Remijus "Remi" Stoens (1894-1985)

Remijus "Remi"  Dennis Gerard Stoens was born in Ogelsby, Illinois in La Salle County on February 18, 1894. Remi's family lived in Ogelsby until 1901. They then moved near Florid, which is 4 miles southeast of Hennepin, Illinois in Putnam County . Remi attended school in Florid and received an eight grade education. On Tuesday, March 14, 1915, (according the local paper, The Putnam Record), Remi and his family moved to the town of Hennepin.

In August of 1918, Remi was recruited into the US Army. While in Boot Camp, he wrote a letter home which was published in The Putnam Record. It said:

LETTER FROM REMI STOENS

Camp Shelby, Mississippi, July 29, 1918
Dear Friend Cook,
I'll write you a few lines on behalf of Stephen Novac and myself. We are in the same regiment but not the same company. I will tell you a few things that have happened to us since we left home. We arrived here on the morning of May 27, and were kept in the detention camp for 3 weeks and were kept in close confinement at that.  We even had to ask the first sergeant if we wanted to go to the canteen. We left the detention camp on the 19th of June and were put in the 151st infantry. I am in the machine gun company and Stephen is in Company D and is learning how to throw bombs as well as handling a rifle. We are getting along fine and like our work fine. I was on stable detail today and Stephen was sent to over to the Y.M.C.A. to sweep the hall. We are all getting a chance at these little details, but don't like them for they will knock us out of so much drill and will take us just that much longer to get ready to go across to France or wherever we suppose to go. We have had our woolen clothes given to us and hope to leave here before long. Well, hoping to hear from the folks at home, I will give you both addresses, mine and Stephen's.
Stephen Novac,
151st Inf. Co. D., Camp Shelby, Mississippi
Remijus D. Stoens
Machine Gun Co., Camp Shelby, Mississippi

In September of 1918, while at training camp, Remi had to undergo an operation for appendicitis. The operation went well, thankfully but they made him march, carrying heavy knapsacks before he was completely well. This made Remi shrink an inch in height.  Remi served during WWI during 1918 and 1919. By the time he made it across to Europe, the war was over. He did meet a cousin of his, while in France in 1919. During his time there, Remi served military police duty, since the armistice had been signed. During a scuffle between French and American soldiers, he was wounded on the hand when a gun accidently discharged.  Because of that, Remi received his honorable discharge.

After his time in the service, Remi returned to Hennepin, Illinois and lived with his parents. Remi as a young man, would go bar hopping by skating down the Illinois River from town to town during the winter. Once on Halloween, Remi and a group of friends took a farmer's wagon completely apart and put it back together on top of his barn as a prank.  

In 1925, while he was helping his father paint the house of some property they owned outside of Florid, Remi met his future wife, Alberta Roseanna Daily. Remi would try to get Alberta or Bertie as she was called, to come outside and meet him in the mornings by throwing rocks at her bedroom window. (She never did though). Bertie did however agree to drink coffee with Remi in the mornings and they would go for long walks in the evenings. They even went parking in his old Ford at Lover's Lane. (They never did say what they did there.)

In 1927, Bertie agreed to become Remi's wife and on October 8, 1927, Remi Stoens and Alberta Daily were united in holy matrimony by Reverend Peter Qwarh, a Catholic priest in Hennepin, Illinois at the Catholic Parsonage in Hennepin, Illinois. After their marriage, Remi and Bertie moved in with Bertie's grandmother, Rosa Beck. Rosa died the following year on March 13, 1928. Remi and Bertie continued living in Florid until the summer of 1929. During that time, Remi's first son was born on October 20, 1928 but only lived 5 days. He was buried in the Catholic cemetery in Hennepin.  Remi and Bertie had 4 more children, Howard, Robert, Edith and Arnold.

Remi and Bertie moved outside of Florid, around 1929. Remi had gone to work for George Haun and Remi and Bertie moved into one of the houses he owned. Remi and Bertie were having difficulties with Remi's family because of Bertie's age. Another one of their problem's was Remi's religion. Remi's family were devout Catholics and Bertie would not join the church. There was a violent argument over their baby Howard and Remi was excommunicated from the church. Because of these problems, in 1931 Remi and Berty moved to Mark Kay's place in Oxbow (no longer exists) which was outside of Magnolia, Illinois.  The place, like the Haun's place had no electricity, inside toilet, or inside running water. The water had to be gotten from a well outside and it made living rather rugged.

