Sparks College - Yearbook (Shelbyville, IL)

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Mr. George H. Monger is now manager of the Tuscola Cooperative Grain Company of Tuscola, promoted to this position last year. Mr. J. Everett Sims is the head of the Sims Lumber Company in Decatur. He worked for a lumber company in Decatur many years, learned by experience. His wife is the former Bermadyne Vest, also a Sparks graduate. Mr. Carrol E. (Bob) Prater, now of Western Springs, is senior vice president of the Chicago National Bank. On June 30, 1958, he completed 28 years of service in that institution. He began his career in the Charleston bank. Miss Geneva Klauser is a secretary in the home office of the Kiwanis International in Chicago. She has much to do with setting up arrangements for the international conventions of this service club. Mr. Van M. Dunbar of St. Louis, Missouri, has b een for the past 4 1 2 years a salesman for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, being one of the top 10 salesmen in the United States out of a total of 65. Prior to this work, he owned and operated his own candy-vending-machine business for 25 years. Sparks training helped him secure a good secretarial job, where he met leaders in the business world, and where he could enter sales work. In other words, it was a steppingstone to better positions. Mr. Clyde Warren has charge of Cost Accounting and is the statistician in the Mattoon office of the New York Central Railroad Company. Definite facts and figures tell the story of the operation of the company. Mr. Harry E. Rogier, after graduating from the Bookkeeping and Stenographic Departments, took a position as Executive Secretary of the Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce. Later he went to work for the First National Bank of Vandalia, as bookkeeper. For several years, he has been president of that bank. He feels his Sparks training gave him self-confidence, an essential for success in the business world. Mr. George W.Scheef is married, and has two children. He now resides in Pontiac, and has been general manager of the Livingston Service Company for twenty years. He recalls that being able to discuss financial statements helped him in his interviews with Boards of Directors, and gave him background for his work. Fourth Five Years: 1924-1928, Mr. Maynard Wagner, Chairman MR. ALWERT MISS TANNER MR. COMBS MRS. GREEN MR. ALLSOP Mr. Roscoe Manning is the financial director of a large hospital in Lubbock, Texas. At this time, a large addition is being built. His wife, the former Lona Combest, is a good co-worker. Miss Edna F. Smith is now secretary to the president of Fred S. James Co., a large insurance agency in Chicago. She says, I recall most vividly the day I passed my typing final. Mr. Joseph M. Ingram of New Lenox is a rate clerk with the Chicago, Rock Island Pacific Railroad Company of Chicago. Mr. Martin C. Alwert, after graduating from the Bookkeeping and Stenographic Courses in 1926, went directly to the First National Bank of Altamont. He continued there until 1933, when he went to the Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Vandalia. Two years later, he went to the Altamont Lumber Company, Inc. He is the corporate secretary, and has controlling interest. He manages the company. He has been very active in the Effingham County Fair Association. He was secretary for a long time. He has been the treasurer for several years. Mrs. Velma Nichols Ingram is secretary to the president of the Gerlach-Barklow Company of Joliet, good-will advertising, calendars, greetings, business gifts, and specialties. She says, After our children were reared, I went back to a business career without difficulty, because something which was once learned well and thoroughly is not forgotten. Mr. Charles Thomas Bolds is now assistant manager of Tamms Industries, Inc., manufacturer of paint, and paint products of Tamms. He helped organize the Tamms State Bank in 1955, and was elected the first president, which position he still holds. He recalls receiving his Honor Pin for attaining the high- est average grades in his class in Sparks. Not a day goes by that he does not use the methods and business procedures he learned in Sparks College.

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Third Five Years: 1919-1923, Mrs. Fern McDonald Scheer, Chairman MISS GOODRICK MR. SIMMERING REVEREND MR. EDDY Miss Helen Goodrick was a pioneer in machine shorthand. She has for several years been the reporter for the Court of Domestic Relations in Toledo, Ohio. Mrs. Freda Minor Hicks for the past twenty-one years has been in the Crippled Children ' s Division of the State Department of Public Welfare. She is the office manager. Mr. Fred Simmering is the Executive Secretary for the Urbana Chamber of Commerce. Mrs. Simmering, the former Miss Sadie Biedert, is a graduate of the Music Department. Mr. Lee D. Cosart is owner of the Cosart Motor Company in Portland, Oregon, dealer of Dodge and Plymouth since 1945. Prior to that, he spent twenty years with Chrysler Corp., in various executive capacities, including general sales manager of PljTnouth Division, sales manager. Dodge Truck Division, assistant operating manager of Chrysler Tank Arsenal, and spent three and one-half years in World War n building medium tanks. He feels that analytical thinking and concentration engendered by the study of English, business law, and particularly shorthand and typing courses were most helpful. Mr. W. C. Eddy is now Reverend W. C. Eddy. He holds a good charge in the Methodist Church in Sacramento, California. He is doing a good job. He helped make a good basketball team. Mrs. Jeanette Bigler Claar, whose husband, F, W, Claar, is now deceased, is still living in Charleston, Mrs. Claar is very active in church circles. She is a member of the official board of the Christian Church. She keeps in close touch with business conditions, about which Mr. Claar was an expert. Mr. Roy E, Burke, himself a CPA, is office manager for a firm of CPA ' s in Houston, Texas. His wife was Miss Irene Fetters. Mr. Herman Beetle conducts an accounting office in Champaign, He specializes in income-tax procedure. His ' . ' . ' ife, the former Miss Helen Randall, graduated from Sparks a year later than her husband. Mrs. Mabel Bigler Snyder is presently employed as bookkeeper for Neoga News in Neoga. Mabel says, Prof. Sparks ' s talks were always an inspiration to me, and I recall one slogan, ' Give value received and you will be amply paid, ' which I found to be true after I went to work. Mr. Clyde L. Beals is secretary and director of Progress Manufacturing Company, Inc., of Arthur, having been with the company since its inception 35 years ago. They have 300 employees, and make various products. He is assistant vice president and director of the State Bank of Arthur. He states he has noticed in handling office people that those who make the best employees have had business-college training. Mrs. Aly Alexander Meier, soon after graduation, was secretary to Dr. Lord, President, E. I. S. T. C, Charleston. Then she became registrar of the School of Speech, Northwestern University, then secretary for an oil company in Denver, Colorado, then head of Rehabilitation, State of Colorado. She is now retired. MRS. BEETLE MR. SIMS

