Moving to a beautifully designed ranch house without the upkeep and maintenance worries of your older family home.  It’s a good thing.  But…how about those things you want to bring with you to your new home?  Storage space is key.

The lakeside community of Saddlebrook Farms provides all of the storage space you need–and more.

“We customize our homes to provide all of the storage space our residents need or want,” says Dena Seymour, Design Manager for Saddlebrook Farms.

“Not only can we add custom closets and oversized garages, but we can move windows and doors to accommodate those special china cabinets and large dining room tables residents want to bring to their new home.”

Seymour adds that the 9-foot ceiling heights standard in new homes at Saddlebrook Farms accommodate those oversized family heirlooms much more easily than the 8-foot ceilings found in most homes.

Standard features in new homes at Saddlebrook Farms include coat closets, kitchen pantries, linen closets for each bathroom, walk-in closets in the master bedroom and storage space along both sides of the two-car 20 x 20 foot garage.

It’s easy to customize homes to add closets in any room of the house, including dens, breakfast rooms and the foyer, according to Seymour. Garages can be deepened to add additional storage space; some garages even have an extended storage area as a standard feature.  Custom cabinetry can be added for kitchen storage, entertainment units, books, or just about anything a homeowner could want.

Dino and Bonnie Selimos added a 20 foot work bench and shelves around the sides of their garage in their spacious Foxglove model, and are thrilled with the amount of storage available.

“We have so much more room than in our Palatine condominium, and although it’s easy to install attics, we preferred the easy access of shelving,” Dino notes.

“We have room for two cars, my motorcycle, all of my tools and all of our seasonal storage.”

In addition to the large garages, Saddlebrook Farms also provides a safe and secure lot where residents can park their motor homes, boats and utility vehicles.

Barbara Morbidoni agrees with the Selimos.

“I asked the designers to take the walk-in closet out of my guest room, because I didn’t want my guests to be too comfortable,” she laughs.

“I used the extra space to add a shower to the powder room.  I didn’t need the storage space because I have so many other closets.  I really did not have to add any storage at all, although I had a custom unit built for my television and computer. “

Morbidoni, who says that the five years she has lived at Saddlebrook Farms have been the happiest years of her life, worked with the design team at Saddlebrook Farms to ensure that the furniture she brought with her fit in the wall space of the living and dining rooms.  She also added a den/guestroom off her master bedroom suite, accessed by lovely French doors.

Linda Wiemerslage and her husband, Ken, have more storage than they need in their five-year-old home.

“If I put in more attic space than what we currently use in the garage, my husband would just fill it up,” she smiles.

“We added an additional closet in the foyer and now have two.  I have a desk in my sewing room, so I took the built-in desk out of the standard kitchen plan and added a large broom closet.  I took the large whirlpool tub out of the master bedroom to increase the closet space, and extended the counter and storage space under the sinks. “

With the extra shelving installed in the many closets, Wiemerslage has more than enough room to store her quilting materials, work supplies and household items.

“We could have moved our bedroom door and had a larger closet, but we had plenty of storage space without adding any more,” she states.

To maximize your storage while retaining that spacious feel and the architectural integrity of your beautiful new home, it pays to work with a friendly professional like Saddlebrook’s Dena Seymour.

Access is a key concept at Saddlebrook Farms:  access to the professionals who help make your move easy; access to new friends and activities in a neighborhood like the one in which you grew up;  and access to easy living regardless of your special needs and requirements.

 “Our homes are custom built to meet the personal needs and preferences of our home buyers, including barrier free living,” explains Dena Seymour, Design Manager for Saddlebrook Farm.

“Saddlebrook’s single level homes lend themselves perfectly not only to high style and energy efficiency, but also to open floor plans and modifications that make them perfect for individuals with mobility issues.”

 All homes located in the quiet and friendly neighborhoods of Saddlebrook Farms are single story ranch homes with attached garages, front porches and most have 36-inch wide doors.  Comfort height toilets, grab bars in walk-in showers and tubs, windows set less than two feet from the floor and lever handles on all interior doors are standard in homes being built for Saddlebrook Farms. ADA-approved faucets are standard as are base cabinets with easy pull-outs.

But Saddlebrook Farms can and does do more, assures Seymour.

“We can take out walls to open up rooms for mobility and sight lines, and we can easily design wheelchair accessible master bathrooms with roll-under vanities and easy transfer toilets,” she explains.

“We have installed ADA-approved wheelchair showers with handheld fixtures and eliminated doors so that closets can be entered through the bathroom.”

Raised or lowered vanities,  kitchen counters and appliances, easy-open kitchen hardware, the elimination of islands and obstacles, widened archways and ADA-approved thresholds between doorways are no problem for the design team at Saddlebrook Farms.  Flooring can be changed to laminate or non-slip tile surfaces, hardwood or low pile carpet as requested by the homeowner.

 “Our community and our homes are designed for easy living,” Seymour says.