Remi and Bertie's first few years were filled with adjustments just as all married couples are. At first Remi wanted to do everything for Bertie. He wouldn't let her lift a finger to do anything and didn't even want to leave her alone to go to work. Finally, Bertie convinced him that she was perfectly capable of doing things for herself and she would be all right by herself. Remi worked by the month farming at Mark Kay's and every night he came home to his "Pet" (his nickname for Bertie).

During the early 1930's, Remi and his brother-in-law, Haroll worked for Mark Kays farming.  They made a grand total of 9 dollars a week. Remi ran the combine and Haroll ran the tractor.  Remi and Haroll were good friends and spent a lot of time together. Haroll can remember he and Remi breaking horses together. Remi soon grew tired of farming for someone else and in 1934, he decided to try farming for himself. Remi rented a farm called the Rismire's place outside of Magnolia and Remi struggled to make his farm pay. By now, Remi's sister-in-law Babe had married Aldin Haun and the four of them spent a lot of time together. They are mentioned visiting Bertie's brother Ray and his wife

While at the Rismire place, Remi and Bertie had their only daughter, Edith Roseanna. She was so tiny that they didn't think she would live. They wrapped her in a blanket and put her in a buggy near the stove to keep her warm. Edith might have been tiny, but she was healthy and she became the apple in her father's eye. Bertie remembers Remi looking down at that tiny baby and saying, "She's so little, she looks just like a doll. Pet, let's call her Dolly".

Remi stuck it out at Rismire's for about 3 years trying to make a living from farming. Remi just wasn't making a living and they both decided it would be best to try farming someplace else. Remi found another farm called the Shlesher place and settled there hoping that this time they were at their permanent home. The farming there was also poor and the house was so very cold that they just couldn't stay there When Bertie was seven months pregnant with her fourth and last child, Remi moved his family again. It was January when they moved to a place outside of Henry for 2 weeks until they could find a place they could afford. This house had everything - running water, inside bathroom and electricity. The children were so fascinated with the lights that they kept running around the house turning the lights on and off. Bertie knew that they couldn't stay there though, so she only unpacked what was absolutely necessary. For two weeks, the whole family lived out of boxes.

Finally they found a place outside of Toluca owned by Ed Spangler and Remi went to work for Spangler farming.  This house was a little better than the others. It didn't have running water, but it did have an inside pump and a bathtub. It's a good thing that Remi's clothes were well worn back then. Several times Remi came back to the house with no pants on because they had been caught in machinery and ripped off.

Remi's daughter Edith can remember that one of her favorite chores she would help her father do was to make apple cider. They would cut and core the apples and load them into the old lard press. Remi would turn the old press, tightening it down until the juice oozed out the bottom.

Remi was a caring man, always ready to help out a neighbor. Edith can remember one night when she was very small of her father being awakened by a neighbor late at night because a neighbor's barn was on fire. Remi didn't think twice, he put on his clothes and out the door he went to try to save the livestock. Back then, neighbors were a close community. At harvest time, they would all hire a combine and work together to bring in the crops.

Remi was also a strong man. One time there were several hunters down by the tracks near their home. One of the hunters was hit by a train. He was a big man, but when Remi was asked to help, he carried the man from the tracks all the way to the hunter's car on his back.

Remi and his family stayed at the Spangler place until 1950. Remi was then offered the job of taking care of pigs for the Hydridges and decided to take it. Remi moved his family to the Hydridge place outside of Toluca and hoped that he would make more money at taking care of pigs than at farming. They stayed for two years trying to make a living a raising hogs but it simply didn't work out. Remi and Bertie rented the Helander place east of Toluca and Remi went to work at the Cheese Factory in Toluca. The job was very hard and if Remi cut himself, the salt would eat big sores into his hand. After they had only lived at the Helander place for several months, Remi's old boss, Ed Spangler offered Remi and Bertie back their old house, rent-free, in return for doing chores. Remi and Bertie gladly accepted the offer.

Remi continued working at the cheese house and they stayed at the Spangler Place for two years.  Then in 1955, Remi and Bertie decided to make another move. They bought a little house in Toluca, Illinois, by the Jumbo. It was the first house they had ever owned. They were tired of renting. Bertie was 47 and Remi was 61 years old. While they lived in Toluca, Remi worked as a carpenter for Bill Zilm (but he didn't get paid his last check) and worked at the cheese factory.  

