Meet Your Neighbors
  Eleven years ago, Susan Wade, a recent widow with 2 teenagers, moved into her brand new home at 1542 Old Ivy Drive. The kids grew up into successful young adults and Susan continued to work, as she had for the past 22 years as a Reading Recovery Trainer for the Springfield school district. Then, life unexpectedly opened a new door when she met Ed Kepp from Indiana. The two of them overcame the low survival odds of a long-distance relationship and love grew over the months and years. When Ed popped the question Susan grabbed the chance to have another happy marriage and said “YES! They were married last summer, and Ed quickly found a match for his Business and Insurance background with Springfield Financial Security Planning, Inc. SIP researches hundreds of insurance and financial products in order to offer some of the best products available in today’s marketplace. He chooses top rated companies that customize financial strategies for his clients to accumulate wealth, plan for tax-free retirement, and create a family legacy of financial planning. Products and services include:  Ed is a fierce advocate of retirement planning, and follows the wisdom of Patrick Kelly’s book ‘TAX FREE RETIREMENT” and “Protecting the Person’s Life Investments”. Ed has helped dozens of people over the years attain financial success and retire with “tax-free” investments that provide financial security throughout their retirement years. Please call Ed at 546-7907 or email compareinsurance@comcast.net if you are interested in reading the innovative best seller Tax-Free Retirement. Ed has several copies of this book to lend. The book offers tax free retirement planning and strategies that can protect your life savings and retirement income. Decisions you make today could make the difference in the safety of your hard-earned money. Give your neighbor, Ed, a call.   We all have the same 24 hours a day, but some people have the energy to cram 48 hours into the 24 and leave the dust flying behind them! One such person is our neighbor, Cathy Hohenstein of 1904 Morning Sun Lane. Born and raised in Ladue, a suburb of St. Louis, Cathy began teaching piano while in high school, including 3 of Jack Buck’s children! She then went on to Eastern Illinois University where she was voted “Miss Charleston” and went on to compete for the Miss Illinois and Miss America contests in 1968. It was love at first sight for her husband Les, and after their marriage the two of them dedicated themselves to careers in education. Les was teaching High School and working on his Master’s degree in Shelbyville. After the wedding, Cathy joined him and was hired to teach the next fall, only to find out that they were expecting their first child. Combining piano lessons and being a stay at home mom was a no-brainer for Cathy, so she spent their savings ($200) on a used piano that Les fixed up. The next couple years brought their second child and a growing family along with a growing piano lesson business and before long she had 76 students. Les’s career was progressing from Teacher of the Year to Principal, which he juggled with being “Mr. Mom” after school helping with the kids and the chores while Cathy taught lessons in their living room, took ballet lessons and taught exercise classes. One of Cathy’s proudest accomplishments was teaching (for free) a 6th grade blind girl who later went on to win a $78,000 piano scholarship to Millikin University and now performs as a professional pianist and organist. When the Tri-City School District recruited Les for their Superintendent of Schools, the Hohensteins made the move to Dawson. By this time, Cathy had gone on to get her Masters and certification in Special Ed and landed a job in the New Berlin Schools where she taught from 1998 to 2006 when she received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Education. In 2003, they shortened her commute and made the move to Mill Creek. In 2006 Cathy took “early retirement” so she could dedicate her hours to piano lessons, Sunday School lessons, the After Five Christian Women’s Club and their 7 yr old granddaughter Lilly who they care for after school and all summer. Les now has his own business as an Educational Consultant and works with the Regional Office of Education and serves on the Compliance Team for the Sangamon County Public Schools. Cathy teaches 45 piano students ranging in age from 4 yrs to 88 yrs old. They are parents of a daughter, Heidi who works at TRS and Erik who works for Watts Copy Systems and is a part-time DJ at Break Time. Cathy’s success as a piano teacher comes from a strong motivation to make music “fun” for the little ones, and in encouraging and forming connections with the adult students. The next time you feel you do not have enough hours in the day, take a deep breath and think of Cathy Hohenstein!   