Jimmy Stewart, beloved City Commissioner of Marion for 11 years, was born on May 30, 1942 in Marion to Clayton Stewart and Lucille Cash.
He married Fran Mathis on June 2, 1962 in Creal Springs who preceded him in death on June 3, 2002.
Stewart spent decades working for the General Telephone Company as a repairman. Continue reading
Carl B. Sorgen, professional photographer for Marion, Williamson County and the Marion Daily Republican through the 1950’s and 1960’s, was born in Carbondale, Illinois on August 5, 1904, to Paul Sorgen and Nellie Barber. He grew up and attended Carbondale schools.
On October 10, 1936, he married Miss Hester Louise “Dink” Davis of Marion, the daughter of Hester Louis “Heck” Davis and Georgia Stapleton. “Heck” and his wife operated Davis Market located at 1005 E. Main where Small’s Grocery is now located today. The Davises resided on S. Grey Street nearby. “Heck” also was Marion Chief of Police in the early years of the 1950’s. Continue reading
After reading the following article that appeared in the Egyptian Press on January 20, 1913, about the use of a “mad stone” to diagnose and cure rabies, my curiosity got the best of me and I had to figure out what it was, so here is what I found out.
F. Smoot of Marion was bitten by a mad dog. The dog was captured and slain and has been pronounced a true mad dog. The injured man, Rev. Smoot’s only brother will be hastened to St. Louis or Chicago to undergo the Pasteur treatment. A “mad stone” was applied Thursday afternoon and is said to have “stuck.” Continue reading
Marion Woman Finally Working as Police Officer
Dawn Williams (now, Tondini) can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to be a police officer.
As a baby she loved to dress up in her father’s police hat, and his leather slapstick was her favorite teething ring. When she learned to read, she turned first to her dad’s police training books.
Her ambition became reality recently when the 27 year old was sworn in as the first female patrol officer in the Marion Police Department. She has worked as a dispatcher for the department since April 1992, and was a member of the police auxiliary for 1 ½ years before that. Continue reading
Oscar Schafale, the son of a blacksmith, was born September 11, 1897 in Cherry Valley, southwest of Marion. He moved with his parents, Mike Schafale and Mary Weilmuenster, to Marion when he was 6 years old. His father later started an International Harvester farm implement dealership in Marion.
He began working at the Schafale Brothers International Harvester farm implement dealership when he was 11 years old, working there until he was 42 years old.
Schafale attended Marion schools through the eighth grade. He took a short business course at Brown’s Business College in Marion, as well as attending bank courses at the University of Wisconsin for three summers. Continue reading