100 years ago: Widow makes living making beer, but the law says she has to stop

Looking back at stories that appeared in the O’Fallon Progress 100, 75, and 50 years ago.

100 years ago, Feb. 26, 1925

When Mrs. Mary Tempia, 50 years old, of Prairie Lawn, was arraigned before Judge Weber in the county court at Belleville last Wednesday on a liquor charge violation the court admonished her with a warning that the next appearance on a similar charge would result in a jail sentence.

Assessing a fine and costs of $168.40, Judge Weber informed the defendant that the fact that she was a woman was the only reason why he did not impose a jail sentence. This is the second time within a year that Mrs. Tempia was fined on a charge of having violated the prohibition act.

When deputy sheriffs raided the Tempia home last December they found a number of quart bottles of home brew on the premises. On a previous raid local officers found incriminating evidence on which she was fined. The raids resulted from complaints of citizens who had the search warrants issued against the place.

The woman pleaded with the court that she was a widow and that she sold home brew as it was her only means of livelihood. She promised, however, to try to find some other way of earning a living.

75 years ago, Feb. 23, 1950

One of the important real estate deals consummated the past week is that of O’Fallon Post No. 3468, Veterans of Foreign Wars which acquired the building at 223 West First street formerly occupied as a funeral home.

The post, which plans to alter the property for a home, including a meeting place and club facilities, was purchased from Wolfersberer-Meyer, who occupied the building until a year ago when they moved into their new funeral home at Washington and North Lincoln.

The building has a depth of 70 feet and is 22 feet in width. Included in the sale is a vacant lot which adjoins the property to the east.

The vets immediately began work on alterations, the first step being the digging out and concreting of a full basement which the members intend to do on their spare time. The organization has already received incorporation papers under the name of O’Fallon Veterans’ Club, Inc.

Present plans are to make the home available to other organizations for meetings and small functions. O’Fallon Post 3468 was organized in this city four years ago and has a membership of approximately 50 in addition to an Auxiliary, both organizations having been active in the civic life of the community.

(The building is now home to VFW Post 805.)

50 years ago, Feb. 27, 1975

The new Southview Tom-Boy store will open its doors to the public next Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. The new store will feature specialty shops and bigger food departments. Harvey Dressel is the store’s manager. The store will cover a 22,000 square foot area. There will be a food deli, bakery shop, liquor department, health and beauty aid department plus a larger produce row.

Besides the apparent differences in the larger store, some people may not know some of the behind-the-scenes innovations the new store will have in use. The heating system is a rare type of system. The heat from the store is recycled from the store’s massive refrigeration compartments and heated for the store heat. The system is fairly new and can keep the store at a comfort temperature even when outside temperatures are as low as 10 degrees. When more heat is needed, an auxiliary electric heating system can be used.

The air from the refrigeration condenser units is passed through a system of coils which heats the air to the desired temperature. After the temperature is reached the air is released similar to any other heating system. The cost of the system in nominal compared to the savings in heating bills since the electric bill for the refrigerators is also paying for the heating of the store.

A second recycling system used by the store is the waste recycler. More than 80 per cent of the store’s cardboard and paper waste is being bailed and recycled for another use. The system is carried out in the back of the store in a huge bailer.

The store will also feature a nutrition information counter where customers may take advantage of hints and suggestions on buying and preparing nutritional meals.