A special program is coming up this Thursday evening (June 30th) at the Turtle Run Banquet Center on Liberty Lane in Danville. The Illiana Genealogical & Historical Society Foundation will be holding its Preservation Award Banquet, with the social hour beginning at 6 PM. As Mark Denman recalled for us, when this organization came together about a half-dozen years ago, the idea was to honor those whose special efforts have preserved this area’s history. One of this year’s honorees is the Late Father John Flattery, a Danville native.
AUDIO: He was a retired Catholic Priest, and a Chaplain in the armed services; a college professor, traveled the world. He was also the Pastor over at Holy Family Church for a while. So when he came back to Danville he started writing several historical articles, and pamphlets and books. He did a lot of work on the Silk Road in Asia. He was working on a book on Rabbittown of Danville when he died.
The second honoree this year is southwest Kentucky native Larry Weatherford.
AUDIO: ……who is the owner of some radio stations in Covington. And he and his wife moved here several decades ago. And he’s become very active in Civil War history, especially with a local twist; he’s a Civil War reenactor. And recently one of the things he’s done of note is the marking of graves of Civil War Veterans in the area/in the county, who’ve gone unmarked, or whose monuments are no longer in good shape.
Speakers at Thursday evening’s program will include Vermilion County Museum Director Sue Richter, and the retired Judge Joseph Skowronski. Just a few tickets remain. Your best bet is to stop by the Illiana Genealogical & Historical Society Foundation office, at 215 West North Street, in the old mansion just west of First Presbyterian Church.
