A Day in Downtown Dunlap -- April 16

On April 16, OLLI traveled to Dunlap, Illinois to learn more about the local small town gem.

The day's first stop was a visit to the Little Church on the Prairie, a private wedding chapel owned by Louise Emmanual. Built in 1910, this historical brick church was formerly the Saint Clement Catholic Church. It features gothic windows, oak pews, a beamed cathedral ceiling, and a beautiful altar area for non-denominational, religious, or civil ceremonies.

Next, OLLI members were treated to a formal high tea at Her Majesty's English Tea Room at Fairchild's, Ltd. Everyone was treated like royalty, and wore the tiaras and crowns to prove it -- including the men! (Kudos to our members for being such good sports). The tea, served by owners Jerry and Jackie Gillam, included warm scones, chicken salad tarts, puff pastries, chocolate, and fruit/dessert teas.

To wrap up the day, members visited two other shops along Second Street, the Knit 4 Together Yarn Company and the Village Clock Shop. OLLI members learned the history of each business, as well as what it takes to run the stores on a daily basis.

OLLI thanks each of the businesses and their owners for hosting us on a beautiful day! You can visit the Little Church on the web by logging onto: www.littlechurchweddingchapel.com.

German Dinner -- April 22

Nearly sixty OLLI members were immersed in German heritage during our second annual ethnic dinner on Wednesday, April 22. This year's dinner was held at the Lindenhof, home of the German American Central Society, 7601 N. Harker Drive, Peoria.

During the two-hour special event, OLLI members were treated to a talk by Al Hedemann about Peoria's wealth of German heritage. After the talk, members dined on homemade sauerbraten, red cabbage, spaetzel with gravy, salad, and apple strudel. During and after dinner, J's Accordion Duo entertained the crowd with live music.

OLLI thanks Barbara Binder and Jim McGill of the German American Central Society for a great evening! We appreciate the time they spent answering our questions, as well as the authentic German toasts they provided during the dinner.

For more information about Peoria's German American Central Society, you can log onto www.peoriagermans.net.