Charlene Martzluf Kelley

Interview Date: 15 July 2022

Charlene Martzluf Kelley was born to Charles “Charlie” and Grace (Wickwire) Marzluf. She was born in Peoria, IL and grew up in Brimfield during the 1940s–1950s. She attended Brimfield Grade School and High School. Her parents ran two restaurants in town during those years: Lucky’s Grill and Parkside Café. She attended the Union Church and sang in school and church choirs. Mrs. Kelley talks about growing up in Brimfield, school activities, her parents’ businesses, church life, and what she did for entertainment during that time.

Introduction
00:35  Origin Story – birth and parents
01:26  School days
03:38  Community Building
05:29  Old Settlers
08:48  Church life
09:44  Restaurant businesses
21:08  Saturday night movies
22:34  Charlie Martzluf employment
25:09  Closing

Brimfield Grace School
Brimfield High School
Roller skating
Bowling
Old Settlers and parade
Mrs. McDonald’s BBQ and chili
Union Church
Lucky’s Grill
Gambling – slot machines and punch boards
Shelton Gang from Peoria
Hunts Drive Inn Peoria
Parkside Café
Free Movies on Saturday Nights
Farming

Interviewed by : Diane Minor

Interview Format : Video with Slide Presentation

Total Time : 26:19

The interview is archived at the Brimfield Public Library District in Brimfield, Illinois.

The Brimfield Oral History Project is a long-term effort to record the stories of Brimfield’s past in the voices of those who remember and make these original sources available for generations to come. This collaboration is a partnership between the Brimfield Public Library District, the Brimfield Historical Society, and the Peoria County Genealogical Society.

Readers of interview transcripts, if available, should bear in mind that this is a transcript of the spoken word and that the interviewer, interviewee, and editors sought to preserve the interview as recorded. Brimfield Public Library District and project volunteers are not responsible for the factual accuracy of this interview, nor for the opinions expressed within.

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