Remi decided to retire once he reached 65. It was the worse thing he could have done. Shortly  after he retired, Remi had a mild stroke. The doctor said it was because Remi went from being very active to doing nothing. Shortly after that, Remi went to work for Pete Mastellio running different gas stations.  Even as Remi began to age, he still remained strong. Sometimes he didn't even know his own strength. One time, his son Bob was helping Remi fix some of the plumbing. Remi said "I'm getting too weak in my old age. You'll have to tighten it for me." Bob took one look at the pipe and said "Too weak! - Dad you've tightened it so tight that you've stripped the threads!"

Remi and Berti's son Howard and daughter Edith had married and had children by 1960. Remi and Bertie spoiled their grandchildren rotten, but they were all fairly good kids so it didn't hurt them too much. The biggest treat of all is when all the grandchildren got to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house at the same time. Remi let them build things out of wood in (what they called) The Round House, taught them how to play checkers and would take them fishing.

Remi was always building something for his grandchildren. One year, he built all of them doll beds, which some of them still have to this day. He would also give them rides on his knee when they were little and tease them mercilessly when they pouted. One of his favorite sayings was "......'s mad and I'm glad and I know how to please her. A bottle of ink to make her stink and a little boy to squeeze her." When they became cranky, Remi had another saying, "She's tired and she wants to go to bed. She had a little drink about an hour ago and it went right to her head."

Remi and Bertie's favorite sport was fishing. There were many a family gathering and picnic around a favorite fishing spot. After the grandchildren got old enough to fish, Remi would take them fishing too. Everybody would pile into the "old car" and off they would go to fish. Remi's favorite fishing partner became his granddaughter Nancy. As soon as she became old enough to enjoy it, they would go fishing together every summer. He even bought her first fishing license for her when she turned 16. He also took her to get her first driver's license.

Remi was also an avid reader and loved to read westerns. You could find him sitting any evening engrossed in a good book, especially Zane Grey. He also loved to garden and would plant his potatoes on Good Friday even if there was a foot of snow on the ground. For a special treat, Remi would buy ice cream. Now that ice cream was always eaten the day it was bought, so if there was only one grandchild visiting, that meant that they got a third of a 1/2 gallon of ice cream! Remi and Bertie would also take the grandchildren in the "old car" for ice cream cones.  There were many a time when more ice cream got on the seats of the car than in the tummies.

In 1965, Remi bought a house in Washburn so that Bertie could be closer to her doctor, because of poor health. In 1966, Berty had a heart attack. She had to have complete bed rest from November through March. That didn't stop Bertie from enjoying Christmas. She simply had a bed made in the livingroom where she could see everything.

Remi and Berti Stoens 50th Wedding AnniversaryIn 1969, Remi was told that he had cancer. It was cancer of the lungs and he was 75 years old.  The outlook wasn't very promising, but the doctors performed surgery. Remi not only survived the surgery, but went back to work the next year for Pete Mastelio. He operated the gas station called the White Top in Washburn, Illinois. Remi and Bertie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in October of 1977. It was a big open house celebration that all of their friends and family attended. The celebration was held at the American Legion in Washburn, Illinois and the place was packed with well wishers.

It was during this time, that Remi started having mishaps while driving and when it came time to renew his license, he wasn't able to pass the test. His son Bob sold his car so he wouldn't be tempted to drive. That about broke Remi's heart. To not be able to drive was devastating for him.

Three years later, in 1980, Remi fell and broke his hip. At the age of 86, he was just too old to recover right. Bertie tried to take care of him for two years. Then in 1982, Remi developed blood clots in his legs. He had to be rushed to the hospital for them to be removed. After 5 hours of surgery, Bertie was told that he would be all right, but he would be hospitalized for a long time. After that, Remi would be moved to a nursing home for special care. This was their first separation in 55 years.

Remi was placed in the Hawthorn Nursing Home in El Paso, Illinois. Bertie continued to visit him as least twice weekly, hoping that he would improve and be able to come home. Remi's health though, continued to decline. In December of 1983, he had to have one of his legs amputated below the knee. After that he seemed to lose his will to live. On June 16, 1985, Remi Stoens passed away in his sleep. He was laid to rest in the small cemetery outside of Washburn, Illinois in Woodford County.

