Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

Mitzi Rogers oral history

Description

Comments (0)

Interview Audio: Interview Audio
Transcription: Unknown Speaker 0:01 Okay, we are rolling. Today is Saturday June 11 2022. And this is the start of an interview with Mitzi Rogers at her home at 213 Lockerbie Lane in Wilmette, Illinois. My name is Sarah Hawkinson, and I'll be the interviewer. I'm the Community Engagement Coordinator at the Wilmette Historical Museum as well as a neighbor, a neighbor of Mitzi's. And this interview is being done in connection with the voices of Wilmette oral history project, Mitzi, thank you so much for letting us interview you. Unknown Speaker 0:34 It is my pleasure. Unknown Speaker 0:37 Yeah, this is great. So to get us started, could you just state your full name, Tell us a little bit about your background where you were born, where you grow up when you moved to Wilmette? Unknown Speaker 0:49 All right. I was born on March 23 1931. And in Racine, Wisconsin, and I was baptized Marian Elizabeth Boehm. And that's Boehm. And I was named after my two favorite Auntie's Marian and Betty Boehm. And Marion's nickname when she was a little girl was Mitzi so I got that also. Most people know me by Mitzi, rather than Mary, so many teachers. So then, I went all through high school and at Washington Park in Racine and then went to the University of Wisconsin for three years. And I met Larry Rogers, up in northern Wisconsin, at a restaurant bar, roadside bar, which a friend of his asked me if I wanted to be a waitress that summer, I was very happy to get out of Racine and do something different. So I agreed and, and then Larry, came up that summer with his mother and his aunt and her son. And I thought that was kind of nice for a mother and son. I think so. And then he, of course, went back to Wisconsin, he was in law school. And we just started dating and I was engaged. We got married that the third year of my schooling, and that was Unknown Speaker 2:34 Very cool. So you were born in Racine. When did you move to Wilmette? Unknown Speaker 2:42 Well, when Larry and I got married, his parents were living in 900, North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. They had lived there, but Chicago was forever. And so we lived there for about I don't know, a couple of months, maybe nine months. And I was pregnant at the time. So it was we had to start looking for a house. So then we moved and we found a house on Leyden Lane. I think it was 840 Leyden on the corner of Lake and Leyden and had a lot of good friends on that street. And but then the house is too small and we found good old Lockerbie. Unknown Speaker 3:28 Good old Lockerbie. Oh, that's wonderful. So how would you describe your experience living in Wilmette? Through the years? Unknown Speaker 3:38 Oh, I love Wilmette. Yeah, i we i being in Racine. We always lived on the lake. And that was important to me. And I particularly didn't wasn't excited about living in East Wilmette. I don't know. I like more country because that's where I kind of grew up in. And so Lockerbie fit the bill for us. And it was a very new street at the time. I remember the little office building, which is now 222. And Ken, I can't think of his last name who was he developed the street and there was nothing at the end of the street that was just empty. And they built the [Shoal's] home down there. And then that all filled up. That was the street it is today. Yeah. So anyway, that's just that we brought up our kids here. We went to all the schools that were developing. First it was Highcarest, and then they build BB. I mean, Ramona. Yeah. Yeah.And this was oops, the street was one right here. I see BB that was not it. Oh, yeah. That's my school. Yeah. Anyway, the kids all started there in kindergarten Unknown Speaker 5:01 So very cool. Yeah. Yeah. And I guess kind of going off of that. How have you experiencing change in Wilmette, you know, through the years. Unknown Speaker 5:15 I don't know that the downtown and Wilmette changed a bit. And I liked the way they did it. And then they kept the brick streets, which was fun. And we had a movie theater, which was a plus of growing up in those years. And the beach developed very nicely. So it's just been very, very nice. The schools were all built new. Yeah, it was good, too. Yeah. Unknown Speaker 5:49 Wonderful. What is your favorite part about living in Wilmette? Or one of your favorite things? It could be a favorite place. Unknown Speaker 5:59 It's probably our little neighborhood. I love our little neighborhood. It is wonderful. People and the people who have left we've continued to keep in touch with, they're very, very nice, excellent. I don't get very involved anymore with anything at the schools or the park district because the kids are gone. A Little Life. Yeah, Unknown Speaker 6:27 right. Absolutely. Yeah, I guess if we're, you know, speaking of Lockerbie Lane here, we have a collection in the museum that you generously donated, which you compiled in 1982. At least that's what I found in our records in order to document Lockerbie lane and its residents through the years. What about this process? Do you remember well, like what did you find particularly interesting in your in your own research? Unknown Speaker 6:55 I am just apparently a historian. I don't know. I just always have done that. I've saved things. And I have albums of high school and college and you know, when you go those go with you. Anyway, it's just part of my demeanor. I just am a collector of things around me Unknown Speaker 7:23 wonderful. I'm doing Yeah, yeah. Wonderful. And yeah, I guess I see you brought for the recording. Mitzi has brought out a few materials on Lockerbie lane that we might take a look at. Do you want to do that now? Or? Okay, great. So what is it that you brought, brought here? Unknown Speaker 7:45 This is more of the same, all of people. Oh, wonderful. This is the master list of all the people as they moved. I think this is [indistinct] Unknown Speaker 7:57 Oh, wonderful who have Lockerbie Lane residents. So folks who have lived on the street. Unknown Speaker 8:01 Yeah. Great. I think I've kept up pretty well. Yeah, I have a [list in here of the] change. Unknown Speaker 8:10 Oh, this is so fun. Yeah, that will be very interesting to me. Yeah. Unknown Speaker 8:23 Letters from, a this is from Ari, who lived next door to me, and I hated moving, seeing her move. Unknown Speaker 8:31 Yeah, she was wonderful. Unknown Speaker 8:34 And Susan Hodges. They were good pals. And these