Various Newspaper Articles from the Clinton Illinois Newspaper
About Henry and Louise Blome
1932-
Mr. & Mrs. Henry Blome both hold records as office holders which are believed to be unequalled. This past week for the 17th consecutive time Mrs. Blome was elected recorder of the Forest Camp NO. 172, Royal Neighbors of America. She is serving her 17th year as treasurer of White Shrine, Order Eastern Star. Mr. Blome was elected to the office of clerk of Clinton Camp NO. 364, Modern Woodman of America, for the 14th time. The Blomes will observe their 53rd wedding anniversary on April 5. Mr. Blome was born in Hanover, Germany, 75 years ago, and his wife, whose maiden name was Louise Kern, was born in Dwight, 69 years ago. They have lived in Clinton since 1886. Mr. Blome is a cigar maker. They have two sons, Dr. Fred Blome, of Kenney, and Dr. Albert Blome, a dentist, of Peoria.
1934-
The fifty-fifth wedding anniversary of Mr. & Mrs. Henry Blome, which falls on Thursday, April 5, was celebrated with a family dinner in their home Sunday. In attendance at the dinner were their two sons, Dr. Albert Blome and his family of Peoria, and Dr. Fred Blome and his family of Kenney.
Mrs. Blome, whose maiden name was Louise Kern, was 71 November 30 last and Mr. Blome celebrated his 77th birthday March 19 last. They were married at Dwight, Illinois, April 5, 1879 and moved to Clinton in 1886. Since 1890 they have lived in the same location where they now reside. Mr. Blome is a cigar maker and is still following that trade.
Both are members of the Clinton Presbyterian Church, having joined that church 36 years ago under the pastorate of Rev. William Hunter. Among the anniversary gifts received by this couple was a beautiful Easter plant presented them by the Clinton Presbyterian Church and the minister, Rev. R. E. Karben.
1935-
One of Clinton’s oldest business houses passed out of existence Tuesday, January 1, when Henry Blome, 78, cigar manufacturer at 216 E. Main St, closed his factory and quit business.
Mr. Blome was the first and only cigar manufacturer in the city. The factory was started by Mr. Blome July 23, 1886—49 years ago—in the building now occupied by Longbrake & Moore, grocers, on the west side of the square. After four years, Mr. Blome in May 1890 purchased the lot at 216 E. Main and erected the fine brick building in which he had, up until January 1, conducted his factory.
For 26 years, Mr. Blome was assisted by his wife, but she gave up the work to enter the millinery business, an establishment she conducted until 1926. Mr. Blome manufactured several well known brands of cigars, including “Espinole”, “34s”, “Ringlets”, and “Little Gem”.
Mr. Blome was born in Hanover, Germany, March, 1853, the son of Fred and Margaret Blome. He came to this country when he was 15 years old, settling at Downer’s Grove, Illinois. It was from Downer’s Grove that he moved to Clinton in 1886 {Note: Much of this information is incorrect. He came when he was 14, and he lived in Dwight and Gardner, Illinois, before moving to Clinton. BAL}
He was married at Dwight, Illinois, to Louise Kern and they have two sons, Dr. Fred M. Blome of Kenney and Dr. Albert Blome of Peoria.
Mr. Blome expects to take a well-earned rest.
Ca 1950
If it’s quilts you want to know about, just ask Mrs. Louise Blome of Clinton, Illinois. In 1928 she had 21 tops completed, and she estimates her total output in all the years in somewhere in the neighborhood of 200.
Two of her finished quilts from her needle have gone to South America—others may be found just about any place you might mention.
Another handicraft pastime of this agile octogenarian is the making of crosses in crochet. Topped with a small tassel, the finished cross is a bookmark, and according to their creator, “I’ve got them all over God’s country.”
42 small ones were completed to give as souvenirs to children in the Woodmen and Rebekah lodge families.
Others, larger in size, were fashioned to be used in a number of ways, as prizes and for recognition of various services.
While her sewing needle and crochet hook fly, Mrs. Blome’s thought keep up with study on problems of current interest, with matter culled from daily study of newspapers and magazines, as well as attentive listening to the world events newscasts by radio.
Drop in for a chat with this Clinton business woman, who had seen the town grow during more than half a century—you’ll be glad you did.
1951-
Mrs. Blome Feted on 89th Birthday
Mrs. Louise Blome, Clinton resident who celebrated her 89th birthday anniversary Friday, November 30, has a simple philosophy of life . She believes in working and eating.
“If I work it makes me eat, and if I eat it makes me live,” she declared jokingly on her anniversary. And she puts her philosophy into action. She’s in her store every day where she does hemstitching and quilting. She also still looks after her own business affairs and manages and looks after her business buildings.
As for her birthday, she said it just made her “feel a little older.” She admits she’s not quite as active as she used to be.
Mrs. Blome was feted at a surprise birthday dinner Friday evening in the home of Miss Mabel Marshall and Mrs. Bernice Connery, who live in one of the Blome apartments…After Mrs. Blome was crowned “Queen of Youth” by Al Niesman, a neighboring merchant, who declared “she is the youngest person I know for 89 years.” She was presented with a corsage of pink carnations.
1952-
Mrs. Louise Blome, 90, of Clinton, is right back where she started 75 years ago—at the keyboard playing church hymns from an Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book, published in 1874.
The only difference was, when she first played from the “Choral Buch” she was sitting at an organ in the First German Lutheran Church in Dwight, where she was confirmed on June 4, 1876. Not only was she the first organist of the church—at the age of 15—she collected all the funds to pay for the organ. Her father, Michael Kern, was one of the builders of that church, and was the first person to be buried from the present church.
Maria Louise Kern, born in Grundy County, Illinois, November 30, 1862, and now Mrs. Henry Blome, recalls she served as regular organist until after she was married. Then a younger sister took over the job. At the marriage of the sister, a still younger sister in the family of nine Kern children had the job, while Maria Louise, the first born, still played for weddings, funerals, and such.
A few weeks ago, Mrs. Blome “took a notion for a piano”. She purchased the instrument but mud kept it from being transferred from the country into the Blome apartment until Friday.
Now Mrs. B. has another yen—she’d like to have a parrot. She’s had three, still has her parrot cage, but because she is particular in her wants—this bird must be a yellow-headed Mexican female, the females talk, you know—so getting the parrot may take a little longer than the piano did.