Alberta “Bertie” Daily (1908-1997)

Bertie Daily was born on March 3, 1908 in an old yellow house that belonged to her grandparents on a corner in Florid, Illinois which is a small village 4 miles south of Hennepin in Putnam County. She was named after her father and two grandmothers, Anna Daily and Rosa Beck.  Bertie spent the first three years of her life in Florid, Illinois in that old yellow house. During that time, two new additions were added to her family. Her sister Bernice was born on July 28, 1909 and her brother Haroll was born on September 3, 1910. Bertie's father worked for Edward Reynolds faming the bottoms. Her family was very poor and sometimes would not have made it without the help of her grandmother, Rosa Beck.

At the age of 2, in the summer of 1910, Bertie's family moved to Peoria by boat. Her father thought perhaps he could find a better job in a large city and went to work in a small factory near their home. Her uncle, John Dinkey was also living in Peoria at that time and the two families spent a lot of time together. Then in October of 1912, The Putnam Record, the local newspaper of that time stated that Bertie's family and her Uncle John's family moved back from Peoria to the Florid, Illinois area. Her grandfather Joseph Beck had a paralytic stroke earlier that summer. Her uncle John settled in Florid and Bertie's family moved to the Harry Clemen's residence at Todd's Point.

Sometime between 1912 and 1914, Bertie's family moved back to Peoria. Her father again went to work at a factory. When Bertie was 6 years old, her little sister Darlene was born in March of 1914. The baby only lived 3 weeks. Bertie remembers her mother picking up the baby and saying it was cold. Her mother took the baby to the window and saw it was dead.

Bertie's grandfather Joseph Beck had 3 more strokes in 1914. Her grandmother Rosa Beck had broken her wrist earlier that spring and could not care for her husband properly. Because of this, Bertie's family moved in with her grandparent in September of 1914 to take care of her grandparents. Bertie and her family stayed and helped take care of her grandfather Joseph until his death on February 19, 1915. They stayed with her grandmother Rosa Beck until the summer of 1916. Her sister Lorraine was born on January 26, 1916. Since she was the baby, she was always called Babe. Bertie's family then moved back to the house she was born in and stayed with Little Rob (her uncle John Dinkey's son).

Bertie recalls vividly an Easter they celebrated while staying with Little Rob. Her parents and Little Rob had hidden nests with eggs in them all over the yard. Of course, the Easter rabbit was supposed to have left the eggs, so when Little Rob and her father found manure in their nests, they threatened to shoot the Easter Rabbit. Bertie said that made it all the more fun. It was also that year that her father dressed up as Santa Claus and brought in the presents.

Bertie's family finally moved into their own home and Bertie and her sister, Bernice started school together when Berty was eight. The school was a one room school house about half a block from her grandmother's house. Berty missed a lot of school and didn't like her teachers very much. So, at the age of 13, Bertie finished seventh grade and quit school. The only thing that bothered her about quitting is that when her sister Bernice turned 13, she was made to quit school also by their mother. A man was willing to pay for Bernice's education so that she could become a teacher, but their mother said no. Bertie didn't think it was very fair.

Bertie and her family continued to live in Florid until Bertie was 13. Her brother Ray had moved out on his own by 1918 and was living with John Beck, helping him farm. Between then and 1921, he and Little Rob had moved to Iowa. Little Rob stayed in Iowa with his new family, but Ray came back in December of 1921. Bertie's father had worked for a while at George Hetrick's sugar camp in 1919 according to the Putnam Record. After that he went to work for George Breneman. Bertie and her family moved to a house about four miles outside of Florid, which was owned by George Breneman in March of 1921. The old house had no well and they had to walk half a mile to the neighbors for water until the well was dug. Bertie and her brother's and sisters also had to walk four miles to school each day. Bertie remembers the snow being so high that they could walk right over the fences.

Bertie said that she and her sisters and brother Haroll got into a lot of mischief on that farm. Bertie once broke all her mother's dishes by running around the table and knocking it over. She and her sisters would tell their parents to go visit their Grandma Rosa so that they could get the plug horses out and ride them while they were gone. Those horses were so big that all the kids could get on one horse and away they would go. Bertie, Bernice and Babe would use up all their mother's sugar making candy. Bernice and Babe learned quickly not to send Bertie outside to cool it, because she'd eat it all.

They always locked the door when Bertie and her brother and sisters went to play. One time it nearly got them in trouble because they lost the key. They found it just it the nick of time because their parents were coming up the lane. The only time that Bertie and her sisters and brother ever really got in trouble is when they broke their dad's colt before it was ready. That's the only time Berty can remember really catching "HELL" from her father.

