Louis Fortmeyer gives not only his time to the Village of Irvington?he donated the land to be used for the only village park! As a long-time member of the local Ruritan Club, Mr. Fortmeyer was instrumental in their donating the Irvington Ruritan Building, which sits on the park and serves as a meeting place for the local service club and a site for such social occasions as family reunions, wedding receptions and local shows. Mr. Fortmeyer serves as caretaker of the building and schedules events at the hall. He has also been instrumental in maintaining a Fourth of July celebration in Irvington since 1976, bringing out his school bell and giving rides in a wagon that he hooks to the back of his tractor. What's more, Mr. Fortmeyer has honored the community's history by placing in the park a horse drawn road grader and a plaque to the memory of those that played the game of Rook for hours on end.
Select Illinois Humanities Council programs are now available for listening or download at Chicago Public Media (WBEZ) as a part of Chicago Amplified, a web-based audio library of diverse public events recorded throughout the Chicago region.
