1960, City Council Annexes 279 Parcels in NE Section

Marion Council OKs Annexation Step

The Marion City Council Monday authorized abstractor John K. Miller to begin preliminary work towards annexation of a northeast section of the city.

Miller said there are 279 parcels of property involved in the area east of Fair Street and North of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Continue reading

Schafale, Oscar 1897-1988

Oscar Schafale 1897-1988Oscar Schafale, the son of a blacksmith, was born September 11, 1897 in Cherry Valley, southwest of Marion. He moved with his parents, Mike Schafale and Mary Weilmuenster, to Marion when he was 6 years old. His father later started an International Harvester farm implement dealership in Marion.

He began working at the Schafale Brothers International Harvester farm implement dealership when he was 11 years old, working there until he was 42 years old.

Schafale attended Marion schools through the eighth grade. He took a short business course at Brown’s Business College in Marion, as well as attending bank courses at the University of Wisconsin for three summers. Continue reading

1972, Marion Illinois Assets

I-57 is Biggest of Marion’s Assets

Interstate Rt. 57 is the biggest asset ever to come to Marion.”

Banker Oscar Schafale’s opinion is shared by others.

Franklyn Moreno, Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission, said I-57 with its connections to Interstate Rts. 24 and 64 and a proposed Southern Illinois freeway to St. Louis make “everything coming at Marion. It enhances it as being a central location.” Continue reading

Roberts, Mary Lou (Bethel) 1926-2012

Mary Lou Roberts 1926-2012Mary Lou (Bethel) Roberts was born Sunday, October 24, 1926 in McCormick, Illinois in Pope County to Jewell Guy Bethel & Elma Houston.

In the 1930 census, the family was located in Hammond Lake, Indiana. Mary Lou was then 3 years old and her father was doing his best to support the family during the depression by working as a laborer in the steel mills. Continue reading

Mitchell, J.C. 1925-2006, Mitchell Law Firm

J.C. Mitchell was born in Marion on February 2, 1925, the son of Everett Edward and Margaret Helen (Hartman) Mitchell.

One of Mitchell’s great-grandfathers, William N. Mitchell, first moved to the Williamson County area near Corinth about the year 1830. He was a school teacher at the time. He later studied surveying and when Franklin County split in two and formed Williamson County in 1839, Mitchell ran the survey line between the south boundaries of Franklin County and the present north boundary of Williamson County. He also served in the Civil War as Captain in the Union Army. He was a postmaster and after service during the Civil War was County Clerk of Williamson County. Continue reading