Bertie's father was a very gentle man. He never scolded and loved to play with the children. Bertie's mother was the stern one in the family. Sometimes perhaps she was too strict. She would allow the boys to run, but wouldn't allow the girls to do anything. Even when they went to visit their grandmother, the girls were not allowed to play with the other children in Florid. They had to sit with their mother on the front porch while she visited. Several times Grandmother Rosa and Ray had to stop her mother from being overly strict with the girls.

The first great excitement in Bertie's life in when the chimney of their farmhouse caught on fire. Bernice handed a bucket of water to Bertie and she put it out by dumping cold water down the chimney. To this day, she doesn't remember how she got up there. When she told her mother, what had happened, her mother said it was a miracle that she didn't crack the chimney. Bertie's mother used to make them soda pop by mixing vinegar, water, sugar and baking soda together. That and popcorn were Bertie's favorite treats. Most of Bertie's childhood memories are from that farm. It was the most enjoyable time of her life before her marriage.

Bertie's family stayed there until Bertie was seventeen. Her family then moved to a house owned by Peter Stoens outside of Florid. It was there she met her future husband, Remijus Dennis Gerard Stoens (Remi). Bertie can still remember the day she met him. Remi was painting their house "shitty" yellow. For a while, it was a touch and go romance. Bertie wasn't certain whether Remi was going to marry her or her sister Bernice. He used to go for walks with Bertie on one side and Bernice on the other. But all along, Remi wants Bertie.

Their courtship was very short. Bertie remembers Remi throwing rocks at her bedroom window to try to get her to come out (but Bertie never would). They did however, drink coffee together in the mornings and go parking at Lover's Lane in Remi's old Ford. (Bertie never did say what they did when they went parking). At the age of 19, Bertie was proposed to and she became Mrs. Remijus Dennis Gerard Stoens on October 8, 1927. Remi was 33 years old at the time. Bertie and Remi were married at a house in Hennepin. Since Bertie's family didn't have any money, Remi bought her a new dress to wear for their wedding.

After they were married, Bertie and Remie went to live with her Grandmother Rosa Beck in Florid, Illinois. They stayed with her grandmother until her death in 1928. On March 13, 1928, Bertie and Remi were sitting in the livingroom when Bertie's Little Aunt Dinkey came in and said that Bertie's grandmother wanted to see Bertie. Bertie went in with her grandmother and stayed with her until she passed away.

A short time later, Bertie lost another loved one. Bertie and Remi had a son on October 20, 1928. They named him Elsworth. The child unfortunately was born without a rectum. From birth, Bertie knew that there was something wrong with the baby. He refused it eat. The doctor said that there was nothing that could be done. Elsworth died 5 days after his birth. Because women back then had to stay in bed for at least 10 days after childbirth, Bertie couldn't go to her son's funeral. It broke her heart.

After her grandmother's death, Bertie and Remi moved to George Haun's place outside of Florid. It was there that Bertie and Remi had another child. Howard Gerard was born on April 28, 1930. Later that year, Remi taught Bertie how to drive a car. He took her out in a pasture and had her drive his old Ford coupe until she had it down pat. Bertie didn't drive for very long though. She was going down the boom road one day with her mother in the car with her. The car had studded tires and hit sand. It tipped over and Bertie's mother hurt her head. Bertie blamed herself for the accident and never drove again.

Bertie was also having difficulties with Remi's family. Remi's mother and older sister did not want Remi to marry Bertie. Remi's mother did not want her "baby" to leave home and Remi's sister Mary, thought that Bertie was too young. Mary even told her children that they couldn't call Bertie "Aunt". Whenever Bertie and Remi went to visit them, Remi's mother told Remi to stay with her and that "Berta" could go home.

Another one of their problem's was Remi's religion. Remi's family were devout Catholics and Bertie would not join the church. There was a violent argument over their baby Howard and Remi was extradited from the church.Because of these problems, in 1931 Remi and Berty moved to Mark Kay's place in Oxbow (no longer exists) which was outside of Magnolia, Illinois. The place, like the Haun's place had no electricity, inside toilet, or inside running water. The water had to be gotten from a well outside and it made living rather rugged.

Bertie had her share of excitement at Mark Kay's. A bull scared her by coming up to the house and eating Remi's socks off the railing. Another frightening incident happened when a hobo showed up at the house when Remi wasn't home. Bertie hid in the bedroom until he left.

