This photo of the debate team from Normal Community appeared in the Pantagraph February 23, 1930. There were four female debaters on the team that piqued my interest.
Ferne Gerber was the daughter of William and Ella Garber. In 1930 her parents were separated, and Ferne lived with her mother in rented rooms on School Street. Her mother worked as a housekeeper for Dr. Homer. Fern argued the negative in a debate about the value of fraternities and sororities with Lula Abbott and won. There is no indication, though, that Fern ever had an opportunity to go to college or where she may have worked. Her mother's obituary indicated that Ferm was married and called Fern McNeely in 1959.
Lula Abbott was the daughter of Marion and Jeanette Abbott. Marion was a farm laborer in 1920 and a fireman at the Meadows Manufacturing company in 1930. Her brother worked on farm machinery and her sister was a servant in a private home. Lula Abbott complete high school and worked at State Farm before her marriage to Everett Quanstrom. After they married they moved to Springfield, where she worked for Franklin Life. In Springfield she was a member of the Springfield Civil War Roundtable. It does not appear that Lula had any children, but she returned to McLean County in her retirement and was buried at East Lawn in 2009.
Madge Grimes was the daughter of William and Frances Grimes. her father was an auctioneer in Chenoa but died before 1930. Her mother worked as a cook after her husband's death. In November 1930 Madge and Louise Temple debated whether chain stores were good for local communities, as opposed to locally owned businesses. Madge was also on the debate team that took second in the district level debate completion in May 1930 with Lulu Abbott and Louise Temple. Both Madge and her brother graduated from universities. Madge received her teaching certificate from ISNU and her brother went to the University of Chicago. In 1937 Madge married McClernand Butler, a salesman. During WWII her husband was an Army captain in Tennessee, where their first child was born.
Louise Temple was the daughter of Murray and Ruth Temple. They were a family transplanted from Kentucky. Her father was a hardware salesman. While at Normal Community, Louise was awarded the Margaret Lampe Cup for three years running for having the highest average grades at the school. In March 1932 she debated the issue of compulsory unemployment insurance. She married Frederick Nelson and settled in Peoria. No information was available about her later schooling or employment.