The picturesque lake house at the center of the community is easily accessible with ramping and its one level, spacious interior.  Most of the residents’ activities from exercise classes, woodcarving, quilting, bingo, garden club and every other group in which residents have an interest meet at the lake house.

 Tim and Jean Wise are in agreement with the staff at Saddlebrook Farms.

“When we looked at this lovely community with its small town atmosphere, we knew Saddlebrook Farms was the place for us.  We never dreamed they would be so gracious and accommodating to our needs,” says Jean.

“They opened up our floor plan making it easy for me to move around in my wheelchair.  We have so much space, and our home is ideal for everyday living as well as entertaining.  It truly was a relief to move to a home of this size that is completely accessible for me.”

From pocket doors to a wheelchair accessible shower and sink, the Wises are thrilled with their modified Foxglove model.  The ramp leading to their front door is barely noticeable as it was integrated into the sidewalk and landscaping from the very beginning.  

“They maintained the architectural integrity of the home while at the same time changed it to meet our needs,” Jean notes. 

“We love it here at Saddlebrook Farms.  It’s our own ‘small town’ here in Lake County.”

 Residents at Saddlebrook Farms also benefit from having 24-hour on-site management available to assist in an emergency as well as access to the Lifeline emergency response system.  They enjoy grocery and prescription delivery, PACE bus service, and can also arrange for mail delivery to their front door. In addition, the Saddlebrook Farms staff can help with modifications needed over time to assist residents in remaining in their homes as well as with upkeep and maintenance. 

“At Saddlebrook Farms, you get all of the benefits of independent living with so many customized options,” Seymour notes.

“Our willingness to meet the needs of our residents makes Saddlebrook Farms an embracing and warm community.”

Grayslake, Illinois, February 22, 2011:  Being “green” is more than just using energy efficient appliances.  It’s an attitude and a commitment.  It consists of awareness, appreciation, and action.  At its heart, Saddlebrook Farms, an active adult community near Grayslake, has been demonstrating for over 20 years how very green it is.

From when it was first conceived in the early 1980’s to the drawing board, from moving dirt to building roads and infrastructure, from selling homes to welcoming new residents, from morning to night – Saddlebrook Farms is and always has been committed to creating a kinder and gentler environment.

At the root of environmental consciousness are the people who are brought together in community.  Being aware of the value of the “old neighborhoods” where people knew and cared about their neighbors up the street and down the block, Saddlebrook Farms land plan consisted of cul-de-sacs and curvilinear streets creating neighborhoods within the overall community, which by design enable and foster friendships and social interaction.  Attracting lively, responsible residents and watching these seniors inspire each other, boosting the collective health and good will of the neighborhood is truly the next step in the greening of a community.

Ever appreciative of the nature reserves, wetlands, and wildlife indigenous to the area, preservation and conservation programs were implemented early on.

“Saddlebrook Farms has preserved the rural charm for which Lake County is famous and featured the natural beauty of the land. Integrating environmental values into our decision-making processes, our approach was to blend the amenities that make a neighborhood with the natural surroundings,” says director of development, Larry Waco, Sr.

Over half of Saddlebrook Farms remains open space featuring 120 acres of fish stocked lakes, parks, wooded areas, walking trails, a working farm, over 200 individual resident gardens (Victory gardens), a tree nursery, and plenty of peace and quiet to go around for everyone, including the blue herons that call it home.

Building a home in a factory is intrinsically green, points out Sheri Koones in her recently published book, Prefabulous and Sustainable. All of the Saddlebrook Farms homes are factory crafted.  Built better to tighter tolerances, avoiding exposure of materials to weather, preventing energy loss by using superior insulation, limiting waste through factory-crafted methods, speedy construction and tight, energy efficient quality all combine to reduce the need for fossil fuel, preserve resources, and save homeowners money in fuel costs.

Using ENERGYStAR® appliances, ENERGYStAR® windows, high efficiency gas furnaces and water heaters contribute to the highest ENERGYStAR®  rating possible achieved by Saddlebrook Farms homes, which most recently have been LEED® certified as well.  When you consider that homes represent approximately 20 percent of the US energy use, Saddlebrook Farms homes as conceived, built and delivered to its residents are contributing greatly to conserving resources, reducing energy costs, and making a big environmental difference.

Saddlebrook Farms has also dedicated itself to preserving water and is especially proud of its efforts in this regard.  Water consumption and the use of energy are reduced by using low flow faucets and shower heads, low flush toilets, and on demand water heaters. And, its state-of-the-art EPA-preferred wastewater land treatment system works with nature in the purification and conservation of this most precious resource.

Living in an environmentally conscious community has a way of inspiring the people who live there to act accordingly.  Everyone seems to know that simple everyday things make a difference.  Garbage is recycled, dog droppings are picked up, and aluminum cans are collected to raise funds for the Saddlebrook Farms Fishing Club.  As a community of concerned individuals, residents volunteer for the Adopt-A-Highway cleanup and engage in local outreach initiatives supporting the Fremont Food Pantry, Mano-a-Mano, the Ronald McDonald Foundation, and Battered Women, just to name a few.  One good deed does seem to lead to another.