When Jim Mack and his yellow lab Adykus moved into 1505 Old Ivy Drive 11 years ago, he was one of Springfield’s “most eligible bachelors.” Then, in 2002, he met Jeanie (Kittilstad) Mack, and all that quickly changed! Jeanie, a reading specialist with District 186 at Wilcox school, married Jim in 2005 and made the eligible bachelor a DAD in 2007! Today, Jeanie is a happy SAHM with their cherubic 14 month old daughter Josie and would love to find other SAHM’s in Mill Creek to form a group that could share ideas, experiences, and adult companionship! If you have a similar interest, please let her know! Jeanie has recently added a home-based business as a Mary Kay consultant. She has a full market line for sale and especially loves doing facial demonstrations for customers. For SAHM’s interested in forming a neighborhood group, and for all of you interested in coming to the Mary Kay Open House, please contact Jeanie Mack at: 899-1586 or Jeaniemack08@yahoo.com   In a city rapidly filling up with “Big Box” stores, a little bit of Old Springfield tradition can still be found at 416-424 E. Monroe. The Food Mart got its beginning 110 years ago when Pete Pirrera’s great-grandfather, Sam Malambri opened his little grocery store, Malambri’s Market. As family businesses often go, the store was passed down through 4 generations, from Sam to his daughter Angie Malambri who married Sam Campo and changed the name to Campo’s Market. Their daughters Antoinette and Flora ran the store and when Antoinette married Tony Pirrera in the 1950’s the name was changed to The Food Mart as it remains today. Pete and his brother Tony cut their teeth on the merchandise as little boys, but it was Pete’s wife Carolyn who was drawn to the family business in 1978 to work with her father-in-law. When Aunt Flora retired, Carolyn took over the restaurant part of the store which began in the late 60’s and is now named Carolyn’s. In the late 90’s when Pete’s father retired, Carolyn ran the whole store by herself for three years. Today, The Food Mart boasts the largest selection of Italian grocery items between Chicago and St. Louis. The cooler is full of 12 different kinds of ravioli, Italian sausage made on “The Hill” in St. Louis, meats, cheeses and olives as well as gourmet items, fresh fruits and candies. Fresh bread is delivered 3 times a week from “The Hill” and the shelves boast a huge domestic and international wine selection that would rival most liquor stores. The holidays offer a special treat with cookies and bakery items from New York. Breakfast and Lunch hours during the week are bustling with the loyal “regulars” who work downtown and stop in on their way to work for hot coffee and breakfast sandwiches and back again at lunch for homemade hot soup and fresh sandwiches. Throughout the years Pete and his brother Tony worked for the State and Federal Government but they were still involved behind the scenes ordering stock, working weekends and doing the business’s paper work. In 1989 Pete expanded the business into the stores next door and opened his true love, Petals and Accents. There the aisles are filled with gift items, jewelry, handmade accessories, artwork and home décor, as well as permanent florals, wreaths and door swags. With Winch Flowers closing, Pete has added some fresh flowers as well. In 2002, Pete and Tony began working full time, Pete at Petals and Accents and Tony next door with Carolyn at The Food Mart and Carolyn’s. Pete and Tony’s cousin and Aunt Flora’s daughter, Kathy Cour, (3933 Mill Stone) also occasionally drops in to help! Pete and Carolyn moved into their new home in Mill Creek last Fall just a block away from their son Charles, and his wife Jennifer. Their 3 yr old son Carter, the newest member of the 5th generations of Pirreras, can be found some days at The Food Mart helping his Dad and his Grandparents do what the Pirrera’s have been doing best for 110 years..serving the people of Springfield.     Susan and Brinton knew it was going to be a tough act to follow when they were offered the opportunity of carrying on the well known and loved business FLORA SCAPES. For years, it had been the love child of Alison and her husband Chuck Novak and has become synonymous with wedding, funeral, holiday, anniversary, and every other reason to look for the prettiest and freshest flowers in Springfield. But with their kids now old enough to help run a family business, they took the plunge and purchased FLORA SCAPES last December. It has turned out to be a prefect fit for the Wilkeys and their three children, Megan (13), Brinton Jr. (11), and Allison (9). Brinton brings his 27 years of business experience with Xerox to the table with the day to day running of the business and helps with everything from accounting to deliveries. Susan’s degree from the Harrington Institute of Interior Design as well as her 10 years experience in design with Wiley Furniture has proved to be the perfect fit for the creative aspect of the business. After a 5 year hiatus from the workforce to stay home with her young kids, Susan has a mental warehouse of thousands of visions and ideas to help the business flourish and succeed. The Wilkeys plan on expanding the gift shop with unique 1-of-a-kind items for your home and of course the beautiful flowers will continue to fill the halls and homes of Springfield residents for years to come. So all you men out there who plan on surprising your loved ones with Valentines Flowers, stop by or give Susan and Brinton a call at FLORA SCAPES and tell them you are their Mill Creek Neighbor! www.Florascape.net 698-8180 |
