Biography

Mr. David ("Dave") Buysse and his wife were both born on the south side of Chicago. Mr. Buysse lived in Chicago Lawn/Marquette Park and his wife grew up in Garfield Ridge. Mr. Buysse graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola with a degree in Psychology, then went to the University of Illinois for law school. Mr. Buysse works for the Illinois Attorney General in the Public Interest Division. Mr. Buysse’s daughter, Mrs. Marsh who is also our 6th grade Social Studies teacher, told us that Mr. Buysse is "the smartest person I know. Before we could look stuff up on the internet, we would just ask him {my dad] to get a very complete answer to any question. He was basically our family's Alexa!" 

When Mr. and Mrs. Buysse got married and had their three little girls, the south side was organized into communities determined by church parishes.  In 1989, the Buysses moved to Western Springs so their kids would be part of a community in a safe environment with lots of parks. The family chose Western Springs because Mrs. Buysse had gone to Nazareth Academy in LaGrange (that building is now Park Junior High) and already knew the area. Mr. Buysse described the experience adjusting to a whole new life in the suburbs as being “difficult” and “different,” but he quickly grew to love their new home, neighbors, and friends. Shortly after they moved to Western Springs, their son joined the family. Today, most of Mr. Buysse’s immediate family, including his children and grandchildren, live in and around the Western Springs area. 

Three of the four Buysse kids went to Saint John of the Cross because the Buysses were used to the south side custom of families sending kids to private schools. However, once their children were older, they discovered just how good the Western Springs public schools are, so their son attended McClure. All four of the Buysse children graduated from Lyons Township High School.  

“I have never lived in a place like Western Springs.”  Mr. Buysse loves learning about the stories of Western Springs and telling some stories of his own. He also loves to watch and listen to oral histories from all kinds of people. If he could have a conversation with any person from history, Mr. Buysse would love to talk with either Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill.

Conversation Topics

• Snackers - This restaurant was where he took his kids for a special treat of greasy burgers and fries. When he had work and needed coffee before getting on the train, he got the coffee from Snackers (there weren't any Starbucks in Western Springs at the time!). Snackers closed on August 20, 2016. 

• Sports - Mr. Buysse made sure that his kids were involved in playing sports (even if they weren't that good at those sports). He even coached Western Springs girls’ softball for three years. Mr. Buysse shared this information with us because he wanted us to know that he and his kids were being involved/active in the community.

• The Housing Market - The houses in Western Springs have gotten increasingly more expensive since Mr. Buysse moved here. Mr. Buysse sees that as a challenge for Western Springs. Mr. Buysse talked to us about the price for housing as he wanted to explain to us how, despite the fact Western Springs is a good town, the cost to live here is a big contributing factor that stops new young families from living here.

Western Springs Story

Mr. Buysse moved to Western Springs in 1989 for the sake of his kids’ safety, the access to parks, and to make sure they had the chance for a good education. When Mr. Buysse moved to Western Springs, he already had three daughters, and had his son after they moved here.

Mr. Buysse felt like an outsider when he first moved here because of things and places like the church, people, and his background. He said where he was from, people were steel workers, but the people of Western Springs were more likely to own the steel companies. When he moved, he was surprised by how inviting everyone was with the Welcome Wagon, which helped him make friends and learn about what there is to do in Western Springs. He told us “It was people who lived here for a long time that asked the new people if they needed any help.”

Mr. Buysse loved coaching his kids sports, barbecuing, and going to libraries with his kids. Mr. Buysse's favorite place in Western Springs is the library because of all of the memories he had with his kids there.  Mr. Buysse and his wife still live in their "starter home" Western Springs 35 years later because he still enjoys living here and doing things around town like going to Hillgrove Tap.

What Makes Western Springs Special

Mr. Buysse thinks that Western Springs is so special because there is an amazing sense of community that you will find nowhere else. Mr. Buysse thinks that the schooling, safety, and community make Western Springs a unique and special place to raise a family, but he believes that the most important thing that makes Western Springs special is the kids. The kids shape the community and always have uplifted everyone. Mr. Buysse thinks that Western Springs was a great place to raise his kids because they were surrounded by great people who cared about them and special experiences that built community like coaching baseball while watching his kids grow up.

Mr. Buysse also talked about a very special student at LT who worked at the Blockbuster store. This student motivated him to get involved with disabilities at a professional level. Now he works with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and is involved with disabilities. This student working in the Blockbuster shows how the community supports everyone. 

Changes Seen in Western Springs

Mr. Buysse states that the places that kids go now are different then it used to be. When his daughters were growing up they went to the White Hen (once located on the corner of Hillgrove and Central), and they would buy a lot of junk food and candy that they could eat. It was a very popular spot for kids.  For family dinners, choices were a bit limited because, as he said, “There were only two restaurants within the boundaries of Western Springs. There was Snackers and there was the Spaghetti Bowl.” He would go with his kids and order hamburgers and other fast-food type stuff at Snackers, while Spaghetti Bowl had pizza. Now, the community can get baby donuts for breakfast, tacos for lunch, a nice hamburger for dinner, and lastly a nice dessert from Oberweis.

Mr. Buysse has seen a big change in technology, too. As a dad of young kids, one of his favorite things to do was go in town and rent a movie from Blockbuster. Now, people don't do that anymore - people can now rent movies from their house on their TV. Another one of his favorite things to do was take his kids to the library. These days, he doesn't do that as much anymore and instead just buys digital books instead. He had nice things to say about the libraries in the area, but admitted, “Now that I can read on my Kindle, I'm less inclined to go to the library…”

Describe Western Springs in 3 Words

• Welcoming - The people of Western Springs welcomed the Buysse family with open arms. Community members came together as their "Welcome Wagon" and would help new families moving into our little town.

• Safe - Compared to how some parts of the city of Chicago can be, Western Springs is incredibly safe. People feel comfortable being around town.

• Family-Oriented - Western Springs is a town built on families and what they want. As families get older and leave, new ones come in to take their place.

Artist's Sketch

“A big talk with Mr Buysse” by Peter H.  Feb 26,2024 on a Monday.  

Pete the artist is a 7th grader at McClure who is about 13 years old at the time this drawing was made. In the middle of the drawing is Mr. Buysse, and on the left side is William, Eli, and Milo. Ms. Fumarolo, the McClure librarian, is on the upper right side of the drawing holding the tablet to record our conversation. That recording allowed us to complete this oral history. McClure's 6th grade Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Marsh, is below Ms. Fumarolo sitting in the chair near Mr. Buysse. Mrs. Marsh is one of Mr. Buysse's daughters. She came into the room to listen in on our conversation.

Citation

Buysse, David. Personal Interview. 26 Feb. 2024.