are just four lists that I you know, kind of update. And a letter from [Homer Shedden] who lived down the pike here and that just goes back here Unknown Speaker 8:54 Oh, that's wonderful. I mean, yeah. Such organization. And I mean, it's great. I mean, we don't find information this detailed, very much. So that's, that's really wonderful. Unknown Speaker 9:08 You may take all that and I could I could Xerox this for me. Unknown Speaker 9:13 Yeah, absolutely. So yeah. So you can copy? Absolutely. And then, what do we have here? Unknown Speaker 9:24 Oh, that was the [Rohr's], Bill [Rohr] was a basketball coach at Northwestern. And he lived on the street. You knew Ara Parseghian lived on the street. Really? Yeah. Football. He and Katie and their three and our kids are all close to him. Yeah. And then and then the Rohrs lived in whose, house is it now? The little yellow house. Yeah. But this is all goes down one side of the street I think is the way I did this. Okay. Anyway, yeah, that was that and I don't even know what's in there. Unknown Speaker 10:11 This is fun. Yeah. Oh, it's that's an album. Oh, how fun. Unknown Speaker 10:16 Oh, and this was when they built the building on the frontage road. And I used to always walk my dogs in that property. And those people apparently were watching me walk every day and finally they came out. Oh, they wrote left a note on something that was out there a stump or something. Yeah. And said they'd only been noticing you or whatever. And anyway, they left their phone number. So I invited him over for lunch and we became good friends. Unknown Speaker 10:56 Yeah. And this was the building Next to the next to the hotel. Or okay. Yes, yes. Unknown Speaker 11:07 Okay. And anyway, so they put in a flagpole. And they got this kid to do the Taps, and the dog to come and join. Unknown Speaker 11:21 Oh, that's great. Yeah. Oh, awesome. Wow. And okay, so you've saved you know, mail from the neighbors over the years. Yeah, I mean, oh look at that. The [Markhams] Yeah, how fun is that old Christmas cards Unknown Speaker 11:47 and I was trying to put and I was gonna do that for you. If you want me to put names and dates,obviously this is Fourth of July party. Unknown Speaker 11:58 Yes. Yes. Our Block Party Lockerbie party, which maybe you can help Mitzi, when did Lockerbie Park become Lockerbie Park? Unknown Speaker 12:10 That was when Cunningham's, it was. And that story was when Matt was still in office. And then it wasn't an office anymore. It was just kind of there. Yeah. And Andy Cunningham. It was just a little house actually. Unknown Speaker 12:42 Oh, okay. Unknown Speaker 12:44 And Louise Cunningham was an interior decorator. She bought that property. She bought the real estate? Oh, yes. The real estate office and and added a little house next to it. Oh, real estate part is a family room now. But anyway, she bought that. And she built a cute little house that attached to it. And she was a good friend of mine. And she'd go down to the Mart often and she would drag me along with her and I bought some things with her, and she was a good friend Unknown Speaker 13:23 Oh, that's fun. Yeah, cuz I that's where you know, the annual Block Party is always held in that space. So I've always been curious about when Unknown Speaker 13:33 all of that was it. That whole property was hers when she bought those little office. Okay. And she didn't want any part of maintaining that. So I don't know how she contacted or Wilmette or something. Anyway, the park district said that they would take that they would take it which was very nice. And we were very happy to have that continued. Because otherwise what are you gonna do with it? And then they planted the little trees along frontage road, the three what are the crab apples? Yeah, yeah. And but anyway, yeah, it was very nice of them. Oh, man. Yeah, they offered to put a picnic table out there. And it was Louise anymore, it was the next people. They said no, no, that's gonna bring people from anywhere that they could come because it's a public park. Right and no picnic. No picnic tables. Unknown Speaker 14:39 Okay, I see that helps. That's yeah, that's fun. On a different note about about Lockerbie, the hotel that was built just down on the frontage road. What was your experience if anything with when that was going on? I remember from someone else who lived on Lockerbie, I remember there were a number of, you know, town hearings meetings, for folks to come and voice their grievances against, you know, whether it's property prices, you know, different things that especially down and that we're facing about risk for that. So what do you remember about that whole thing? Unknown Speaker 15:23 Well, my husband was very vocal at the meetings. Yeah. And because he is a real estate lawyer, basically. So but he and then the people down there who all came to the meetings, anybody else who did was interested. Yeah. And the people on that side, particularly, were saying, you know, we're gonna get a lot of traffic behind us. And so they were fighting it to where they had an interest in it, but yeah, it was a done deal Unknown Speaker 15:56 yeah. Yeah, I remember that was definitely something that directly affected. Yeah, folks on Lockerbie, especially those who live down towards the cul de sac side, right. Yeah, absolut;y. Unknown Speaker 16:10 It was very exciting stuff at the time. Yeah. Unknown Speaker 16:16 Definitely. Okay, yeah. Unknown Speaker 16:21 Some more school events here. Unknown Speaker 16:25 Oh, yeah. This is I mean, this is so great that these things are saved, you know. To give us more information about the street the neighborhood, West Wilmette in general Unknown Speaker 16:41 Right. because we were kind of a lost it's a lonely thing over here. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. But that was really close. Unknown Speaker 16:51 Yeah. How would you say through the years you know, the whole West Wilmette, East Wilmette kind of dichotomy of, you know, what has your sense of that been Unknown Speaker 17:02 As far as I know, you know, we don't get together a lot. The beach would be yes as far as I'm concerned. So ya know but other people might.I don't know. Unknown Speaker 17:17 Yeah. Two kind of different vibes. Yeah. Depending on on where you're at. