Annual Meeting conducts the
Official dedication of the Bloomington Memorial.

Saturday, May 22, 2010, the Bloomington Monon Memorial was officially dedicated in a ceremony prior to the regular May Board of Directors Meeting. The weatherman cooperated and we had a nice morning for the dedication. Unless otherwise noted, all photos courtesy of Warren Mitchell.

  

Left: Looking south along the new trail. Where once locomotives ran, now people walk, jog and bike.

Right: Informational display on the Monon near the memorial

  

Left: George Carpenter and Dan Seldin converse, Warren Mitchell and Mary Lou Taylor taking photos. Ron Marquardt and Bill Taylor.

Right: Seated is Mrs. Durnil, Ron Marquardt, Jim Davis, Jim Durnel (switchman), Steve Long, Bill ( brakeman and operator) and Mary Lou Taylor seated, John Butler, unidentified with back to camera, George Carpenter and Dan Selden.

  

Left: The crowd starts to gather. Looking north.

Right: Society members, Tom Kepshire, Rick Berg, Pete Pedigo, Joe Land and Justin Asbery wait for the ceremony to start.

  

Left: Dan Seldin sits and waits for the ceremony to begin.

Right: Dan and Frank share a word.

  

Left: Ron Marquardt, Monon Engineer 40 years, from Spencer, and Bill Taylor, Monon operator 20 years, Monon brakeman 20 years, from Cloverdale.

Right: Ron and Howard Bruce, Monon fireman, worked three or four years in the early 1960's and quit to go back to school.  From Bloomington. His father was a carknocker Knobby Bruce. 

  

Left: More former Monon men. L-R: Bob Banks, Willard Winters, Ron Marquardt and Frank Van Bree to the right.

Right: Mark Woods, his dad Arnie (deceased, was a brakeman-conductor and his uncle Eddie was a switchman). Mrs Woods, Arnie's wife. Howard Bruce (fireman, his dad was Knobby Bruce, car inspector). Webb Bruce (car inspector and cousin to Howard) Knobby's daughter, but I don't know her first names.-Information Courtesy Ron Marquardt.

  

Left: Frank Van Bree polishes up his speech while the people gather.

Right: Almost time to officially dedicate.

  

Left: Frank giving a short statement about the purpose and what the Monon meant to Bloomington and Indiana.

Right: Members of the Bloomington Memorial Committee unveil the memorial.

  

Left: Off comes the tarp and the memorial is officially dedicated.

Right: After comments by Memorial Committee Chairman George Carpenter III, Pete Pedigo made some comments about the Monon in Bloomington.

  

Left: Society Vice President comments on the significance of the memorial, Wa-wa-waaaaa.

Right: Ron Marquardt makes some comments on what the memorial means to him and other former Monon employees.

  

Left: The crowd listens as the speakers talk about the Monon.

Right: The Bloomington Memorial Committee, plus one. First row L-R:: Pete Pedigo, Frank Van Bree, George I Carpenter III. Back row L-R, Ken Weller, Tom Kepshire, Ron Marquardt (As a matter of record, all are seeking re-election.)

The results. The Bloomington Monon Memorial, dedicated to the men and women of the Monon Railroad.

If you attended the ceremony and would like to contribute your photos to be included here, contact the Webmaster: click here.

In the future, we would like to see more memorials like this erected up and down the former Monon Railroad.

To help us please make a generous donation, or join the Society.
Your membership helps to fund projects like these.

For information on how to donate: click here. Go to the bottom of the page.

For information on how to become a member: click here.

 

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