“While we believe our record demonstrates our concern for the environment and the well being of our residents and neighbors, we are always looking for better and ‘greener’ ways of doing things,” says Larry Waco Sr.

When Cupid draws his bow, love is in the air.  And what do some couples have in common that may account for a direct hit by Cupid’s arrow? They live at Saddlebrook Farms!

Penny and her husband, Don Scott, were among the first residents of Saddlebrook Farms.  When they purchased their Castleton in 1991, their home was the 35^th house to be built here.  Chuck Fanaro, the founder of Saddlebrook Farms, took them through the mostly vacant farmland after they had seen an ad in the paper, and they immediately fell in love with the young community.

“I knew right away that Saddlebrook Farms was where we should live,” Penny explains.  “I went on vacation with my daughter, and while I was gone, my husband sold our home in Morton Grove and bought our home at Saddlebrook Farms…all in one week!”

The neighborhood feel that existed when they arrived at Saddlebrook Farms remains to this day, although now, not everyone knows everyone else.  Still, the block parties and the groups convening at the Lake House evoke the same feeling that Penny and Don experienced upon moving in.

“We knew who would be at the parties, and if they didn’t show up, we worried about them,” Penny says. If you read the letters from current residents in the monthly News Notes, it’s easy to see that the tradition of neighbors caring for neighbors has not changed at Saddlebrook Farms.

Don, a Marine who was wounded in Guam during World War II, died one month before Don and Penny’s 50th anniversary in 1998.  Although Penny had retired from her career in bank management, she kept busy sewing, quilting, volunteering and spending time with her three children and six grandchildren.

While Penny was growing up on the northwest side of Chicago, Peter Kobe was growing up in Whiting, Indiana. After serving in the World War II Replacement Draft and Occupation Force in Nagasaki and then in China, he married Eileen in 1951 and raised two sons and daughter while working as a supervisor for the Union Tank Car Company. His wife died in 1984, and Peter, then retired, began spending a great deal of time with his daughter and her family in Fox Lake.  Eventually, he decided to sell his home in Calumet City and move north, and when he saw the Foxglove model at Saddlebrook Farms, his mind was made up.  He moved into the community in 1999.

Peter enjoyed bike riding, and explored every street and cul de sac in Saddlebrook Farms.  One day, as he pedaled around Derby Court, he saw Penny at the end of her driveway, picking up the mail.  They started chatting, and she invited him in for a Coca Cola.  Peter, who was an accomplished painter, noticed that she was painting the frame on a window she had recently replaced. He gave her some advice on technique, and Penny decided she did not need any advice.

“I chased him out of the house,  and that was that!” she laughs.

Peter frequently pedaled his bike down Derby Court over the next few months, but did not see Penny again. (She was often gone during the day, visiting her daughter and granddaughter in another village.)

Six months later, Saddlebrook Farms published its monthly list of birthdays, and Peter noticed that Penny’s birthday was in April.  He decided to send her a card, and Penny says that she had no choice but to call him up and say thank you.  He invited her out to dinner to celebrate her birthday, and…well, Cupid let his arrow fly!

It may have been the fact that both of them emphasized education when it came to raising their children, or it may have been their mutual love of family, but something clicked between the two of them.

Joined by Penny’s daughter and son-in-law, Penny and Peter were married October 11, 2003 in the Little Church of the West in Las Vegas.

“It was like the movies,” Peter reminisces. “The preacher was very good, and it was a lot of fun.”

“It’s funny,” Penny muses. “The second time around, you really listen to the words and understand their meaning.”

“That’s right,” Peter agrees.  “And, when she said ‘I do,’ I knew I had her!”

Following their special ceremony, they had dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower where they could watch the famous fountains at the Bellagio and enjoy a panoramic view of Las Vegas.

Following their marriage, Peter sold his home and moved in with Penny.  They enjoy playing Bingo at the Lake House every Monday, and if you have ever seen a baby born at Condell Hospital in Libertyville, he or she is probably wearing a hat knit by Penny.

Their five children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren embrace the new couple and love to visit at Saddlebrook Farms.  And the proud couple is busy attending the graduations of their accomplished and highly educated progeny!

Penny’s scrapbook of her life at Saddlebrook Farms, from the very first newspaper stories, includes a series of letters to Chuck Fanaro in which she has kept him apprised of her happy life since moving in. One letter, dated July, 1992, was reprinted in an early edition of the Saddlebrook Farms Bugle.”

Cupid was also smiling on Dina Knuth when she moved in to her Starlight home at Saddlebrook Farms in late 1999.  Dina, who was working for Ameritech at Western and Irving and living in Chicago, had been commuting for many years to a barn near the Wisconsin border where she boarded her horse.  Although born and raised in the city, she was tiring of the long commute four times each week.  And with a sister in Wisconsin and a brother in Arlington Heights, she decided to look for something north of the city.

