Have census, will time travel
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Stephens, and Mr. and Mrs. Dan Schlotman left on Sunday on a vacation trip to New York City. While there they will attend the marriage of the former’s brother, Ben Stephens, who was a speaker at the local high school basketball banquet a couple of winters ago.
Unknown newspaper, but probably the Sheldon Journal. Ben Stephens was married 14 Aug 1940.
Last Thursday evening was perfect for the annual Garden Party held at the Dan Schlotman home and sponsored by the ladies of the Sheldon Methodist Church. One hundred and seventy-five guests gathered for an enjoyable program of music which had been arranged for their pleasure and entertainment.
The air was warm, the moon high, together with soft lights, throughout the garden, made a very inviting place to spend an evening. Small tables each decorated with miniature bouquets were scattered around the lawn, at which the guests were seated as they arrived. Large baskets of flowers were placed around the garden. The following musical program was given:
Vocal solo: Clara Ingalls.
Piano solo, Patricia McCarty.
Vocal solo, Mrs. Naomi Darrough
Piano solo, Phyllis Schlotman.
Vocal solo, Helen Bussert.
Piano selection, Mrs. Ima Silvers.
Several numbers by the Tonett Players, Marcia Jones, Marcia Schlotman, Joanne Courtright, Jo Ellen Kusch, Mary Jo and Sharon Trummel.
Tuba solo, Irvin Hollingsworth.
Trio, Mrs. Mabel Nichols, Miss Helen Bussert, Irvin Hollingsworth.
At the close of the program refreshments of sandwiches, cookies, and coffee were served.
Unknown newspaper, but probably Sheldon Journal, Aug 1943
SHELDON — Official announcement was made Wednesday of appointment of Dan Schlotman as mail carrier on rural route 2 out of Sheldon. His duties will start July 6.
The appointment was made to fill vacancy caused by death of Mark M. Chapman in February, 1936. Harry McKimson, substitute carrier, has been on the route since November, 1935, when Mr. Chapman took a three month leave of absence.
Mr. Schlotman has been employed at Texaco filling station for four years and since Oct. 15, 1934 has been manager. He will leave that work Saturday and will spend part of next week with his family at home of an uncle, Robert Schlotman, of Madisonville, Ky.
Walter Maddin will have charge of filling station and will have as helpers George Quinn and Wendell Berry. The latter has for a number of years been employed by L. B. Warrick at Sheldon Hatchery.
Unknown Newspaper, late June 1937
Dan Schlotman Named for Route Two; Will Begin Duties July 6, 1937
Announcement is made this week of the appointment of Dan Schlotman as rural mail carrier on route two out of Sheldon postoffice. The announcement comes about eight months after thirty-nine had written the examination for the job at Watseka.
Dan is quite well known to Sheldon people, having been employed for the past four years in the Texaco service station across from the postoffice and three years of that time he spent as manager. He made a wide acquaintance of the general public in his four years there.
Mr. Schlotman will take over the duties of the route on July 6. Harry McKimson has been the temporary carrier on the route for many months since the death of Mark Chapman, who was the rural carrier.
Wendell Berry, formerly with the Sheldon Hatchery, will take over his new duties Monday morning at the Texaco station, where he will take the place of George Quinn who will be advanced to the position vacated by Mr. Schlotman.
Unknown newspaper, probably Sheldon Journal, unknown date, but probably late June 1937
Miss Clara Marie Light and Dan Schlotman of Sheldon were the principals in a quiet wedding solemnized at the Methodist parsonage in Watseka at 4 30 o’clock Saturday evening, August 20, 1927, by the Rev. Stanley Ward pastor of the M. E. church of that place.
The bride is the youngest daughter of Mrs. Margaret Light of this place. She is a graduate of the S. C. H. S. class of ’25 and last year was a most successful teacher near Gilman.
The groom is a graduate of the Sheldon High School and attended the U. of I. He is the son of Oscar Schlotman residing south of town and for the past several years has assisted his father on the farm.
The many Sheldon friends of Mr. and Mrs. Schlotman join in wishing them much happiness in their wedded life and extend congratulations and best wishes.
Unknown paper, but probably Sheldon Journal, marriage date was 20 Aug 1927
Miss Clara Light and Dan Schlotman, both of this place, were quietly married at the M. E. parsonage in Watseka at five o’clock Saturday evening by the Rev. Stanley Ward, pastor of the church.
Sheldon friends extend congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple.
Unknown Newspaper, probably Sheldon Journal, marriage date was 20 Aug 1927
Iroquois Hotel
EUROPEAN
A First Class Place for Tourists and the Traveling Public
Excellent Dining Room Service
JNO. B. SNELL, Prop.
Dixie Highway, Watseka, Ill.,
3/9/24
Dear Arthur:-
This will introduce my nephew, Dan Schlotman, whom I am sending to you in the hopes you can offer him something more attractive than what his is now doing.
Dan has had one year at Illinois and is, I think, trying to accumulate enough to take him thru at least another year. Don’t try to talk him into going to Michigan.
We are planning to close down at Nortonville April 1st., or would place the young man there.
Any courtesies shown will be very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
R. L. Schlotman
Mr. A. C. Green,
c/o Goodman Mfg. Co.,
Chicago, Ill.
