Frank

What brought you to North Chicago from Wisconsin 21 years ago? 

I worked at Abbott. I retired from Abbott. I've been sitting on this porch ever since.

Then you ought to know a lot about what goes on in this neighborhood!

I wouldn't say a lot. But I know some stuff, yes.

Do people know that you know what's going on? Because you're sitting out here on this corner, watching everybody. I’ve seeing you wave to several people just while we’ve been talking.

Yes, they call me the mayor of the block. I'm the mayor of the block. [Person drives by in car] Hey, how are you doing? I'm 72. And I've been retired 16 years– 17 years now. I worked at the Wyeth before I came here. That's another drug company. They moved to New York, and so I got a job here. When this other job went down, the two good companies made an agreement, they are going to take their people from management first. And so I put an application over here and they had me off the bat.

After 21 years, how would you describe your adopted community of North Chicago?

Close-knit. People...mingle.

So what else should a person know about North Chicago? It's close-knit and...

Well, it just really don't know You caught me off guard! One thing I know that a lot of southern people here.

You grew up in Alabama, and moved to Wisconsin for work. Before you moved to North Chicago and started working for Abbott, did you consider living somewhere else? 

Well, I went through a divorce up there. And and I just said, forget it. I moved here.

Before you started working for pharmaceutical companies, what did you aspire to? What did you think you're going to do?

I didn't know! That was back in the 60s. And I really didn't know. I was working at Ford Motor Company in Chicago Heights. And they laid me out for eighty-nine days. They had me work for eighty nine days– Ford would do that all the time. they hire you back in about a week and you go another eight or nine days without work.

What are you most proud of?

Well, my accomplishments... Well, I had a house built–

In Wisconsin? 

Yeah. And then I met this girl– she was so sweet. And soon as you say "I do"– she did a turn-around. Forget this. I told her: honey, sell the house. So I left. 

The house that you built? 

Yeah. From the ground, up. It was a nice home, too.

Everyone has something in life they wish had turned out differently. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Yeah. I would not have gotten married. [laughing] What I really want to do– maybe move back south– I wouldn't leave here completely. I would stay here in the spring and fall. I've got about 200 and some acres of land down south. I wouldn't mind going back there and starting to farm. I’m too old now. But I would go and clean it up, clean up some fields. Throw me in a big garden or something. 

Edited and condensed, this conversation took place in 2016.