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, Mitzi, is there anything else that you want to share about? It could be about anything, Wilmette, your life Unknown Speaker 17:34 I was recalling I didn't know how far back you were gonna go and all that, but when we first moved here, yeah. There was just a little roadside stand down here. Hefner's. Okay. And and like kids used to ride their bikes down and get candy and all that. And then I didn't know what year they built that little building? Unknown Speaker 18:03 Yeah. Where? Where was this over... Unknown Speaker 18:07 That's the one just near Harmes. Unknown Speaker 18:11 Okay. Yeah, I remember there was a White Hen I think is was for a little while. Yeah. Just a little drug store where you could get ice cream Unknown Speaker 18:24 And we hated it when they sold that. Yeah, gosh, right. Everybody was using it. Yeah. Someone else would go in there, but it's remained empty. It's crazy. Yes. We have a dry cleaner and maybe a hair dresser. Unknown Speaker 18:42 I think it's a nail salon right now. Yeah. Over by Harms. Yeah. Unknown Speaker 18:48 So this is something but it would be fun to have a little place in there to go pick up your milk. And Unknown Speaker 18:55 Absolutely. That would be a nice thing to have. Yeah. Absolutely. Unknown Speaker 19:03 By the way, Carol came over yesterday to see me, Carol Stutz. She is not well, have you talked to her? Unknown Speaker 19:13 No I haven't. Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Oh, man. Unknown Speaker 19:17 She's very forgetful. And it's gotten worse in just the last two months. And I saw John and she came over and thank God she comes over. And she sits and talks and she can't remember things like crazy and she could'nt remember her father's name yesterday. I fill in the blanks. But she's so dear. And as I was walking her home John was sitting out in front and he came to meet us. So I got to talk to him a little bit. And then he takes very good care of her. Oh, it looks like yeah, that's good. It must be so hard on him. Unknown Speaker 20:13 Oh my gosh, I can't imagine. Yeah, I'm sorry to hear that.Oh, man, Unknown Speaker 20:18 because she can't cook anymore. I don't know if she even does any of the house cleaning. Yeah. Anyway, Unknown Speaker 20:26 I'm sorry. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, um, where, where are your kids now, Mitzi? Unknown Speaker 20:33 My kids? Bill is living with us. At the moment. And his family is in a, well actually they his ex wife, they divorced. And some live in Oberon Woods and Great, Nice. So we see them a lot and it's all very comfortable. And then our oldest daughter is in Door County. And her husband bought a home up there. And their kids? Uh, well, one daughter's in Libertyville with two little boys. And she were out there because Tom is in Chicago, and he was teaching at University of Chicago. And Dave Oh, Dave is in Colorado. It's in Denver. And so that's Lizzie, and her family. And then Amy is in Carmel, Indiana. And her daughter Emily is in an East Coast and Georgia, Atlanta. And her other daughter is living with her and works in downtown Indiana. She's a nurse. And so she's in the hospital. And then and then Megan was our 11 years after our baby Bill. Wow Surprise. So she was a blessing in disguise. Yeah, she's in Colorado with Caroline and her kids and Unknown Speaker 22:28 yeah, I don't know if I had all that straight in my head. But yeah, oh, that's great. Unknown Speaker 22:34 Any way, you know, I was taking pictures of the picnics. Unknown Speaker 22:40 Yeah, this is so fun. I see my mother in the pictures. Yeah. Oh, how fun yeah, definitely all the memories so Unknown Speaker 22:52 yeah, you know try to get people so we have it in the book. Yeah, part of what I do. Unknown Speaker 22:57 Absolutely. Yeah, it's it's the years go by fast don't they? Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.Yeah, Unknown Speaker 23:12 and I miss your puppy dog. Unknown Speaker 23:14 Oh, Silas. Yeah, we had to put him down last year. Yeah, Unknown Speaker 23:19 you know, you guys aren't walking as much. Unknown Speaker 23:21 Yeah. Yeah, it's that was very hard but you know, we're trying I think we're probably not too far off from my parents getting another one So yep, it'll happen it's just a matter of when Yeah, just to recover from that here yeah Unknown Speaker 23:43 it's Shirley Green here. Unknown Speaker 23:45 Yeah, Shirley Green, I remember she lived next door for a while yeah, for a long while. Where's she at now? Do you know? Unknown Speaker 23:58 I've got she's up north someplace. Unknown Speaker 24:06 Yeah in Wisconsin maybe or Unknown Speaker 24:08 I don't things so, not that far she's at .... Unknown Speaker 24:22 Because Shirley moved out of her house. years ago now. Yeah, maybe? Yeah. It's hard to remember. For the recording in this binder, there lots of photographs of block parties. Yeah. The missing cat posters for folks on the street who have lost their cat, newspaper clippings. Oh, and I recognize this photo of the council tree in Wilmette. Yeah, this is one of our favorite photos in the collection. It's really cool. And that was quite close by Yeah. Where you used to stand? Unknown Speaker 25:22 I think it was right over here with a the highway Unknown Speaker 25:25 Yeah, I think so. Over Yeah. Around near the Eden's. Yeah, that would have been, I wish it was still standing. That would have been a sight to behold. Unknown Speaker 25:34 But there was one I don't know if it's gone. There. Were there were two big ones like that. Yeah. And we still have the one on the anniversary. Unknown Speaker 25:45 I believe we do. Yes. Yes. Big big old trees. Yeah. Unknown Speaker 25:49 And that great house across the this highway. That was right here on the hill. And they moved that house across the road. Unknown Speaker 26:00 Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Well, our visit doesn't need to stop. Let's see, but just for the recording. Is there anything else that you want to share? Or think of anything? Unknown Speaker 26:27 If you have more questions? Yeah. Know where to find me Unknown Speaker 26:30 Yes, absolutely. And yeah, I'm again. We're so thankful for Unknown Speaker 26:35 if you want to take that, you know, it's coming to you eventually. Anyway, I don't know. This one was pretty full. Yeah. So mean, still has comfortable giving. Unknown Speaker 26:48 Yeah, absolutely. All right. Well, just for the recording. This is the end of the June 11 2022 interview with Mitzi Rogers. The interviewer was Sarah Hawkinson.
Creators: Rogers, Mitzi, Interviewee; Hawkinson, Sarah
, Interviewer
Media Type: Audio; Text
Item Type: Sound recordings
Description: Interview with Mitzi Rogers by Sarah Hawkinson in Wilmette, Illinois, on June 11, 2022.

