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WILLIAM RADEMACHER HISTORY
By Jennifer Rademacher
2003 Graduate of Naperville North High School
Life is change and it affects everything in its path--- from the land and the community to a family, growing and ever changing. The land my family farmed played a large role in our lives and changed who we are today.
My father’s generation of the Rademacher family began in 1936 when Honora Cavanough a 22-year-old schoolteacher married 28-year-old farmer, William Rademacher. They moved onto a 240-acre farm on Rural Route 1, Plainfield, Illinois that very same year. They began raising chickens as well as a family. Kenny, their first son, was born in 1937. Two years later Roger was born in 1939. William began planting an array of crops including field corn, soybeans, oats, and wheat. The Rademachers
decided they needed to add more members to the bunch so Elaine was born in 1941 and Paul was born in 1942.
While Honora raised the children, William opened Rademacher Seed and Grain. This allowed them to sell a portion of their crops retail as opposed to wholesale. William would raise the seed, harvest it and then clean the seed in the family mill. He then sold it to other farmers and grain elevators who would market the grain in their area. The seed wheat was very popular in the southern counties of the state because the seed wheat grown on the north was less susceptible to insect rotting. This provided a much-needed boost in the Rademacher family’s annual income. This added money was extremely important when Jeanne was born in 1944 followed by Jerry in 1946.
Unfortunately later that year a tragic accident killed William and Honora’s firstborn Kenny. He was playing in the grain bin with his younger brother Roger when the machine turned on and buried Kenny in the grain. By the time the switch was turned off it was to late, Kenny had suffocated. This was a terrible tragedy, which would unfortunately not be the last. In 1947 Lee was born followed by Mary in 1948. In 1950 the rademacher family, now nine strong began raising steers and dairy cows. In 1952 the farm was flourishing, as was the family. On March 6, fraternal twins Keith and Catherine were born. The Rademacher seed and wheat business continued to flourish at is supplied large quantities of seed wheat to Southern farmers. In 1953 John was born followed by Denise in 1956.
Later that year William Rademacher and his brother Walt were standing on scaffolding of a wire crib. The scaffolding broke out from under them causing William and Walt to fall 40 feet. William broke both his legs while Walt was not as fortunate and died almost instantly. William fortunately had nine children to take care of him.
They continued working the farm and planting the crops. In the year of 1968 another tragic accident occurred, Paul died in a midget racecar accident at Waukegan speedway. This would thankfully be the last unfortunate accident prematurely taking a member of the Rademacher family.
All the Rademacher kids throughout their childhood were active member in the 4-H club. They participated in numerous projects and fairs including the Will County Fair and 4-H Fair in New Lenox Illinois.
During the prosperous years of the Rademacher farm and family the land around their home was beginning to be developed. What started as a few homes developed into a booming suburbia. In 1974 William died of a stroke. The younger children continued to farm the land until 1986. A few years later the ground was developed and became the Carillon subdivision at 135 St. and Weber Rd, which is now know as Romeoville.
Though the Rademacher farm is no longer, the lives it helped to shape and mold are numerous.
Jennifer is a graduate of Naperville North high School and a WPMA scholarship winner.
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