LARVALBUG LENS, November, 2014
This formal wedding portrait from 1946 shows Mary (1915-2000) and Steve (1907-1987), along with unidentified wedding party, in Joliet, IL. Steve was the youngest brother of Val's maternal grandfather. Evelyn provided more information about the couple. Her Uncle Steve was a favorite of hers, and very intelligent. He ran a well-drilling company. Mary was a registered nurse and worked for a long time at Stateville Correctional Center, the maximum security prison in Crest Hill, IL. She also enjoyed doing handwriting analysis and managed several apartment buildings that she owned. Steve and Mary first lived in an apartment on the upper floor of Steve's parents' farmhouse. They later moved to a nearby house that Steve bought from his brother, Ray. Both residences were in a collection of small farms, including vineyards and orchards, which was home to several members of the family and known as Forest Park. The couple had two sons, one of which became a geologist and the other a banker. After a fairly long marriage, they divorced and Mary married again. Steve had mental problems and was admitted to the Manteno State Hospital (also known as the Manteno Insane Asylum). This facility, which closed in 1985, had a dodgy reputation (think lobotomies and electroshock therapy) and is often on lists of the most haunted places in the Chicago area.