Almost  a year after seeing an ad in the newspaper, she decided to check out Saddlebrook Farms.

“Once I saw how affordable it was, I was sold,” she laughs.  “After growing up in the city where everything is old, I was so excited to buy something new where I got to pick out everything: the fixtures, the carpet, the layout! I fell in love with the model the second I saw it.”

Unfortunately, the November day that Dina moved in was warm and extremely…muddy.

“I was watching her move in across the street,” Bill Schnurstein  remembers.  “I felt so sorry for her.  It was wet and muddy and I just hoped that the movers had covered the beautiful new carpet in her home!”

Dina’s move went fine, and the City Girl loved living out in the country.

“My horse was my number one priority at that time,” Dina explains. “I loved being close even though my commute to work was a little longer. And it was so quiet out here, but everything I needed was so convenient.”  (Dina is an expert shopper, and enjoys convenient shopping venues.)

Shortly before Dina moved in, Bill had moved to Saddlebrook Farms from Buffalo Grove.  His wife, who had passed away in 1990, had left him the sole parent of two sons and the caretaker of a large home. Bill, who retired as the Manager of Corporate Services for Zenith Electronics in 1997, was tired of taking care of a big house and yard.

“I started looking at a large retirement community in Huntley,” he explains.  “But one day I passed by Saddlebrook Farms, saw the sign, and decided to check it out.  It was much more affordable than any other community, so I decided to move into the Sunflower model.”

Like Dina, Bill was attracted to the country feel of the community, but wanted the convenience of the nearby restaurants and shopping.  He joined a health club in Mundelein, and took advantage of many of the amenities surrounding Saddlebrook Farms.

Shortly after Dina moved in, Bill stopped by one day while she was going through boxes in her open garage and introduced himself. An avid walker, he was heading out on one of his daily hikes through the community.  Dina asked if she could join him on one of her days off, and he agreed that would be fun. Dina’s phone rang, she went inside, and Bill left on his walk.

“Some time later, I saw Bill outside and boldly asked if I could join him on a walk the next day,” Dina smiles. “We went on a wonderful walk, and then he asked me if I would like to join him for lunch on my next day off. That’s how it all started…”

Bill and Dina enjoyed their time alone together, but agree that most of their time was spent with their neighbors on Fox Hunt Way.

“There were several women who were our neighbors, and we did everything together,” Dina explains.  “It was Bill and the ‘three chicks,’ and we had a lot of fun.  But, one thing led to another, and Bill and I began dating.  One night he made dinner for me, and when I got home from work, I thought that was the most wonderful thing in the world!”

“I was really only a ‘microwave’ cook,”  Bill says modestly.  “But she was happy.”

Bill and Dina were married on October 7, 2000, less than a year after they met.

“At our age, you don’t wait around.  Know what I mean?” Dina says with a twinkle in her eye.

Approximately 60 friends and family members joined them at the Holiday Inn in Mundelein where they had a beautiful ceremony, dinner reception and dance.  They honeymooned in the Bahamas, where despite the rainy weather, they enjoyed a fabulous week at an all-inclusive resort. They returned to the hotel on their first anniversary to relive the magic and celebrate their happiness.

Following their marriage, Dina sold her home and moved into Bill’s house across the street because it was a little larger. Between them, they have three sons and three granddaughters, with another granddaughter about to put in an appearance. They also have adopted another “child,” Buddy the cat, who helps them with their jigsaw puzzles.

“The greatest compliment I received after marrying Bill came from one of his sons,” Dina recalls.

“His oldest son announced that he was moving to California, something he had been thinking about for long time. He told me that he never would have done it if his dad had been alone, but that since Bill had married me, he knew that he would be happy and have family with him.”

Cupid loves the Saddlebrook Farms family.  Do you have your own Valentine’s Day story to share?

Our arrival at Midway was a “check in” process where we received our name tags, boarding passes and an “Official Honor Flight T-Shirt.”

Tony Glogovsky and Ed Tauscher checked in and ready to rumble.

A nice send off for Tony,  Ed and Vinnie by the “Legacy Girls” who entertained our group with the songs of the Andrew Sisters of the 1940’s.

Tony Glogovsky, Ed Taucher and Vinnie Dederich on board for our wild takeoff from Midway in the winds of Oct. 26,2010

Deplaning to our greeting at Dulles International Airport in Washington DC.

Part of the Well Wishers at Dulles as we arrived. There were many more  including all branches of the Service and Airport personnel. These are the “Guardians” of Washington DC that are joining our Group of Vets.

We stopped at the Marines Iwo Jima Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery, on our way to the WWII Memorial site.

Tony, front row center, Ed, behind Tony, as we lined up for the Flag Ceremony at the WWII Memorial.

Vinnie Dederich, center front, at the WWII Memorial.

The Color Guard assembled for the opening of the Wreath Ceremony to officially greet us.

