July Memories

Almost all our family pictures of when my brother and I were little were destroyed in a house fire, so there is little left except memories. Periodically one or two will come out of hiding like the one below. My memories aren't as sharp as they were years ago, so I will try my best to recollect.

I don't know what stage of the annual Mundelein 4th of July Parade this was...were we waiting for it to begin or is it just ending? I was about 4 years old and my brother is sitting next to me. We are both barefoot...our shoes weren't worn in the summer. The bottoms of our feet were conditioned to walk on stones, gravel, dirt, grass, cement, but not on hot coals...although brother John had tried it once or twice.

It wasn't long after WWII ended. Mundelein wasn't very big then and we kind of knew everyone in town. Showing our patriotism was everywhere; all over town there were American flags, banners, and red-white-blue everything...but not a "Hallmark" movie decorated town.

On the day of the big event, it seemed like everyone in town waited along Lake Street waving American flags in anticipation of the big parade which would include fire engines, town officials, marching bands, baton twirlers, veterans dressed in their military uniforms marching with the flag held high, and the throwing of hard candies at the kids. I don't remember all who participated except for my mom who belonged to the local American Legion Auxiliary post and rode in one of the bannered cars. I think the American Legion post sponsored some of the parade. There were several floats and I believe there was one for the Mundelein queen, but sure if my memory is right.

The same type of parade happened year after year for a long time. I think Mundelein is still having one, but not like the ones I saw when I was a little girl. One of the many parade memories was the Oscar Myer wiener mobile and all us kids got the infamous wiener whistle souvenir and a tour of the vehicle's inside. What fun that was! I also think it was the original mobile since Oscar Myer was a Chicago company.

Fourth of July was always a special time, not only because of the parade, but because of what all came after –– the water fights, the crazy "costume" baseball game, and the carnival in back of the school next door, and most of all fireworks. 

A couple days before the big celebration, the "Carnies" would show up along with the trucks carrying the rides and gaming booths. Since our property was at the edge of the ball field in back of the school, the carnies would park their trailers and hook up to our electricity or the poles in the back. It was fun sitting around listening them tell stories of carnivals in far away places.

On those celebration days, a few carloads of our relatives from Chicago would come out to enjoy a picnic/corn roast in our backyard. Dad would have a half barrel of beer chilling in a tub of ice for the men, soda pop for the kids and ice tea "the women." Earlier he had put fresh corn on the cob in another tub of water to be ready for the roast. He would then get the fire started in the fireplace and pit and the coals were getting red hot. Mom would be busy making potato salad, baked beans, and other good things to eat. Some of the aunts would be bringing stuff, too. I don't remember if we had hamburgers or not. I do know we roasted hotdogs over the open fire. That was fun and so delicious, too. 

The roasting of corn was a special event. Dad would use a garden hoe to pull the hot coals out of the pit and place the water-logged corn -- husk and all -- into the pit. He would then push the coals back over the corn. A few minutes later the corn was done and with heavy gloves on, he would pull the corn out of the hot coals and shuck the ears. We would butter and salt our chosen ears and pretend it was a typewriter as we ate...eat, eat, eat, ding and start on the next row of kernels. Now-a-days kids don't know what a typewriter is, so that doesn't work anymore. Even now, 60 some years later, some cousins comment of how wonderful the roasted corn was.

Of course with the carnival virtually in our backyard, some of the adults would wander off to play bingo and us kids would try our luck at some of the game booths or get free rides because the carnies used our electricity. The men stayed back to drink beer and watch the antics of grown men dressed in all sorts of funny outfits playing baseball. I don't remember who played in the game or if it were for charity or just the fun of it. I know it was a lot of fun for those participating.

Our house back about 1910. You can see the school on the left. The orchard is very young.
When I was growing up there were mature trees. My aunt Violet is standing in front and chickens are feeding.

Our house was large -- an old Victorian two-story -- and our yard was large, too. To little me, it was gigantic and a lot of fun. There was a good-sized orchard, a massive vegetable garden, several huge flower gardens, and a "little forest" of firewood trees. Yet with all that there was still room for a bunch of cars in the driveway, a screened-in summer house, a fairly large lawned area for tables and lawn chairs, and of course a chicken coop with a little yard.

As kids, we had free run of the yard -- playing tag, climbing trees, playing in the tree house, playing hide-n-seek, and running around the yard ultimately driving the adults crazy. Later when it was getting dark, my dad would break out the sparkles and we had fun lighting them and running around trying to get the sparkling stick to leave a lighted trail in the night sky. Someone would bring some minor fireworks and cherry bombs. I didn't like the noise of those bombs, but it was fun anyway.

We also had a bonfire in the unused part of our large garden. We roasted marshmallows which are best when they were burned on the outside and melted on inside. We would use them as short-lived torches, too.

As darkness approached we would all pick our spots in the back yard to watch the fireworks. A few of us kids would sit on top of the chicken coop to get a better view. For days the pyrotechnicians were busy setting up the displays in the northeast baseball field. The displays were beautiful. There were blazing displays of American flags and patriotic things along with the overhead fireworks and the bombs sounding that scared me most.

All this came to an end when the school's addition ruined the ball field and the village decided it no longer wanted the carnival in the schoolyard. But it didn't stop our corn roasts and fun.

I'm sure I am leaving a lot out, but it's been over 65 years ago...I'm doing the best I can.