[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 58 (Thursday, May 11, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E714-E715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO WILBUR J. HENRICHS

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                          HON. THOMAS W. EWING

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 2000

  Mr. EWING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Wilbur J. 
Henrichs of Danforth, Illinois. For the last 64 years, Mr. Henrichs has 
served farmers in his feed store, the Danforth Hatchery. I am sad to 
say that on March 25th, Mr. Henrichs retired at the age of 87 and the 
Danforth Hatchery closed for business.
  The Danforth Hatchery opened for business in 1936 with Mr. Henrichs 
managing the store. It was a feed and supply store and at one point 
served as a poultry hatchery. After managing the store for a few years, 
Mr. Henrichs took ownership and has operated the store ever since. Over 
time, his the local suppliers have closed forcing him to drive over 200 
miles to pick up his inventory, never once passing his increased 
delivery charges onto his customers. He is well known to farmers 
throughout the area for his reliability and willingness to lend a 
helping hand.
  In addition to running the Hatchery, Mr. Henrichs has made 
outstanding contributions to the community through various civic 
activities. He has been active in his church and served as Village 
Clerk for over 40 years. In addition, Mr. Henrichs devotes his time and 
money to the 4-H and FFA groups in support of local youth and their 
involvement in agriculture.
  As a life long resident of Danforth, Mr. Henrichs is known for his 
quiet, unselfish leadership. Over the years, he has touched countless 
lives in his daily routine. He continues to serve as a role model 
through his leadership, sense of humor and humanitarian attitude. On 
behalf of the citizens of Danforth and those he has served, I thank him 
for his dedication.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the distinguished service to 
agriculture and the Danforth Community of Mr. Henrichs; for his 
leadership and professional commitment to stewardship of the land and 
providing food and fiber to the world.

                Danforth hatchery closes after 64 years

                            (By Mike Lyons)

       DANFORTH--Time was this place reverberated with the 
     ``cheeps'' of a thousand newly hatched chicks and sparked 
     with the animated chatter of newlyweds placing orders' for 
     the family coop.
       Time was the heavy front door of Danforth's downtown 
     hatchery swung wide as grade school classes trooped in to 
     witness life making its tenuous beginning beneath the ``hen 
     warm'' lights of the incubator trays.
       And time was proprietor Wilbur Henrichs welcomed such 
     ``intrusions'' in his business day, including the daily 
     visits of village kibitzers, curious kids and connoisseurs of 
     that cutthroat card game called ``Pepper.''
       In the process he became an indelible fixture in the lives 
     the rural community of Danforth and beyond--the matrix of 
     hometown memory. A man they respectfully call ``a treasure.''
       On Saturday generations of Wilbur's friends, and a sizable 
     contingent of family, dropped by to help him end an era.

[[Page E715]]

       At 88, Wilbur elected to end business Saturday and close 
     his cavernous 19th Century landmark on Danforth's main 
     downtown intersection.
       But if one supposed Wilbur's quitting business after having 
     provided ``quality chicks since 1936,'' would somehow escape 
     to notice the organs of modern agricultural communication, 
     one would be dead wrong.
       Late Friday no less a luminary than WGN radio's Max 
     Armstrong, phoned to wish Wilbur well in retirement.
       Wilbur accepts the unexpected tribute with hallmark 
     humility, his eyes twinkling just beneath the bill of a 
     Golden Sun Feeds cap, its visor characteristically tilted 
     just a bit to the right.
       ``It was fascinating to come in here in the spring, being a 
     little kid, and seeing all these things,'' says Danforth 
     native John Tammen, a farm manager in the Kankakee office of 
     Soy Capital Ag Services.
       But youngsters could observe far more than the mysteries of 
     life unfolding at the hatchery.
       They could observe the basics of small town business--
     Wilbur style.
       ``When Wilbur wasn't here--when he was making a delivery, 
     or something--you could go over to the feed store (across the 
     street), pick up what you wanted then come back over here and 
     write it on the bill and sign you're name to it.''
       That accounting--called the ``honor system'' in some 
     quarters--was good enough for Wilbur, who'd send his bill in 
     due course.
       Just outside, the seven foot tall fiberglass rooster 
     townsmen doubled ``Big Wilbur,'' stands his last watch on 
     main street.
       Ranks of Wilbur's well wishers use the fiberglass fowl as 
     backdrop for farewell pictures with their favorite 
     businessman.
       And everywhere, ``Wilbur recollections'' are being offered 
     by those whose lives he has some way touched.
       Take Ashkum's David Trout, who along with his wife 
     Virginia, have operated the petting zoo at the Iroquois 
     County Fair for the past 15 years.
       According to Trout, ``Wilbur style'' because dealings 
     helped ensure the zoo could survive its early financial 
     challenges.
       ``When we first started, we'd run some big feed bills and 
     he'd never say anything to us. We were young and just trying 
     to get started,'' notes Trout.
       Just outside, village board member Denny Johnson stands 
     near ``Big Wilbur,'' recalling his own youthful visits to the 
     hatchery.
       ``Classes would come up on little field trips,'' notes 
     Johnson, 54, adding that he too was a ``field trip'' 
     participant some three and a half decades agone.
       ``He's great guy,'' says Johnson a village board member.
       None here would dispute that assessment, least of all Randy 
     Johnson, Denny's brother, also a member of the village board.
       ``He doesn't have an enemy in the world!''
       But what's Wilbur plan for retirement?
       That fact is, Wilbur's not certain.
       ``I guess I'll have to think of something,'' he says, a 
     grin quickly growing.
       Maybe he'll join the ranks of the Pepper players he's 
     hosted over the years.
       As he says, ``it keeps seniors off the streets and hold 
     down senior delinquency.''
       But the Pepper gang will have to find new digs before that 
     can happen. Wilbur just laughs when it's suggested that the 
     Pepper crew might want to buy his building--a bit of a salty 
     investment, even for this seasoned crew of card players.
       Rumor has it that the Pepper players may find temporary 
     quarters at a local church. A convenient venue given that 
     many have likely prayed for better hands a time or two.
       Saturday will mark a new chapter in Danforth's history when 
     Wilbur Henrichs closes the Danforth Hatchery. An open house 
     is being held in Wilbur's honor from 8:30 to 12:30 and we 
     would urge you to go.
       Wilbur is one of those guys who has made life a little more 
     interesting. When you're talking to him you can't afford to 
     relax, because about the time you do, Wilbur, with tongue 
     firmly in cheek, will come through with one of those one-
     liners he likes to slip in.
       Wilbur went back in time with us Monday and told us he 
     started working at the hatchery in 1936 and bought the store 
     from Edgar Brockman in 1955. During the war years Wilbur said 
     the hatchery produced thousands of chicks. Wilbur continued 
     to turn out chicks until last year when he had to start 
     turning orders down for the first time in 64 years.
       The times when the hatchery ran 24 hours per day was nerve 
     wracking, Wilbur said. You'd never know when a fuse might 
     blow as it did one night, resulting in the loss of 4,000 
     chickens.
       There's a lot of history attached to the building that 
     houses the hatchery. The building has housed a grocery store 
     and barbershop and Wilbur says he can remember coming uptown 
     to see the toys in the window around Christmas.
       Wilbur is a little concerned about what he's going to do 
     when he retires. He says he has some things he has to dispose 
     of and the hatchery has been the home to a number of card 
     players for years and Wilbur feels a responsibility to ``keep 
     them off the streets''.

     

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