Ed Tauscher and his “Guardian”, Genevieve. Lucky Guy, huh?

Vinnie at the Wisconsin site of the WWII Memorial Pillar.  All 50 States and 6 Territories have such pillars representing their participation in WW2.

The familiar WWII Medallion embedded in the floor.

The Gold Star Memorial wall that has 4000 gold stars each representing 100 lives lost in the War.

A  Motto etched on one of the walls of the WWII Memorial.

One of the disabled Veterans being unloaded with his wheelchair at the rear of our tour bus. They were treated with great care, as were all of us by our Guardians.   We now left for our last stop on the way to Dulles to come home.

Our last stop was the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum.  The main attraction was the Enola Gay, the bomber that dropped the Atomic bomb at Hiroshima that ended WWII.

The first thing we saw as we deplaned at Midway was the Military Color Guard at attention. We were overwhelmed by their presence in their great numbers and all the people that filled the Terminal.

The parade begins leading us into the Terminal.

Our first Veteran starts the parade with an Escort.

The Bag Pipers were out in front.  Their music filled the air.  Most of us toward the rear couldn’t see them but we sure could hear them. It was a “blast”.

Bob Wenger, my Guardian in the green shirt, me, Vinnie, center front, my Military Escort pushing me, and Ed Tauscher with the hat on my right and a portion of the crowd behind us cheering as we process down the aisle and prepare for our arrival.

I am greeted, to my great surprise by my wife, Helene.  We had no idea our families would be there. It was an incredible feeling on top of all the existing emotions of the reception honoring us.

A bit more of our trek through the crowds and notice all the welcome home signs and banners carried by many family members for their loved ones.

The end of our “Parade” as I’m joined by Helene, my wife, as all the other Vet’s also met their families.  Lot’s of Joy.

My family that was able to join me. Front row, L-R: Helene and me; Back row, L-R: Son-in-Law, Jim, daughter, Denise ( Jim’s wife), Grandson, Daniel (their son), and his finance,  Nicole.

Lots of families were taking pictures and groups formed and reformed to share in the moment taking more pictures.  We were so Honored.

Ed Tauscher, Venance Dederich, Tony Glogovsky

Capital moment for 3 Round Lake Park vets
By Judy masterson
JMASTERSON@STMEDIANETWORK.COM
Last Modified: Oct 25, 2010 09:13PM
Three Round Lake-area veterans of World War II are finally feeling the gratitude of a nation, more than
65 years after they were called to duty.

Tony Glogovsky, 86, Ed Tauscher, 84, and Venance Dederich, 83, all residents of Saddlebrook Farms in
Round Lake Park, flew to Washington, D.C., early this morning as guests of Honor Flight Chicago.
Since 2008, Honor Flight Chicago has treated more than 2,000 veterans to a one-day trip to the nation’s
capital to visit the World War II Memorial, dedicated in 2004, and the Lincoln Memorial and memorials
for the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Glogovsky, a native of North Chicago who enlisted in the Navy in March 1943, shot his way through
enemy waters in the Pacific as a gunner’s mate aboard merchant ships. On his second day at sea, sailing
aboard one of a convoy of ships, the freighter behind him suddenly exploded — torpedoed by the
enemy.

“The smoke cleared and there was nothing there,” he recalled. “The ship beside us got it, too — in the
back end. But the convoy had to keep going.”

Tauscher was also a sailor. Born and raised in Milwaukee, he was drafted in 1944, at 18, and the Navy
sent him to cook, butcher and baker school before assigning him to feed a crew of 350 aboard the cargo
ship USS Washburn.

Under constant threat of attack, the Washburn transported Army troops and supplies to enemy shores.
Tauscher recalled riding out a typhoon outside of Okinawa. The ship pitched so violently, most of the
crew fell seasick, as the galley served dry toast and coffee.

“We were the first group of ships going in for the invasion of Japan,” Tauscher said. “We landed on the
southernmost island just after the bomb. We got off the ship and the first thing we see are kids playing
baseball with a Ted Williams bat and a Joe DiMaggio glove.”

Venance “Vinny” Dederich enlisted in 1945 shortly after he turned 17 under the Army Specialized
Training Program, which sent servicemen headed for battle through accelerated college coursework.
A native of Spring Green, Wis., Dederich studied engineering for three semesters at the University of
Illinois, but the war ended before he could be sent to the Pacific, and he opted for a discharge. He was
drafted at the onset of the Korean War in 1950, and he served stateside, training the first Mobile Army
Surgical Hospital or MASH units.

All three men ended their wartime service with no fanfare. They found jobs, married, had families and
considered their sacrifice all but forgotten.

“World War II vets haven’t had much recognition,” Tauscher said. “They just forgot about us.”
“After World War II, there was such a desire to cut the military back, then there was Korea, then
Vietnam and they generated a lot of controversy,” Dederich reasoned.

