Illinois State House District 71 issued the following announcement on Sept. 20
Byers, Highland and Sand Ridge were three of many one-room, wood frame country schools where rural Whiteside County students learned their “three ‘R’s” and more.
The schools have long since closed, but memories of those days remain and are fresh in the minds of a trio of centenarians who once taught at them.
Margie Carlson, Arlette Steinert and Dorothy Stone – who all turned 100 in August – were surprised and honored Thursday during a meeting of the Whiteside County Retired Teachers Association at Wesley United Methodist Church.
“I was like, ‘Who is this party for? Who are they honoring,’” Stone said, “because I don’t feel 100 years old.
“But it was so wonderful to be honored.”
State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, and Lee-Ogle-Whiteside Assistant Regional Superintendent Chris Tennyson read and presented congressional commemorations from Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin to the trio. After they received a standing ovation from the nearly 40 members in attendance, they each were presented with letters of well-wishes from Gov. J.B. Pritzker on their 100 years.
“It’s nice to have someone appreciate the service that we gave to the community,” Steinert said. Read more here.
Original source can be found here.
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