RETIRED CHICAGO STAMPERS

Roy Gobin shared this group picture of the Illiana Retirees meeting October 2003 for one of their nearly-monthly Bisquits and Gravy Breakfast meetings in Knox, IN at the Starke-Pulaski Counties Shriners Hall. Click on the picture for a larger picture of the same shot with identifications.

Andybill Jarmon is getting really good at manipulating his digital pictures. Watch the pictures in the slide show to see how he managed to get all the guys who meet at the Hobart,IN, McDonalds, including himself, in the picture. Andy's the one in the lower right fiddling with his camera and if you look closely, you'll see where he got his own picture to include in that restaurant shot. The guys get together every Friday at 9 a.m. at the McDonalds on Ridge Road.

Lots of hands and lots of room make the ackward job of layering and basting a quilt in preparation for quilting easy work. Helping Grace Hurlbut (far left) baste the quilt she has been making for her husband Frank are (l.-r.) Linda Duncan, Barb Beasley, Jan Wickfelder and Eleanore Gasik. Picture by Barb Arthur.

Ed won the December Retirees Potluck raffle, just in time for the holiday!

A delighted Helmut Erdmann holds up the loot he won in the November Pot Luck 50-50 drawing. He received numerous offers to take friends out to dinner but he declined choosing instead to treat his wife, Herta.

Benny Giovengo sent this big sky picture of himself at his ranch, the B&W Ranch (as in Benny and Wanda), in Mountainair, New Mexico. He titled the picture Feeding America. We'd say Benny's outstanding in his field!

Posing by the Local 588 picnic table at the Pat Greathouse Center are Retirees who attended this year's Fall Conference (l. - r.)Al Hilton, Dick Arthur, Paul Bell and, seated, Lois Bell. Barb Arthur took the picture.

The beautiful Pat Greathouse Regional Conference Center in Ottawa, IL is the site of the Spring and Fall Conferences as well as many training seminars and union rallies. The center has a meeting hall, dining hall, hotel and pool all situated on a picturesque bluff overlooking the convergence of the Illinois and Fox Rivers.

It was a surprised Arlene Bennett who won the October Retirees Meeting raffle.

Frank and Sue Phillips were congratulated by everyone at the October Retirees Meeting on their 54th Wedding Anniversary! Happy Anniversary!!!

Bob Tucker exhibited his 1922-23 Stover KE Stationary Engine at the Canal Days Tractor Show in Momence, IL August 10th, 2003. Bob, who divides his time between his home in the area and Wasola, MO, explained that the little engine would have been pulled to different jobs on a farm place to power farm and household equipment like corn grinders, well pumps and washing machines. The 'Hit and Miss' engine was considered the most economical engine of the time and ran 600 RPM and had 1½ horse power. To see more pictures of Retirees enjoying their hobbies, check out the Hobby Page.

Velma Martin celebrated her birthday at the August Potluck with everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to her. Retiree Chairman Chico Fernandez asked her if she minded whether he told how old she was and she exclaimed, "Not at all! I'm proud to tell everyone that I'm 84!&#quot; Happy Birthday, Velma!

A quick hug between Al Kolberg and his wife, Kathy, enabled us to grab a t-shirt shot for our growing UAW related tee-shirt photo gallery. The t-shirt says, "Ford Tough Chicago Stamping Plant."

Carmin Seitzinger likes to buy raffle tickets and then trade them for someone else-s. Lucky for him no one wanted to trade tickets with him at the August Retirees Potluck until after his number was called netting him an easy $37!

Gregory Gaal won a fist full of
dollars at the July Retirees Meeting raffle.

Velma Martin came to the June Retirees Monthly meeting wearing this vintage UAW Local 588 t-shirt that had belonged to her husband, Tex. She thought it would do good for everyone to see it again and we agree. It sports a sentiment we can never be reminded of enough especially in this contract year!

Retiree Steve Parks was cutting the grass at his Steger, IL home when he found a plum sized meteor. More rare than gold or diamonds, the 4.7 ounce meteor fell during a dramatic meteor shower at about midnight on March 26, 2003. Representatives from the Smithsonian Institute confirmed that it was a meteor.

Paul Bell was pleasantly surprised to learn he had won the raffle prize at the June 2003 Retirees Meeting.

Under the direction of Jan Wickfelder (center), Retiree Quilters (L. - R.) Edna Lester, Barb Beasley, Jan Wickfelder, Linda Duncan and Barb Arthur were recently challenged to choose complimentary colored fabric from a table full of fabric scraps and to create practice quilt blocks from their choices. Quilters meet the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the hall. Anyone interested in quilting, from beginner to experienced is welcome to attend. Picture by UAW Local 588 President Gary Duncan.

Grace Hurlbut, a member of the Retiree Quilters, stitches the quilt border for a green and brown patchwork flannel quilt that she designed and is making for her husband Frank. Picture by UAW Local 588 President Gary Duncan.

Retirees lined up to have their cholestrol, blood pressure and glucose levels tested at a health fair during the March Retirees Meeting. The Family Service and Learning Center provided the fair free to all UAW Local 588 Stamping Plant Retirees and their spouses.

Could it be the big smile or the hand full of money in Phil Teske's hand that proves he was the April raffle winner at the Retirees Meeting and Potluck lunch?

Percy Wells was the lucky ticket holder at the March 2003 Retirees Meeting and Pot Luck lunch raffle.

Add Barb Arthur's name to the growing list of 50-50 Raffle winners at the monthly Retirees meetings. She won $37 at the February meeting.

Marvin Vander Mulen was the first 50-50 winner
of the year at January's Retirees Monthly Meeting.

Lois Bell took home $37 by having the lucky 50-50 raffle ticket at the December 2002 Retirees Monthly Meeting.

Rosalina Holt, certified yoga teacher (center right), guided Retirees through five
weekly sessions of beginning yoga. The class was so popular that it will run again
in the new year. Contact the FS&LC for more information.

(L. - R.) Bill (Andybill) Jarmon, Bob Pearson and Dick Arthur.

(L. - R.)Jim Timmerman, Benny Giovengo and John Sheridan, all retired Q.A. Layout Inspectors met June 2002.

These Retirees are waiting for Joe Bednar to call the troops to their November '02 monthly meeting dinner with one of his famous short and sweet Graces. Major Barnes is second from the left and Ralph Spanier is on the far right; Paul Willy's wearing that dashing orange hat.

Bob Griggs won $30.00 in the November '02 Retirees Monthly Meeting 50-50 raffle!

Al Hilton is the Retirees Monthly Meeting Popcorn Man, arriving before each meeting to make the hot, buttery popcorn that attending Retirees have come to look forward to at each meeting.

Dale Spencer, Dick Arthur and Dave Wheeler enjoy Al's popcorn at a monthly meeting.

Retirees line up for the pot luck lunch at the September 2002 Retirees Monthly Meeting.

August 2002 Retirees Meeting brings a group of Retirees together. L.- R. John Sheridan, Dick Arthur, Don Harmsa, Dan Pintar and seated, Millard Cable.

Ever wonder where everyone ends up after they retire? The map above, compiled by UAW Local 588 President Gary Duncan and Hall Secretary Elaine Gima, shows the number of Retirees living in each state of the U.S. in February 2002. Colored states show highest concentration of Local 588 Retirees.