manes
Jeff Manes
Jeff Manes hired in the steel mills of East Chicago in 1977 at the age of 20. He began to write in January 2000. After …
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Woman devotes herself to dog sanctuary
“My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to 99 cents a can. That’s almost $7 in dog money.” — Joe Weinstein Brenda Thompson, 52, lives in Cedar Lake; she is a branch manager at the DeMotte Library. She also spends a …Read More
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Jeff Manes: Devotion to dad brought career to woman
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.” — Jim Valvano Heather James is administrator and sole proprietor of Back Home Again Inc. It is a home healthcare service in Valparaiso. James, 42, is married to Jeff; …Read More
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Jeff Manes: A spiritual journey through priest’s eyes
“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.” — Mother Teresa The Rev. Joseph Ivans lives at the Albertine Retirement Home …Read More
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Jeff Manes: Woman’s life path leads her to work as a caregiver
“Our scars make us know that our past was for real.” — Jane Austen April Dillingham, 52, lives in Valparaiso with Mark, her husband of 35 years. She is the faithful caregiver who tends to Patricia Ledderboge, the wise woman featured in Sunday’s column. I …
Woman reflects on early days of Watseka, Iroquois
“He is a gentleman, and I am a gentleman’s daughter. So far we are equal.” — Jane Austen Recently, just before leaving for Midway Airport and eventually Reno, my lady friend and I stopped for lunch at Marti’s Place on the Kankakee River in extreme …
Strong faith both unites and divides friends
“...Ora pro nobis, Deo Alleluia Gaude et Laetare, Virgo Maria, Alleluia Quia surrexit Dominus vere, Alleluia” — Hermann von Reichenau I followed my buddy Lil’ Joe Gutierrez to his friend Dr. Louis Miceli’s house in Munster. Gutierrez and Miceli originally intended to be priests, but …
Lake Village woman is 94 years young
“You are beautiful and faded, Like an old opera tune Played upon a harpsichord... .” — Amy Lowell Bessie Watkins lives east of Lake Village and was born the year the Chicago White Stockings threw the World Series — 1919. She turned 94 on Mother’s …
Jeff Manes: Outdoorsman got his start through scouting
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” —Benjamin Franklin United States Sen. Bill Bradley (NBA Hall-of-Famer), director Steven Spielberg, astronaut Neil Armstrong and Paul Anderson of Lowell have something in common. They are part of the …
Art is only small part of Cedar Lake artist’s life
“A ship is always referred to as ‘she’ because it costs so much to keep her in paint and powder.” — Fleet Admiral Charles W. Nimitz My friend Mary McClelland of South Shore Arts tipped me off about abstract artist Wiley E. Dummich of Cedar …
Local man explores history both near and far
“Here’s to the kids who are different, The kids who don’t always get A’s The kids who have ears twice the size of their peers, And noses that go on for days... Here’s to the kids who are different, The kids they call crazy or …
Lansing mom bravely battles rare disease
“Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” — Robert Browning Laura Perrault lives in Lansing, Ill. with her husband Jim and their two darling daughters, Kaydence, 6, and Mackinsey, 5. Jim is a firefighter and paramedic. Laura, 32, used to dispense tender loving care for …
Jeff Manes: Entomologist says ‘maggots are our friends’
“Agent Starling, meet Mr. Acherontia Styx, better known to his friends as the Death’s-head moth... . Somebody fed him honey and nightshade, kept him warm. Somebody loved him.” — from the film “The Silence of the Lambs” I met Neal Haskell, 66, at The Pub, …
Thayer man has seen it all, from plane crashes to nudists
“A flying saucer results when a nudist spills his coffee.” — author unknown Ralph Knapp couldn’t come to the phone when I made the initial call to set up an interview with him. He was hand-milking Harriet who had just given birth. Harriet is a …Read More
Woman works way up the ranks at IUN
“Grain by grain, a loaf. Stone by stone, a castle.” — Serbian proverb Marianne Milich and her husband, Andy, live in the town of Schererville, have a Crown Point mailing address, and a Merrillville phone number. You guessed it; they live in Pine Island. Our …
Service station is pride of Grimmer family
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Alva Edison Until about two years ago, Butch Grimmer, 60, lived in the town where he grew up — Schererville. Today, he lives in Morgan Township with …
Self-taught artist draws on life for his inspiration
“Call me Ishmael.” — Herman Melville Ismael Muhammad Nieves’ first name doesn’t have an “h” in it, but his friends do call him “Ish.” Names like Ismael Muhammad Nieves delight me. I mean, where but in this great melting pot we call the United States …
Conservationist makes home for native species
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead As the crow flies, Sandy O’Brien’s home is maybe a mile from the bustling intersection of Interstate 65 and 61st …
Spiritual medium practices her gift
“All those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.” — Steven Wright Karen Ketchum, 64, has been a widow for 20 years. She lives above an antique and clock repair shop called As Time Goes By near the intersection of Lincolnway and Monroe in downtown …
Umpire ‘Lefty’ doesn’t let loss of limb hold him back
“My son, when I was a child, I remember feeling bad because I had no shoes. Then, I looked across the street, and saw a man who had no feet.” — Karen LeDelle Manes (circa 1964) I wasn’t surprised to see “Bonanza” reruns playing on …
Woman’s life shaped by books and reading
“And the walls became the world all around.” — Maurice Sendak, from “Where the Wild Things Are” Kathy Burgess is the wife of Dick Burgess, who appeared in my Sunday column. Like her husband, she is retired from the Gary Public Library system. The Burgesses …