Bertie and Remi's first few years were filled with adjustments just as all married couples are. At first Remi wanted to do everything for Bertie. He wouldn't let her lift a finger to do anything and didn't even want to leave her alone to go to work. Finally, Bertie convinced him that she was perfectly capable of doing things for herself and she would be all right by herself (all though she did wonder a little when the hobo showed up). Remi worked by the month farming at Mark Kay's and every night he came home to his "Pet" (his nickname for Bertie).

The Putnam Record, showed that Bertie and Remi were good friends with John Brandstatter and his family and they continued visiting them quite often. The Putnam Record listed two of those times as being June and October of 1931. While at Mark Kay's, Bertie and Remi added another addition to their family. Robert Albert was born on August 13, 1932. They were just as proud of him as they were their first. Along with the miracle of birth, came also the sadness of death. Bertie's favorite aunt, Little Aunt Dinkey died that same year and it was to leave a little sadness in Bertie's heart.

Remi soon grew tired of farming for someone else and in 1934, he decided to try farming for himself. Bertie and Remi rented a farm called the Rismire's place outside of Magnolia and Remi struggled to make his farm pay. By now, Bertie's sister Babe had married Aldin Haun and the four of them spent a lot of time together. In 1934, Bertie's brother, Ray and his wife moved to Florid. After that, Bertie and her family spent a lot of time visiting her brother during the following years. They are mentioned visiting Ray and his wife many times in The Putnam Record. It even showed that Bertie and her sisters were invited to a picnic dinner on the lawn at her brother Ray's home in July of 1938.

Bertie's father, Albert Daily died in the spring of 1935. Albert caught pneumonia cutting brush along side the road near McNabb and just couldn't seem to shake it. He died on March 14, 1935 at his home in McNabb where he was living with Bertie's brother Haroll. Ray and his family came to take care of their father. Bertie stayed as long as she could, but had to go home to rest. Later that morning Remi came home and told Bertie that her father had died early that morning.

While at the Rismire place, Bertie and Remi had their only daughter. Edith Roseanna was born on January 19, 1936. She was so tiny that they didn't think she would live. They wrapped her in a blanket and put her in a buggy near the stove to keep her warm. Edith might have been tiny, but she was healthy and she became the apple in her father's eye. Bertie remembers Remi looking down at that tiny baby and saying, "She's so little, she looks just like a doll. Pet, let's call her Dolly".

Remi stuck it out at Rismire's for about 3 years trying to make a living from farming. Remi just wasn't making a living and they both decided it would be best to try farming someplace else. Bertie and Remi found another farm called the Shlesher place and settled there hoping that this time they were at their permanent home. The farming there was also poor and the house was so very cold that they just couldn't stay there.

When Bertie was seven months pregnant with her fourth and last child, they moved again. It was January when they moved to a place outside of Henry for 2 weeks until they could find a place they could afford. This house had everything - running water, inside bathroom and electricity. The children were so fascinated with the lights that they kept running around the house turning the lights on and off. Bertie knew that they couldn't stay there though, so she only unpacked what was absolutely necessary. For two weeks, the whole family lived out of boxes.

Finally they found a place outside of Toluca owned by Ed Spangler and Remi went to work for Spangler farming. There Arnold Edward was born at 8:00 at night on Tuesday, March 18, 1941. The reason Bertie remembers this so well is that she fell that day. This house was a little better than the others. It didn't have running water, but it did have an inside pump and a bathtub. They stayed there until 1950. Remi was then offered the job of taking care of pigs for the Hydridges and decided to take it. Bertie and Remi moved to the Hydridge place outside of Toluca and they both hoped that Remi would make more money at taking care of pigs than at farming. They stayed for two years trying to make a living a raising hogs but it simply didn't work out.

Bertie and Remi rented the Helander place east of Toluca and Remi went to work at the Cheese Factory in Toluca. After they had only lived at the Helander place for several months, Remi's old boss, Ed Spangler offered Remi and Bertie back their old house, rent-free, in return for doing chores. Remi and Bertie gladly accepted the offer. Bertie and Remi stayed at Spangler's for two years. Then in 1955, they decided to make another move. They bought a little house in Toluca, Illinois, by the Jumbo. It was the first house they had ever owned. They were tired of renting. Bertie was 47 and Remi was 61 years old.

