Center will be hosting a Virtual Christmas Eve Mass, broadcasting the mass LIVE from Holy Trinity Cherry at 4:00 p.m. Last year, nearly 150 people attended. Communion was brought down to Ladd on-the-fly from HTC. See you there!

Hey Rose and Ken Buster of Mendota! Jim Maloney of Cherry! We saw you do that! Here’s a Big “thank you” to Rose and Ken Buster of Mendota for helping out Holy Trinity Cherry. It has been obvious for some time that the church hall needed a good chest freezer. Rose and Ken heard the call, stepped up, and pro-vide one that is already in Great use! Not to be outdone, Jim Maloney donated a much needed clock to the hall also. Want to make sure the guys get home from the smoker on time! Thanks Jim!

Thanks Debb Thanks Jan! Thanks to Debb Ladgenski, Spring Valley Economic Development Director, for adding “Up Ravioli Alley” to her Spring Valley email blast. Also, thank you Jan Martin of the Project Success of Eastern Bureau Coun-ty for “sharing” “Up Ravioli Posting” and newsletter on their Facebook page. We really appreciate their effort to help ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy URA!

Starved Rock Country Capitol Fund Could Be Helping You With Your Ravioli Alley Small Business Dreams: SRCCF is an exciting new organization of local in-vestors, financial institutions, and pro-business folks. Their goal is to seed new business in the area and create win-win-win-win scenerios between small busi-ness owners, folks with ideas, investors, local government, educational institu-tions, job seekers, and the community in general. Just this month, SRCCF got a very exciting new venture off the ground! Thanks to SRCCF, 3 Rivers Automotive Technologies will be manufacturing an exciting new automotive engine cleaning solution in the old Westclox building. SRCCF investements in the new firm helped make it all happen! 3 Rivers is looking to employee 6-9 people initially and targeting 12–15 in three years. Could be some Ravioli Alley employees in there hopefully! If you have an idea to advance your current small business or start a new one, please let JTB know and we will hook you up with the right folks at SRCCF.

Happy Faces! CDOP Seminarians Fun Times out East!

Here’s a Great shot of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria Seminarians, currently at

Mount St. Mary’s University, attending University of West

Virginia football game! What an impressive group!

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“Hall Township Food Pantry 12 Wishes of Christmas Challenge:” Here’s a Great chance to help those needy

“Ravioli Alley” folks that need you this Christmas!

The Christmas rush has not yet arrived and the

shelves are already showing bare spots! With this in mind, the Hall Township Food Pantry has issued is “12 Wishes of Christmas Challenge.” Please take a look at the list below and challenge your friends, neighbors, church, family, business to collect loads

of the items below. Kind of fun….(to the tune of ‘The 12 Days of Christmas)…”Three boxes of cereal,

two jars of jelly and a can of KAaAaAaA….fee.” Donations may be dropped off

8:30 am – 4:00 pm at the Terry Street entrance. Call Director Jan Martin at 815.663.2085

with questions.

Great times!

Here’s a shot that will make you smile! Hall Homecoming 1972……King “Jimmer” Lehn of Arlington/Cherry and

Barb Lunn Stank of Ladd! The way they are holding on to their crowns,

must have been a high wind whipping through the Hall gym that night!

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“Ravioli Alley Non-For-Profit Organizations All Showing that ‘John The Barber’ Spirit This Fall” Do “something a little bit Great” and…

> TAKE someone who doesn’t get a chance to get out > BRING a carry out to someone new on your block

> SEND in a donation if you can’t make it

Hall Twp Food Pantry Young Parents “Earn While You Learn”: Every Thursdays 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Classes are being offered to area “soon to be moms” and new parents. Classes help prepare “soon to be moms” and their families through a series of educational videos. Classes include important instruction on subjects in-cluding newborn care, finding quality child care, delivering emergency care, and knowing exactly when to phone a doctor. After the lesson you earn "mommy/daddy bucks" which can be used to purchase diapers, wipes, and other much needed items for baby. For more information contact: Joanne at 1-815-481-2955.

“There’s Snow Place Like Ladd” Christmas Walk: Sunday December 12, 2015 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Main Street, Ladd. Family-oriented activities intended to spread some holiday cheer and to enjoy the small town atmosphere of Ladd. A highlight of the festivities is the Snowman Parade at 5:00 p.m. on North Main Street. All snowmen are welcome to participate. The parade is open to all — walkers, vehicles, floats, individuals. The only requirement is that the entry be lighted and include a snowman. Participants should line up at the Ladd Construction parking lot at 4:45 p.m. Activities before and after the parade include wagon rides, kids’ crafts/activities, pictures with Santa, Grace the white-tailed deer, story teller, Tricia Kelly, musicians/carolers including the United Methodist Church bell ringers, Hall High School and Ladd Grade School choir, as well as guitarist Kevin Kramer will entertain. The Ladd Public Library will host an old fashioned Christmas cookie bake sale. The walk also includes a holiday prize hunt at Ladd businesses and plenty of holiday fun. For more information, call 815-894-2092 or email hocking4@comcast.net.

Holy Trinity Cherry “Fat Tuesday”

Cherry United Church of Christ Christmas Kids Bowling: To be held at the Ladd Lanes Saturday December 12, 2015. Event to allow kids to relax and have some fun during the advent/Christmas season. Event is for all kids especially those that could use some extra fun this time of year. If you know of anyone that might like to attend, please call Lee Kirkman 815.488.3253 or Alice Ring 815.303.7551.

Ravioli Alley Pal’s Doing Great Things a Long Way from Home in 1945:

Burl George of Spring Valley sent us this very cool picture of himself and Dante Bulli of Cherry at “happy hour” at Love’s Field in Dallas, Texas in April, 1945. “I was checking in at the hotel there and who I bump into but Dante,” says Burl. Both highly ex-perienced airman no doubt kicked around some “Ravioli Alley” memories that evening!