Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 23

-til The greatest generation' A talk with people who'll be attending the dedication of the World War II MemorialWednesday Life Open window brings in sounds of life in summer Prairie Talk, D2 Compiled from staff and news service reports No plugged nickel i i'4 3 1913-OMYSS THi HA WAS FIVt-0 COIN' TF64 I 5050505 050 Questions or comments regarding this section? Contact Life Editor Jeana Matherly at 421-6974 these honorei A 1913 Liberty Head nickel was sold the past week for $3 million. Neither the buyer, described as a collector and investor, nor the seller was identified. Called the Olsen Specimen for a previous owner, it once belonged to King Farouk of Egypt. It was also owned by Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss and was the subject of a 1973 episode of "Hawaii Five-O," titled The $100,000 Nickel." The $3 million coin is one of only five Liberty Head nickels minted in 1913. The design had been discontinued in 1912.

The nickels surfaced in 1920 in the possession of Samuel Brown, a former mint employee, and have soared in value ever since. deftd PoDywantaDVD? No more bored birds. No more annoyed avians. A British company has introduced "Pollyvision," an 80-minute DVD of wild parrots preening, feeding and flying through the rainforest. The World Parrot Trust hopes it will entertain caged parrots and budgies while their owners are out at work.

The Trust said it believes the work is the first to be aimed at an avian audience. It has been launched as part of celebrations for World Parrot Day (yes, there is such a thing) on Monday, May 31. Daniel Franklin Jestes, who served in the Third Illinois Cavalry Company was an ancestor of State Sen. Frank Watson, R-Greenville. Herald Review photosPhil Jacobs Dale Reeves or rural Vandalia shows part of his collection of Civic War memorabilia, which will be display on Memorial Day at the Altamont Living Museum.

Civil War memorabilia Olympic inspiration The Postal Service will issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring the Olympic Games on June 9. Ceremonies marking the first day The display includes shot and powder containers, a toothbrush made from bone, dice and a wallet. X- 1. 1 AM rv 10 De snown on iviemonai uay ras of issue will be at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology By BOB FALLSTROM Community News Editor AND ALIA Dale Reeves keeps adding to his Civil War memorabilia collection. He recently obtained an 1864 Union Army discharge paper signed by Presi and Anthropology in Philadelphia.

The 37-cent self-adhesive stamps feature a Greek runner, reminiscent of ancient Greek artwork. The design was inspired by the figures on a vase in the museum's collection. CI Wm fa mar Holes in these cannonballs allowed them to be chained together and fired at the same time. Reeves' wife, Janet, was looking for books when the 1861 Colt rifle surfaced. The sale was not immediately made, then Reeves' persistence added it to his collection.

Reeves has boxes and boxes of display cases, accumulated since he began collecting in 1985. In the 1960s, Reeves was given a Sears, Roebuck and Co. Civil War play set. This provided the first spark of interest. At Vandalia High School, his interest was renewed.

A custodian at Vandalia Junior High School, Reeves validates collection items by consulting 40 Civil War research books. He and his wife have also participated in Civil War re-enactments. The Reeves family genealogy includes two brothers from south of Greenville who fought for the Union in the 26th Illinois Volunteers: James Clark Reeves and William Barry Reeves. The Reeves exhibit continues the "something new" strategy of the Altamont Living Museum, said Cheryl Hoffmeister, executive director. "We had an exhibit on the history of Altamont, and on July 10, we'll have baseball memorabilia from Gary Calvert of Effingham," she said.

Upcoming musical programs are Wound for Sound Quartet on June 26 and Julie and Steve McClarey of Decatur on Aug. 28. The Altamont Living Museum, located in a former Presbyterian church, is a nonprofit venture with 40 members. Bob Fallstmm can be reached at bfallstrom or 421-7981, Don't leave home without it Breakfast may play a big role in maintaining a healthy weight. Studies show that adults who regularly skip breakfast over a one-year period are four times more likely to be obese than those who regularly eat a morning meal.

And where you eat does make a difference. Those who dine out in the morning are more likely to be obese than those who eat at home. dent Abraham Lincoln. The rural Vandalia man will display his artifacts from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

on Memorial Day, May 31, in the Altamont Living Museum. Almost all of Reeves' items pertain to soldiers in the Vandalia-Greenville-Effing-ham area. The items turned up at garage sales and through donations. The display has been exhibited a couple of times in Vandalia. This will be the first showing at Altamont.

The Salt Creek Band, dressed in authentic Civil War clothing, will play from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., featuring Civil War tunes. Admission is by donation. It seems Reeves could start his own museum; he also collects American Indian artifacts. Some of his Civil War items: Grand Army of the Republic ribbons, a cannon ball embedded in a tree section, a Civil War compass, swords, an 1863 Illinois Central Railroad map, an 1860 Effingham newspaper, an 1859 canteen and camp utensils, Confederate currency, GAR grave markers, battlefield cartridges, an 1859 McClellan saddle, a bone saw, field glasses, Shiloh battlefield artifacts, an 1861 Colt rifle belonging to Samuel Eakin of the 50th Illinois Infantry, a Confederate rifle and photos of soldiers.

Fast climb Reeves' collection of historical photos includes Abraham Lincoln and his assassin, John Wilkes Booth (upper right). Ace Sherpa guide Pemba Dorjee scaled Mount Everest in a record 8 hours and 10 minutes Friday, beating the previous mark by more than 212 hours, Nepal's Mountaineering Department said. The climb from the 1 base camp to the summit usually takes about four days. Sherpas live high in the Himalayas. Their stamina and knowledge of the mountains makes them expert guides and porters for foreign mountaineers.

New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first conquered Everest on May 29, 1953. Despite devastating stroke, Pam Sampson never gave up As the St. James Church funeral Mass for Pam Sampson came to a close, a statement from her husband, Bob, was read: "In the last days, she held my hand and gave me the great a story summing up the adventure. She wrote the story, "A European Diary." Not long afterwards, she was felled. Her mother left St.

Mary's Hospital to buy a funeral dress. Pam Sampson was paralyzed on the left side. Her vocal cords were paralyzed. She couldn't talk. She couldn't swallow.

She had a hole in her head, necessary to stop the bleeding from a cerebral hemorrhage. She didn't die She fought death year after year, in the hospital, in the nursing home, in the kidney dialysis center. And at her side was her at age 55 after nearly 11 years of struggling to overcome a paralyzing stroke. The stroke was devastating, too, to Bob Sampson. He became the faithful caregiver.

Pam Sampson was eulogized as a person who loved life She never gave up. After life support was ended and her organs began shutting down, her heart kept going for 11 days. The stroke was a cruel blow. Pam Sampson had accompanied the MacArthur High School Jazz Band on a European trip. The Sampsons' son, Mac, played trombone in the band.

She sent me a report from the Hague a few days into the journey. When she returned, I asked her for When one person goes down, the spouse goes down, too. Bob Sampson never wavered in his caring approach. I remember how thrilled Pam was to resume singing a year after the stroke. It was with the Prairie Heritage Singers at Rock Springs Center.

"I'm coming along," she promised. She was able to rejoin the Greater Decatur Chorale for af time. Sure, you have problems. Pam Sampson and Bob Sampson had a monstrous continuingfproblem. Now thejre is closure.

Bob Fallstmm can be reached at bfallstrom BOB FALLSTROM On the Web Want to keep up with what's happening on Mount Everest? Check out this site: www.mounteverest. net est tribute I have ever received or hope to receive. She said, 'I love The Decatur woman died May 11.