Two other Lake County men — Richard Mitchell of Wildwood and Oliver Hanstedt of Gurnee — were
also scheduled to take the Honor Flight out of Midway Airport today. Upon their return at 8:35 p.m.,
about 95 veterans, including two women, will be escorted off the plane by 25 bagpipers. They will be
saluted by 400 members of the U.S. military in full-dress uniform. More than 100 members of the
motorcycle club Patriot Guard will also pay tribute, and a 100-piece marching band will perform.

Mary Pettinato, Honor Guard Chicago president and co-founder, recently received a thank-you letter
from a Wilmette vet who wrote that he “secretly felt deprived all these years” because he was unable to
celebrate with his fellow servicemen at the war’s end because he was recuperating from injuries he
suffered when his ship was torpedoed.

“I originally thought we would take these guys and they would see the memorial, the beautiful granite,
and it would be memorable,” Pettinato said. “I didn’t realize it would provide the closure they never
got.”

Glogovsky said he was a little disappointed that it took the nation so long to pay tribute to those who
served during World War II. As he stands at the memorial, he will think about the millions for whom it
was built too late.

“A lot of people who should have seen it never will,” he said. “Like everything in Washington, it was a
little slow.”
Copyright © 2010 — Sun-Times Media, LLC

World War II Veteran Ed Tauscher of Grayslake holds up photos from when he was ship's cook first class in the Navy.

World War II Veteran Tony Glogovsky of Grayslake holds up photos from when he was gunner's mate second class in the Navy.

Venance Dederich of Grayslake holds up a photo from when he was a private during World War II. He also served as a sergeant during the Korean War.

Marge Galloway and Ed and Margaret Stahowiak

Gardening is a rewarding activity—and the end result can be not only beautiful, but delicious and nutritious.  It isn’t for the faint of heart, however, as Saddlebrook Farms’ Victory Gardeners may warn.  The summer of 2010 has been hot and dry, then just plain hot, and then very, very wet.  The gardeners battled sun, rain and mud, but just as the United States emerged victorious in World War II, they are claiming victory over the elements this year.

Those driving down Equestrian Drive will often see the gardeners out there planting, weeding, harvesting and often, leaning on their hoes while sharing tips and chatting with their fellow “green-thumbed” residents.

Marge Galloway, for example, will show you her Polish yellow beans and then explain they come from garden plot neighbor, Chester Gieruszynski.

“He gets them from Poland—the directions on the seed package are in Polish,” she explains.  “But I really liked them last summer, so he gave me some this year.”

Gieruszynski and his wife, Alicja, often pick up seeds on their annual visit back to Europe.

“Sometimes the seeds work here, and sometimes they don’t,” Gieruszynski laughs.  “You know, the water is a little different over here.”

The Gieruszynskis moved to Saddlebrook Farms eight years ago.  He arrived in the United States from Poland in 1980, and his wife followed four years later.  They had a large garden in Poland, and being able to continue their gardening was a big draw at Saddlebrook Farms.

“My wife is really the expert,” admits Gieruszynski.  “I water and do the hard work, but she knows what she is doing.  We have tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, celery, beans, flowers and beets.  My wife makes wonderful soup from the beets and from the beet leaves.”

In addition to gardening, Gieruszynski enjoys fishing in the lakes at Saddlebrook Farms.  Most of all, however, he says they enjoy their surroundings:  great neighbors and a quiet, peaceful neighborhood. And Galloway is glad to have the Gieruszynskis in her little corner of the world!

Galloway also showed off the red sweet corn planted by gardening buddy Ken Wiemerslage, noting that she is looking forward to seeing the final ears when they are ready for harvest.  On a recent July afternoon, Wiemerslage showed up while Galloway was working in her garden, and commented that he could hardly wait to sample the red corn.  He purchased the seeds at a local home improvement store, and thought it was Indian corn until he read the package label.

“I will have been here at Saddlebrook Farms for five years this fall,” he comments.  “This is the first time I planted anything like this.”

It may be Wiemerslage’s maiden voyage into the world of exotic vegetables, but he comes by his gardening talent honestly:  he came from a farm once located on the site where O’Hare International Airport now sits.

Wiemerslage is not the only Victory Gardener with farming in his family history.  Ed Stahoviak grew up on a farm located near Joliet, where his father tilled the soil until he was 96 years old.

“My mother was Italian and she had to have fresh produce,” he explains.  “She canned everything, and then when freezers became more accessible, she froze everything.  I remember boiling pots and pots of water in the basement for her.”

Stahoviak’s wife, Margaret, came from farming families as well.  Growing up near Decatur, she remembers that all four of her grandparents farmed.  She agrees with her husband that once gardening is in your blood, you cannot give it up.

“Sometimes when it’s hot or the weather is bad, I think maybe we won’t garden next year,” she admits.  “But then I ask myself ‘what would we do instead?’”  She wanders off to look at possible plots for next summer’s garden.