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Mr. Wilmer (Pete) Slater is an auctioneer, and does a state-wide business. He has a fine sales barn in Pana. Miss Blanche Tanner, soon after graduation, started Tanner Personnel at 135 South LaSalle Street in Chicago. She has operated it successfully during the years. Mrs. Margaret Twiss Siegert now resides in Pana, the wife of Dr. Rudolph B. Siegert, well-known physician and surgeon. She states that her business training enabled her to get a position in the office of the president of the University of Illinois while she attended school there. Mr. Lawrence A. Combs is in charge of all the industrial relations for Container Corporation of America in Chicago, and is vice president of the company, a multi-million-dollar corporation. Lawrence says, I still type and can read shorthand, and still know about debits and credits, and feel it was of great benefit all these years. Mrs. Anna Frances Koeberlein Klitzing lives in Altamont. She is office manager for Mautz Oren, Inc., in Effingham. Frances says, The talks Mr. Sparks gave us, advising us what to expect of the business world, were most beneficial to me. I learned in his school the importance of accuracy, efficiency, and service. Mr. Clark Eads is in the merchandising business in a big way in Arthur. Mrs. Blanche Monger Bergfield has completed fourteen years as postmistress in Longview. She appreciated the patience of her teachers in Sparks, and has used her business training constantly in her work. Miss Grace Moyer is in Federal Civil Service. She is the secretary to the District Attorney in the Springfield area. Miss Ruth Emel is the secretary of the Sullivan High School. Miss Gertrude Slater, now Mrs. Basil D. Green, is secretary to the Unit Superintendent of the Windsor Community Schools. Gertrude says, I feel the good -citizen talks Mr. Sparks gave us were most beneficial, I had the short course in bookkeeping, and have kept books ever since leaving school. So, Prof, Roger surely did a very fine job. Mr. Floyd C. Miles is owner of Miles Mountain Industries, gift shops, wholesale and retail, ice cream, candy, and food business. Following his training in Sparks, he attended Walton School of Commerce in Chicago, and was with The General Electric Company for about twenty years. He resigned his position as assistant to the auditor in 1945, and went to the Ozarks to retire. However, soon he was in business for himself. He feels the foundation work at Sparks was most beneficial. Mr. Charles Reynolds is president of the National Bank of Charleston. He succeeded Mr. Jack Claar, who, when he passed away, was considered one of the leading businessmen in Charleston. Others employed by this bank are Mr. Lewis Taylor, Mr. Wayne Hunt, Mr. Leonard Archer, Mr. Max Cooper, Mr. Carl Tinder, and Mr. LeRoy Keller. Mr. Dean S„ Allsop is manufacturing manager for Delco Radio Division of General Motors Corporation. He is in charge of all manufacturing operations in six plants in Kokomo and one in Chicago, tool engineering, process engineering, time study, plant engineering, and material control. He has in all those departments some 5,000 people working for him. He lives in Kokomo, Indiana. Mr. Dwight Smith is in the Post Office Department of Civil Service in St. Elmo. Mr. Howard Kelley is the chief clerk to the chief dispatcher in the Mattoon office of the New York Central Railroad. Mr. Bert Deere runs an insurance business in Pana. Fifth Five Years; 1929-1933, Mr. Clarence Weakly, Chairman Mrs. Lucille Young Labbe is the auditor for the Specialty Salesman ' s Magazine. She is an officer in the company, and has her own office. She has received many promotions, and now has much to do with promotions for other people. Mr. C. Verlie Quiett has been in the construction business for many years. He is the corporation secretary for the Felmly-Dickerson Construction Company in Bloomington. Mr. Russell Baptist Is the manager of the County Service Company in Kdwardsville. Miss D olores Baptist is the plant accountant of Oliver Corporation in Shelhyville. Miss Vivian Baptist is the office manager for Selby Motors Sales in Tucson, Arizona. Mr. Dwight Baptist is in Federal Civil Service in the Internal Revenue Department. He lives in Springfield. Mrs. Elizabeth Baptist Specl is a stenographer for Oliver Corporation in Shelhyville. Mr. Noel Baptist attended SiJarks College for a few weeks, hut did not graduate. There were four Baptists in .Sparks College at one time. Miss Grace Baptist, as a young woman, was the life of the party. Her charming personality, her wonderful disposition, and her gracious attitude to others endeared her to all who knew her. She lives - she lives - we loiow she lives. May Ckxl bless our memory of her and her lieautiful character. MR. QUIETT MISS aviAN BAPTIST