On May 25, 1930 the Pantagraph announced the naturalization of ten McLean County residents. Gisela (Heuperger) Richman had been a resident of Chicago, but she married John Richman, an immigrant from Hungary around 1930. He was a machinist in the Alton shops and had worked there 20 years. Sadly for Gisela, John died in 1931. They had no children and Gisela lived in the house that they had owned at 902 S Allin for only four more years.
Carl and Mina Schmidt became Americans on that date. They came to America in 1923 with three children: Walter, John, and Gertrude. Carl was a blacksmith and worked at both Keiser Van Leer and Meadows Manufacturing. Carl and Mina lived at 406 E. Stewart and their son Robert lived at 410 E. Stewart. Walter died in Peoria in 1942, where he worked for Keystone Steel and Wire. A third son, Robert, was married in Germany and brought with him his wife and two children to Bloomington in 1924. He was a car repairer in the C & A Shops. The family was almost immediately part of the Trinity Lutheran Church, where Gertrude received English lessons. She married Emil Rietmaier, a printer, and worked as a maid. When she died in 1956 her obituary indicated that her two brothers were living in Germany. Carl Schmidt was a member of the Kriegerverien, an organization of former soldiers of the German army and navy. There were about 28 members in Bloomington and in October of 1939 they hosted the Louis E Davis American Legion Post at the Eagle's Club. Probably not many more such meetings occurred in the following five years.
Alma Michalski became a citizen on May 25, 1930. She lived with Carl Gustave and Augusta Michalski at 903 E. Front Street. Carl Michalski was an expert chocolate candy maker at the Beich candy factory who immigrated from Germany in 1893. He was responsible for making the chocolate from the cocoa beans. He and Augusta Dielke were married in 1925 and his obituary did not indicate whether he was previously married (distinguishing whether Alma was his sister or daughter.)
Pauline Rieder does not leave a long impression in Bloomington. When she became a citizen she was living at 724 W. Jackson, which was the St. Joseph Hospital. She could perhaps have been a nurse or other employee of the hospital who was provided lodging there. She was 29 years old.
Mary A Higgins appeared in the city directory for Bloomington in 1926 and 1928 as a "student." She lived at 212 Seminary Street, with her great aunt, Bridget Harney. Bridget Harney was also an immigrant from Ireland. She married in 1874, and was tragically widowed in 1875. Months later she gave birth to her only son, who would go on to become a priest in the Catholic Church. When she was about 70 her great niece Mary Ann came to live with her. Mary Ann Higgins graduated from University High School and Illinois State Normal University. She did her graduate studies at Northwestern before marrying Robert Anderson of Great Bend, Kansas in 1933. He was also a student at Northwestern University.
Louisa Atkins was born in 1890 in England and in 1930 in Bloomington she was living at 1109 E. Jefferson Street, working as a domestic in the home of Ira Whitmer, one of the owners of the Bloomington Canning Co.
In 1930, Emil Martin Plessing was living in Bloomington and working as a machinist at Williams Oil O Matic. In 1940 he had moved to Peoria where he was working as a machine operator. He came from Germany in 1923 and was born in 1909.
Emile Rediger immigrated from France to McLean County and became a farmer near Lexington. He had fought with the French army during World War I. He was extremely active in his community: leading a scout troop and participating in farming innovations with ISU and the Lexington Community Club. He was a member of the Lexington High School board, Red Cross board, and president of the Fire Department. His wife was president of the Home Bureau. During DDT trials run by ISU, Rediger's farm was one of the test sites. The Redigers had just one child, Louis, who served in the Navy during the 1950s and later lived in McLean County. Emile Reedier was interested in archery and used the bow and arrow to hunt deer in McLean County in the 1950s. In the photo he is demonstrating how to "fletch" an arrow. He was also interested in geology and rock collecting. He often invited school children to tour the family "museum" of rocks and indian arrow heads.