As a part of the Oral History Project, MHS President Christi Holston interviewed Ralph Nagel, Sr., then 88, in 2016, where he discussed his 88 years on the same property in unincorporated Monee. This interview was recorded by Dr. William Kelley.

Ralph passed away in 2018. His obituary is below:

Ralph Alvin Nagel Sr., age 90, of Monee; Green Garden Township, passed away on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at Riverside Miller Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Kankakee.

He was born on May 16, 1928 at home in Green Garden Township, the son of the late Carl and Verna (Wanner) Nagel. He married the late Mary (Prairie) Nagel on May 21, 1949. She died on January 29, 2003. Ralph was a lifelong farmer. He was born and raised on the family farm which is over 150 years old. He was an avid Chicago Cubs fan, a member of St. John’s United Church of Christ, North Peotone and was a member of the Will County Farm Bureau.

He is survived by 2 sons and daughters-in-law, Fred C. (Ann Marie) Nagel Sr. of Green Garden and Ralph A. Jr. (Kim) Nagel of Manteno; 7 grandchildren, Fred C. Nagel Jr., Elizabeth Manning, Phillip (Joanne) Nagel, Selena (Patrick) Lenard, Ryan (Nicole) Nagel, David Nagel, and Jesse Nagel; 6 great-grandchildren, Elijah, Gabriel, Jonathon, Jacob, Logan, and Alexis; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; a son, Edward N. Nagel (May 3, 2011); a grandson, Nicholas C. Nagel (Oct. 31, 2007); and a brother, Glenn W. Nagel (May 3, 2005).

Visitation will be held at the Fedde-Helfrich-Cross Funeral Home on Friday, November 16 from 3:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at St. John’s United Church of Christ, North Peotone, on Saturday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m. There will be visitation at the church from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service. Pastor Patricia Morton will officiate. Interment will be at Skyline Memorial Park in Monee. Memorials may be directed to the family’s wishes.

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The Oral History Project continues the conversation between Virgil "Stormy" Holl, Shirley Hall, Margaret Horne, and Monee Historical Society President Christi Holston. The interview was recorded by Dr. William Kelley. Part one can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbWcyLllgSY

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As a part of the Oral History Project, MHS President Christi Holston interviewed Virgil "Stormy" Holl on April 22, 2016, accompanied by his wife, Shirley. His The interview was recorded by Dr. William Kelley.

Stormy Holl passed away in 2022. His obituary:

Virgil “Stormy” Holl, age 95, of Peotone, passed away on Monday, March 14, 2022 at his home.

He was born on May 15, 1926 to William and Emma (Bartels) Holl. After he graduated from high school he farmed with his father until 1971. He then became an employee for the Will County Highway Department retiring in 1990. He served in the United States Army from December 1954 to October 1955. He was a member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ of Monee where he served on the church council, cemetery board, sang in the choir, and was an usher for many years. He was a member of the Peotone American Legion Post 392 serving that organization in many ways. In his younger days he enjoyed bowling, golfing, playing cards, and traveling. He was a past member of the Kankakee Moose Lodge, Peotone Golf League, and some Peotone Bowling Leagues.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley (Harms) Holl who he married on May 28, 1955 in Lawton, Oklahoma. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Richard and Allen; and a sister, Mildred Manske.

Visitation will be held on Friday, March 18, 2022 at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 5323 W. Margaret St., Monee, IL from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. with funeral services being held at 11:00 a.m., Rev. Eric Quinney-Burnard officiating. Committal services will follow at Skyline Memorial Park in Monee followed by a fellowship lunch at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ. Memorials may be directed to St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Monee.

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Kathy Peshak brought an item from history – and wants to know if you can guess what it is, and what it's used for. This video was recorded in 2022.

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Learn more about the history of the Monee Creamery, its restoration, and more. This event took place in 2022 in Monee, Illinois.

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As a part of the Oral History Project, MHS President Christi Holston and Margaret Horne interviewed W. Lee Deutsche on May 20, 2016. A longtime area farmer, Deutsche served as Will County Board Member and as a member of the Crete-Monee School Board. He is joined in this interview by his wife, Mary Ann Deutsche (née Arr, formerly Gearhart). This interview was recorded by Dr. William Kelley.

Deutsche later passed away on January 22, 2022. https://www.kerr-parzygnotfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/w-lee-deutsche

His obituary:

W. Lee Deutsche, 80, of Crete, Illinois, passed away on January 22, 2022, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, on April 1, 1941, to LeRoy and Esther (Bartels) Deutsche. Lee graduated from Crete-Monee High School in 1959 and from Arkansas State University in 1964, with a BS degree in Animal Husbandry.

As a high school FFA project, Lee purchased a few Shorthorn heifers. Raising and breeding Registered Shorthorn Cattle became a lifelong passion as a proud member of the American Shorthorn Association. Lee showed his cattle nationally, and in Canada. His reputation for knowledge of registered Shorthorn pedigrees was second to none. He also raised corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay, with his father, brother, and sons.

The Deutsche Family adopted and promoted land and water conservation practices such as terraces and no-till farming. Lee served on the Will/South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Directors. The Deutsche Family represented the region as Conservation Farm Family of the Year in 1982, and traveled to both the state and national conventions. Lee was the Nature Conservancy Citizen of the Year in 2016.