The Stahoviaks grow vegetables in their 10×20 garden plot, including leeks and asparagus.  The asparagus looks good this summer, but they admonish that you cannot harvest it until the third year.  They are looking forward to sampling their asparagus next year for the first time.  This season, however, they enjoy tomatoes, beans, peppers, onions and broccoli.

Although their four children and nine grandchildren keep them busy, Stahoviak finds plenty of time to garden since his retirement from Allied Mills.

“We’ve always had a garden in every home we’ve ever had,” he states.  “That was one of reasons we moved to Saddlebrook Farms:  not only were the economics and the cost of living better than anywhere else, but the amenities are wonderful.  These gardens are great.”

Margaret Stahoviak also spends time tending the Saddlebrook Garden Club’s plot at the eastern end of the gardens. There, most of her time is spent with flowers in a very colorful setting with a pretty little bench for resting.

“I like keeping busy with the gardens,” she comments.  During the school year, she can be found substitute teaching at the Fremont Middle School.

Galloway is a committed gardener who has been working the ground at Saddlebrook Farms for 13 years.  Her handiwork includes cucumbers, Swiss chard, potatoes (red, white and yellow), beans, squash, eggplant, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, beets, peas, lettuce, flowers and more.  As the summer wears on, she still has plans to plant turnips and endive.

“I’d be lost without gardening,” she says.  Since retiring as a high school physical education teacher, counselor and school administrator, Galloway loves to be outside working in her garden.  She takes time out to spend Tuesday mornings with the Carving Club, but then often heads out to the Victory Gardens to keep tabs on her plantings.

Most of the gardeners share the bounty with neighbors, friends and family.  Extra produce is also donated to the local food pantry and enjoyed at church-sponsored events.   A victorious gardener is everyone’s friend!

Chester's Garden

Staking out the garden plot

Finding Pleasure in the Saddlebrook Farms Victory Garden

Ask a bunch of people what the good life represents to them and you’re sure to get a myriad of answers from the exotic to the simple, from traveling the world to sitting down to Mom’s apple pie.  Of course, anyone who has lived beyond the child raising years knows that life’s good fortunes wax and wane and that there’s good sense in enjoying the simple pleasures wherever you are lucky enough to find them.

One of the simple pleasures that many of the people who live at Saddlebrook Farms energetically embrace with purpose, faith, and vision is the annual Victory Garden.  This year’s spring has been warmer than most, with enough rain and sunshine to coax the green grass to an early mowing and the fruit trees to bud and blossom, adding to the excitement and anticipation of digging into the soil and planting one’s favorite seeds.

First-time Victory Gardeners participate in a lottery each year held mid-April to queue up and select their garden plot.  Plots are available in three sizes:  10×10, 10×20, and 20×20. The garden area runs from east to west maximizing sun time and the number of individual garden plots total a whopping 211 this year.   Saddlebrook Farms supplies important tools of the trade — Rototillers, rakes, shovels, and wheel barrels as well as nature’s nutrient rich manure, sand and topsoil, all the things that help make a garden grow.  Waste is turned into compost, an important and useful byproduct of a very efficient process.

There is a friendly competitive spirit among the many skilled and experienced gardeners as they pursue their annual love affair with Mother Nature, knowing that every step to harvest is important to success.  Preparing the soil, selecting the seeds, timing the planting, weeding, coaxing, and loving each plant to flawless maturity requires a loyal courting. Of course, each gardener has his or her own method and tricks of the trade, some eager to share their secrets and give their advice and others not.   The proof is always in the end result.

The variety of crops is endless.  Favorites include tomatoes, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, beans, squash, pumpkins, asparagus, corn, carrots, lettuce, and on and on.  Truth be told, none of us can wait for that first bite into a juicy red tomato, freshly picked from the vine.

Watch for future postings as we meet some of the Saddlebrook Farms Victory Gardeners and find out what makes their gardens grow.

Saddlebrook Farms recreating the neighborhood

It is common for new residents to tell friends and family that they feel like they have “arrived home” when they move into their new home at Saddlebrook Farms.  One resident can truly say that she has returned to her roots, however:  Vi Plotz of Fox Hunt Trail was born in the farmhouse located adjacent to the Design Center at the entrance to Saddlebrook Farms!

“My twin sister and I were the youngest of ten children born in the house,” she says.  “Peterson Road was just a gravel road then, and it was my job to watch the cows so they wouldn’t run out into the street.”

Plotz, who moved to her current house three years ago, lived in the farmhouse from 1931 to 1936.  Her grandparents, Catherine and Marcus Behm, also had a farm on Peterson Road, and her uncle lived on the farm next door. Her mother, whose maiden name was Lenzen, hailed from nearby Volo.

“I remember running in circles around the first floor of the old farmhouse, the way children do.” she reminisces.  “I remember running right through the pantry!”

Her mother used to do her washing on the porch of the house, where she had an old washing machine—the “wringer” kind.  The wash was hung up to dry.  When Plotz lived in the house, there was an outhouse nearby and a cows’ watering hold adjacent to the house.

