I have Pete Vonachen’s father to thank for my existence and the fact that it is taking place in Peoria. Well, he at least deserves a little bit of the credit.
Pete’s dad, Harold, was a physician. So was his uncle John, who lived with his wife Isabelle and their four children, Molly, Carol, Betty, and Bob at 841 N. Maplewood from 1918 to 1945. John was the first pediatrician in Peoria and one of the first in the state. “I remember being in your old home many, many times,” said Pete. “It was a great house.”
Before he became the medical director at Caterpillar, Harold had a general practice and was also the doctor for the children who lived at Guardian Angel Orphanage on Heading Avenue. Sometimes he asked his brother John for help.
Both Pete, who has an amazing memory, and my dad contributed details to the following story.
My dad lived in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, where, as a young man, he became a pretty good athlete. In high school, he triple-lettered in baseball, basketball, and football. As center, he was voted the most valuable player on the Mt. Vernon Rams football team.
But it was on the basketball court where my dad and his teammates had their greatest success. In 1949 and 1950, the Mt. Vernon Rams won the Illinois State Basketball Tournament, going undefeated in ’50. And this was back when there was only one class for high school athletics in Illinois.
The starting players on the team, including my dad, received attention from colleges wanting to recruit them. The team’s star, Max Hooper, who was recently honored as one of the 100 top high school basketball players in Illinois history, was going to the University of Illinois. My dad decided he would go there too.
But that was before Dr. Harold Vonachen and a couple of his friends paid a visit to Mt. Vernon. Dr. Vonachen was very involved in the Bradley boosters club. He and his friends made the drive from Peoria to Mt. Vernon that in that day had to be close to six hours.
They came to town in a big black sedan. Dr. Vonachen handed the keys to my dad and his teammate John Riley and said, “Here boys, take the car for a ride. We want to talk to your parents.”
After the meeting, my dad’s parents suggested he check out Bradley. He had never heard of Peoria, much less Bradley, but he made a campus visit. And he loved what he saw. “The campus was beautiful and so much more personal than Illinois.”
He came to Bradley, majored in economics, pledged Sigma Chi, and became a starter on the basketball team, which placed second in the NCAA Tournament in 1954. While he was a student, Harold Vonachen was his physician.
My dad went on to receive a master’s in counseling at Bradley and spent his entire career working in administration at the Univeristy. He met my mom, who lived in central Illinois, and in 1961 the first of their five children were born.
And it all got its start because of Pete Vonachen’s dad. Thanks Dr. Vonachen
Pete’s dad, Harold, was a physician. So was his uncle John, who lived with his wife Isabelle and their four children, Molly, Carol, Betty, and Bob at 841 N. Maplewood from 1918 to 1945. John was the first pediatrician in Peoria and one of the first in the state. “I remember being in your old home many, many times,” said Pete. “It was a great house.”
Before he became the medical director at Caterpillar, Harold had a general practice and was also the doctor for the children who lived at Guardian Angel Orphanage on Heading Avenue. Sometimes he asked his brother John for help.
Both Pete, who has an amazing memory, and my dad contributed details to the following story.
My dad lived in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, where, as a young man, he became a pretty good athlete. In high school, he triple-lettered in baseball, basketball, and football. As center, he was voted the most valuable player on the Mt. Vernon Rams football team.
But it was on the basketball court where my dad and his teammates had their greatest success. In 1949 and 1950, the Mt. Vernon Rams won the Illinois State Basketball Tournament, going undefeated in ’50. And this was back when there was only one class for high school athletics in Illinois.
The starting players on the team, including my dad, received attention from colleges wanting to recruit them. The team’s star, Max Hooper, who was recently honored as one of the 100 top high school basketball players in Illinois history, was going to the University of Illinois. My dad decided he would go there too.
But that was before Dr. Harold Vonachen and a couple of his friends paid a visit to Mt. Vernon. Dr. Vonachen was very involved in the Bradley boosters club. He and his friends made the drive from Peoria to Mt. Vernon that in that day had to be close to six hours.
They came to town in a big black sedan. Dr. Vonachen handed the keys to my dad and his teammate John Riley and said, “Here boys, take the car for a ride. We want to talk to your parents.”
After the meeting, my dad’s parents suggested he check out Bradley. He had never heard of Peoria, much less Bradley, but he made a campus visit. And he loved what he saw. “The campus was beautiful and so much more personal than Illinois.”
He came to Bradley, majored in economics, pledged Sigma Chi, and became a starter on the basketball team, which placed second in the NCAA Tournament in 1954. While he was a student, Harold Vonachen was his physician.
My dad went on to receive a master’s in counseling at Bradley and spent his entire career working in administration at the Univeristy. He met my mom, who lived in central Illinois, and in 1961 the first of their five children were born.
And it all got its start because of Pete Vonachen’s dad. Thanks Dr. Vonachen
The top picture is of the 1954 Mt. Vernon Rams, who won the Illinois High School Basketball Championship. My dad is number 46. The bottom picture, from the Peoria Journal Star, shows the happy, victorious Braves after they defeated the Oklahoma City Chiefs, a victory that won them a berth in the 1954 NCAA Tournament.
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