Bertie got her first real job in 1957. She got a job in Toluca working for Mrs. Rodewall at the Toluca Restaurant. Bertie really enjoyed her job except for one chore. She had to take the slop pail out every day. Bertie worked there for about a year, but then decided she was needed more at home taking care of her granddaughter Nancy (Edith's first), while her daughter worked. Bob remained a bachelor for a while a lived at home with his parents.

Bertie's oldest brother died of a heart attack at the age of 58 in 1961. He was the first member of her family to die since her father's death in 1935. Around 1962, Bertie's daughter split up with her husband and decided to move home. They both agreed it would be better if she didn't actually live with her parents, so Edith bought a trailer and set it up in Bertie and Remi's backyard. Bertie took care of Edith's daughters Nancy and Judy while Edith worked. Her grandchildren were always thrilled to see her even though they had seen her just the night before. Bertie watched them for about a year, then Edith moved back with her husband in Ottawa.

Bertie spoiled her grandchildren rotten, but they were all fairly good kids so it didn't hurt them too much. The biggest treat of all is when all the grandchildren got to spend the night at Grandma Bertie's house at the same time. Bertie would play games with them, let them smash rocks with hammers and Remi let them build things out of wood in (what they called) The Round House.

Bertie loved her home in Toluca. On holidays, especially Christmas, all of her children and grandchildren would come home. Everyone enjoyed these family reunions as much as Bertie did. Bertie planted a peach seed just for fun and before she moved, she had two peaches on that tree. She always had a large garden, lots of fruit trees, and raspberries and strawberries growing across the road from her house. Bertie was always busy canning or baking or just playing with her grandchildren. Bertie had a dog named Pal that was very dear to her. When Pal died, Berty decided to get another "Pal". She got a dog from her sister Babe that was suppose to be a small dog. What a surprise it was when Pal grew up to be a giant mutt! She soon got rid of the dog.

Bertie was getting older and her health was failing her. In 1965, Bertie and Remi bought a house in Washburn so that Bertie could be closer to her doctor. Right before she moved, Bertie's mother died on August 18, 1965. In 1966, Berty had a heart attack. She had to have complete bed rest from November through March. That didn't stop Bertie from enjoying Christmas. She simply had a bed made in the livingroom where she could see everything.

Remi and Berti Stoens 50th Wedding AnniversaryBertie and Remi celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in October of 1977. It was a big open house celebration that all of their friends and family attended. The celebration was held at the American Legion in Washburn, Illinois and the place was packed with well wishers.

Three years later, in 1980, Remi fell and broke his hip. At the age of 86, he was just too old to recover right. Bertie tried to take care of him for two years. Then in 1982, Remi developed blood clots in his legs. He had to be rushed to the hospital for them to be removed. After 5 hours of surgery, Bertie was told that he would be all right, but he would be hospitalized for a long time. After that, Remi would be moved to a nursing home for special care. This was their first separation in 55 years.

Remi was placed in the Hawthorn Nursing Home in El Paso, Illinois. Bertie continued to visit him as least twice weekly, hoping that he would improve and be able to come home. Remi's health though, continued to decline. In December of 1983, he had to have one of his legs amputated below the knee. After that he seemed to lose his will to live. On June 16, 1985, Remi Stoens passed away in his sleep.

Bertie continued living on her own for another year. Her health was failing and her daughter Edith felt it was best if someone was there to care for her. Bertie moved in with her daughter in 1986. Bertie and her daughter lived together for 3 years. In 1991, Edith's daughter Nancy and her fiance rented Edith's house. Bertie continued to live with her granddaughter Nancy until 1992. In 1992, Bertie went to stay with her son Arnold for a weekend visit. During that visit, Bertie had a slight stroke and was hospitalized. The doctors at the hospital felt that Bertie would need total care from then on. Since Nancy worked, and Arnold's wife Judy didn't, it was decided that Bertie would live with Arnold and his wife.

Bertie moved in with Arnold and his wife in Peoria, Illinois. They stayed in Peoria for about a year, then moved to Washburn, Illinois. In January of 1995, Bertie's son Arnold was told that he didn't have long to live. Because of his health problems, it was decided that Bertie should be placed in a nursing home. Berti continued to live at Lida Home in Minonk, Illinois the remainder of her life.  Bertie died on June 21, 1997 at Lida Home in Minonk, Illinois.  After her death, she was laid to rest beside her husband at Mt. Vernon cemetery, Washburn, Illinois.