This letter was written by my 2nd great-granduncle, Bob Schlotman, to introduce his nephew and my great-grandfather, Dan Schlotman, to Arthur Green in hopes that it might result in employment. I don’t know how the interview, assuming there was one, went, but to my knowledge, Grandpa didn’t end up working for Mr. Green.
The circumstances Grandpa Schlotman, hereafter referred to as Dan, found himself in were difficult. From what I have been told, Dan had a small inheritance from his mother, Anna, who died when he was eight years old. The money was in the care of his father, Oscar, and it was to be used for Dan’s education.
Dan was valedictorian of Sheldon High School, class of 1921, and attended the University of Illinois College of Engineering for one year, from 1922-23, following in his Uncle Bob Schlotman’s footsteps. Bob was working in Kentucky in the mining industry and had gifted his nephew Dan with a drafting set to use at his alma mater.
When Dan came home from his first year at U of I, Dan’s father told him that he wouldn’t be going back to the university because he’d bought farmland with the money and needed Dan’s help to work it.
This was surely a crushing blow to Dan and so he apparently attempted to make enough money to fund his own education. In the meantime, he farmed with his father. I don’t know at what point Dan gave up trying to go back to college, but that is what happened eventually.
I’m sure that this situation was frustrating to Uncle Bob. This attempt to help Dan, though fruitless for unknown reasons, would have placed Dan in a job in the mining industry, as the Goodman Manufacturing Company of Chicago built locomotives, loaders, and coal cutters for it.
Arthur was Arthur Crandell Green, who lived from 1882 to 1950. He was a mechanical engineer and a graduate of the University of Michigan. He seems to have worked for Goodman his entire career.
Dan worked with his father at farming and held several jobs including census enumerator and Texaco station operator before he won the position of rural mail carrier for Sheldon, Illinois. He worked for the postal service until his retirement.
While it’s sad to think of what Dan’s life might have been if only his father hadn’t stolen his college money, we must remember this — if Dan had continued his education, his career would likely have taken him far away from Sheldon. He probably would have never met and married country schoolteacher Clara Light. And so we descendants simply would not be here today.
Sources
Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at DeValk Funeral Home in Sheldon for Daniel F. Schlotman, 78, 275 E. Concord, Sheldon. Mr. Schlotman died at 12:25 p.m., Friday, November 6, 1981 at Iroquois Memorial Hospital following a three-week illness.
He was born April 19, 1903 in Sheldon, the son of Oscar F. and Anna Reynolds Schlotman. He married Clara Light on August 20, 1927 in Watseka.
She survives, along with two daughters, Phyllis Kingdon of Watseka and Marcia Sowers of Donovan; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a brother, John of Kentland; and four sisters, Dorothy Pothuisje of Goodland, Ind., Luella Schlotman of Sheldon, and Margaret Riker of Kentland, Ind., and Betty Leonard of Chicago.
Mr. Schlotman resided in Sheldon his entire lifetime. He retired in 1972 after being a rural mail carrier for 35 years. He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Sheldon, the Sheldon Masonic Lodge and the Daville Consistory.
The Rev. Robert Sabo officiated with burial in Sheldon cemetery.
Visitation and Masonic rites were held at the funeral home on Saturday.
Iroquois County Genealogical Society, Obituary File, Unknown Newspaper, Unknown Date (after 8 Nov 1981, funeral date)
SHELDON – Daniel F. Schlotman, 78, of 275 E. Concord, Sheldon, died at 12:25 p.m. Friday at Iroquois Memorial Hospital, Watseka, following a three-week illness.
He was born April 19, 1903, in Sheldon, to Oscar F. and Anna Reynolds Schlotman. He was married to the former Clara Light, Aug. 20, 1927, in Watseka.
He was a lifelong resident of Sheldon, and was a rural mail carrier for 35 years until his retirement in 1972. He was a member of the United Methodist Church of Sheldon, the Sheldon Masonic Lodge, and the Danville Consistory.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Phyllis Kingdon of Watseka, and Marcia Sowers of Donovan; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one brother, John of Kentland, Ind.; and four sisters, Dorothy Pothuisje of Goodland, Ind., Luella Schlotman of Sheldon, Margaret Riker of Kentland, and Betty Leonard of Chicago.
Visitation and Masonic rites were conducted Saturday at DeValk Funeral Home. Services will be at 2 p.m. today at United Methodist Church with the Rev. Robert Sabo officiating. Burial will be in Sheldon Cemetery.
Unknown newspaper, unknown date
This snapshot was in a brown paper bag full of photos that I scanned in June 2000. At the time, the photo belonged to my great-grandmother, Clara Schlotman. Grandma passed the following January. I don’t know the current location of this photo.
This photo shows my great-grandfather, Dan Schlotman, as a young man, possibly a teenager. It is labeled, “Dan Schlotman, taken by himself.” He was given a camera as a high school graduation present in 1921. This was probably taken with it.
I am not very knowledgeable about cameras, but I think it is unlikely that his camera would have had a timer or any kind of remote capability. I wonder if Grandpa set up the shot and had someone else press the button for him after he got in place.
I don’t know where this was taken, but it might have been either his father, Oscar Schlotman’s home or his grandmother, Rhoda Schlotman’s home. They both lived in the Sheldon, Illinois area.