Mitzi Rogers discusses her personal history of living in Wilmette on Lockerbie Lane. She highlights photos and memorabilia of the neighborhood, neighbors, businesses, and the East/West Wilmette dichotomy. She ends with an update on her children's lives.
Place of Publication: Wilmette, Illinois
Date of Original: 11 Jun 2022
Playing Time: 26:59
Subject(s): Oral histories
Wilmette (Ill.)--History
Wilmette (Ill.) -- Residents
Personal Name(s): Rogers, Mitzi ; Boehm, Marian ; Rogers, Larry ; Hodges, Susan ; Rohr, Bill ; Cunningham, Andy ; Cunningham, Louise
Language of Item: English
Copyright Statement: Protected by copyright: Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). Responsibility for obtaining permissions and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Copyright Date: 2022
Copyright Holder: Wilmette Historical Museum and Wilmette Public Library
Contact: Wilmette Public Library
Email:refdesk@wilmettelibrary.info
Website:
https://www.wilmettelibrary.info/

Agency street/mail address:
1242 Wilmette Avenue
Wilmette, IL
60091-2558
U.S.A. Phone: 847-256-6930

Comment on this item Create electronic postcard

Interview Audio

Transcript

Get our podcasts with your iTunes app

Groups of Related Records

Oral History Interviews