Lee also served his community on the Crete-Monee 201-U Board of Education, the Will County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, the Nature Conservancy Foundation Board, the Forest Preserve District of Will County, and the Will County Board. Lee was a lifelong member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ and served on many church boards. He enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s sporting events and school activities, and was a die hard Cubs fan who celebrated their long-awaited World Series Championship in 2016.

Lee is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Sharon, infant granddaughter Marissa Sartori, and stepson TD Gearhart. He is survived by his wife Mary Ann; children Monica (Tim) Sartori, Darren, Amy, and Kyle (Kelly) Deutsche; stepchildren Mary Margaret (Rich) Tamez, and Elizabeth (Adam) Oestmann; grandchildren Justin and Paige Sartori, Ben and Jack Deutsche, Marisa (Cody) Hawk, Theresa Tamez, Emma and Anna Oestmann; great grandchildren Freya and June Hawk; brother David (Rita) Deutsche, and many brothers and sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Paul’s UCC, the Nature Foundation, or Will County Farm Bureau Foundation Scholarships.

Visitation will be held on Friday, January 28, 2022, from 2:00-8:00 p.m., and on Saturday, January 29, 2022, from 10:00-11:00 a.m., with a funeral service at 11:00, and burial and luncheon to follow at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 5323 W. Margaret St., Monee, Illinois, 60449. Masks are expected to be worn at the church. The service will be livestreamed on facebook.com/stpaulsmonee. Arrangements entrusted to Crete Funeral Home, 1182 Main Street, Crete, IL. Info: (708) 672-7600.

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Betty Diercks, mother of Monee Historical Society President Christi Holston, was interviewed on February 24, 2017. The interview was filmed by Dr. William Kelley.

She passed away in 2019, and her obituary is below:

Betty L. Diercks, age 92, passed away on Friday, November 15, 2019 at home in Monee, IL.

She was born on January 27, 1927 in Chicago, IL, the daughter of Jack and Marguerite (Tyler) Curran. She married Vernon “Pete” Diercks on November 11, 1948 at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ Parsonage in Monee, IL. He passed away on February 7, 1979.

She attended Lucy Flower Technical (magnate) High School in Chicago and Governors State University. She was a member of St. Paul United Church of Christ in Monee where she taught Sunday School, was one of the first female members of the church council, and a founding member of the Women’s Friendship Circle. She served as a Girl Scout Leader, was a member of the South Suburban Miniature Guild, Sweet Adeline Barbershop Chorus, and charter member of the Monee Historical Society. She worked for Hartford Insurance Company in Chicago before her marriage. She then worked for Sears Roebuck in Park Forest, Montgomery Wards in Matteson, Bank of Homewood, and Wozny Travel Agency in Steger. She loved to travel, was a voracious reader (particularly of history books and mystery novels), and exceled at sewing, crocheting, knitting, quilting, embroidery, and weaving. She loved to bake, do jigsaw puzzles, and garden.

She is survived by her children; Eliese Diercks of Round Lake Park, Christina (David) Holston of Monee, Sheila (the late Michael) Langenfeld of Crete, and Nancy (Thomas) Langenfeld of Crete; her grandchildren, Rachel (Thomas) White and Abigail (Shawn) Cano; her great-grandchildren, Ian White, Emma White, Autumn Cano, Shawn Cano, Jr., and Caleb Cano; her step-grandsons, Justin, Joshua, and Jordan Holston and their families; a sister-in-law, Marilyn Curran of Muskegon, MI; and nieces and nephews, Gregg (Sandy) Ramirez, John (Maureen) Ramirez, Gary (Susan) Ramirez, Joel (Tammy) Ramirez, Marguerite Curran, Edward Curran, James Curran, and their families She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Marguerite; her husband, Pete; her brother, Thomas Curran; and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Wilfred and Shirley (Diercks) Ramirez.

Visitation will be held at the Fedde-Helfrich-Cross Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 19 from 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Monee on Wednesday, November 20 at 11:00 a.m., Rev. Kim Wood officiating. There will be visitation at the church from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. prior to the funeral service. Burial will be at St. Paul Cemetery, Monee, IL. Memorials to St. Paul’s Cemetery Memorial Garden would be appreciated.

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When he passed away in 2022 at the age of 99, Frank R. Bishop was remembered as a mechanic, carpenter, woodworker, fisherman, and World War II veteran, in addition to his legacy as a grandfather and great-grandfather.

As a part of the Oral History Project, MHS President Christi Holston interviewed "Frankie" Bishop, then 92, in 2015, where he recounted his experiences in the U.S. Army during World War II. This interview was recorded by Dr. William Kelley. Margaret Horne and Betty Diercks were also in attendance and partook in the interview.

Frankie Bishop's obituary can be found here: https://www.feddehelfrichcrossfh.com/obituaries/frank-bishop

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On January 14, 2023, MHS President Christi Holston made an informal presentation with MHS archivist Rachel White giving the history of Monee alongside historical photographs.

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This presentation originally took place on March 14, 2019. For more information, go to moneehistoricalsociety.com.

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Richard Stuenkel brought an item from history – and wants to know if you can guess what it is, and what it's used for.

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At the Heritage Day on July 9, Loren Buchmeier, a Monee native, demonstrated the ancient and honorable craft of barrel-making, which he employs in many ways at his Monee-based Crozehead Cooperage. Buchmeier is one of only 26 coopers in the United States, and the only one in the State of Illinois. And he's right here in Monee.

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