This adorable series of child photography by John Temple has finally been linked to the names of the children! The photos were all taken August 19, 1940.
This little girl, Judith Rose Stern is watching over her little brother, Harry. Judy went on to become a school teacher, leader in the sister city movement (which led to the location of the Mitsubishi plant in Normal and ultimately the Rivian plant), and two term mayor of Bloomington. Harry helped run the family furniture store, an 80 year old institution in Bloomington, was a supporter of the arts in Bloomington and served on the board of the Moses Montifiore Temple. He died in January 2019.
Ricky Gremer is the little boy taking such careful care of his pedal car and tricycle. He lived at 1313 W. Chestnut Street in 1940. He attended Trinity High School in later years and worked at GE.
Thomas and Mary Ellen O'Malley are taking her dolly for a buggy ride, perhaps on Locust street, where they lived at 1505 W. Locust with their mother and father, Miles and Mary. Sadly, both Thomas (1981) and Mary Ellen (1983) died relatively young of illnesses. They attended Trinity High School, and Thomas was a long time railroad man, working for the G M & O and later the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. Mary Ellen was typist at State Farm for some years and later helped her husband run their C & E Heating.
Marciel Lorraine Hall is working very hard to mow the lawn at 1310 W. Locust, where she lived with her parents Pat and Marguerite and her grandparents John and Anna Schroeder. She attended Bloomington High School and was active in the band as a cornetist. As an adult she was a skilled bowler, competing regularly in tournaments. She married Charles Potter. Marciel died in 2004.
Delores Harris is the little girl overloaded with groceries and Fred Fuiten is the clerk "helping" her. Delores Harris lived at 1206 S. Main street with her parents, Charles and Mildred. They lived just a few doors down from the Charles H. Payne grocery at 1118 S. Main. (Note the name on Fred's apron.) Delores and her husband James Price celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2004 and seem to be still going strong.
Fred Fuiten lived with his parents Fred and Bessie. A few months after this photo was taken, Fred enlisted with the Air Corp to be assigned to Hawaii. He was an airplane mechanic during the war and was stationed in Hawaii at the time of the Pearl Harbor bombing. He served 23 months and then returned to Illinois on a furlough, visiting his Bloomington High School where he had been an athlete. Fred settled in California and then New Mexico, apparently unwilling to brave the Illinois winters after enjoying the sunshine of Hawaii.