“The land was planted with corn and wheat,” Plotz explains.  “We also had cows and chickens, and my mother was responsible for selling the chickens and the eggs, of course, for extra income.”

Plotz’s parents eventually sold the house to the Stewarts, and moved to a farm located nearby at the corner of Allegheny Road and Peterson Road.
They lived there five years and then moved to “town” in Grayslake where she lived until she returned to Saddlebrook Farms.

While living on the farms, Plotz attended elementary school at the Catholic school in Fremont.  There were no buses, so she walked if nobody would give her a ride.

After moving to Grayslake, she attended seventh grade at Grayslake Grade School for one year, then switched to the newly opened St. Gilbert’s.

“We didn’t have much in the way of books or supplies at St. Gilbert’s,” she remembers.  “It was 1945, and because of the war, not much was available.”

As a freshman in high school, Plotz attended Warren High School.  She transferred to the brand new Grayslake High School when it opened her sophomore year and graduated there in 1949.

Plotz married her husband, Ernie, in 1958.

“He was five years older than me,” she says.  “But being the youngest in a big family, I knew him through my older siblings. In fact, back then I pretty much knew everybody in Grayslake—it was a small town!”

Plotz’ husband, who moved to Saddlebrook Farms with her, passed away in 2003.

“He was the postmaster for Grayslake after working his way up through the post office system,” she relates.  “He also knew everyone in town at one time, and used to deliver mail to every home twice—not once—but twice a day.”

Plotz worked for the Veterans Administration for ten years, then at the Great Lakes Naval Training Base for twenty years.

“I was a ‘stripper’ for Navy Publication and Printing Service,” she says with a twinkle in her eye.  She quickly adds that she stripped negatives for her employer, which performed all of the printing for the 9th Naval District.

Plotz currently enjoys playing bridge and pinochle in the Lake House on Hidden Lake, which she remembers as a child.

“The Lake House was on my uncle’s land, and we used to picnic here,” she says.  “My cousin, Roy Behm, managed the farm for the Stewarts once my
parents and my uncle sold the farms to them, so we would come back and visit.”

Plotz still has family in Grayslake, including one of her daughters.  Her other daughter lives in Lindenhurst, and her four grandsons enjoy visiting her at Saddlebrook Farms.

Plotz really has come full circle and returned to her roots.  She enjoys being “home” again and loves the changes Saddlebrook Farms has brought to her original homestead.

Pete and Marcie Tekampe know exactly how Plotz feels.  They also lived in the farmhouse next to the Design Center and now live in Saddlebrook Farms.

“Roy Behm still lived in the farmhouse in 1969 when we moved into the brick house next door,”  Pete remembers.  “Roy was in the same class in school as my dad.  We moved into the farmhouse the following year, in 1970.  We were there until a couple of years ago, when we moved into our home here at Saddlebrook Farms.   We enjoyed the farmhouse, but it got to be too much to manage—it was just too big.  We’re very happy in our new house.”

The Tekampes raised their three children while living in the farmhouse and farming the land around it.

“I bought 100 acres of ‘standing corn’ and 70 acres of ‘standing beans’ when we moved here,” Pete says.  “Standing crops are crops which are already planted.  We also had hogs, cattle, grain and a certified seed farm.”

The Tekampes still farm 300 acres of Saddlebrook Farms land along with 650 acres of nearby farmland.  As a former President of the Lake County Farm Bureau, which educates farmers and helps them to increase the profitability of agriculture, farming is in Pete’s blood.  He and Marcie have passed their love for agriculture on to their children and grandchildren.

“Our children raised steers and sold them at the Lake County Fair every year,” Marcie says.  “The money they earned paid for college!  And now our
grandchildren are raising pigs and selling them at the fair.”

One of the Tekampes’ grandchildren is the fourth generation of Tekampes to attend St. Mary’s School in Fremont.

Both Pete and Marcie grew up in the area and cannot imagine living anywhere but Lake County.

“I grew up in Wauconda where my great grandfather owned a meat shop, “Marcie says.  “Wauconda was a resort town back then and it was a wonderful place to be a child.  My grandmother owned the local newspaper, and my mom was a proofreader for the paper.  My dad was a farm boy from Barrington.  My family moved to Libertyville when I was a freshman in high school.”

Pete also grew up in Lake County.

“The Tekampe Farm was an original homestead farm in this county,” Pete, who is a Township Supervisor for Fremont Township, proudly explains.
“It’s been a farm since 1870 and is still being farmed.  Fremont Center Road was originally called Tekampe Road. I just love it here.  We like to travel a lot, but I have no desire to live anywhere but here.  The area is beautiful, and the people are great.”

Marcie agrees, and adds that Saddlebrook Farms seems to attract the nicest people of all.

“The people are what I like best about living here,” she smiles.  “We live on a great street.  Our neighbors welcomed us in and invited us to parties before we even moved into our home!”