Biography

Nancy Caris.

Mrs. Nancy Caris grew up in Field Park on Ellington Avenue. Her father, Wellington Schiller, taught piano and organ lessons during the day and played with the big bands in the evening. Her mother was a beautiful seamstress. In 1967, the Schiller family moved to 4555 Grand Ave , where Nancy's father had his dream house with a music studio in his home.

Mrs. Caris went to school at McClure and at Lyons Township High School. After high school, Mrs. Caris earned a Masters in Curriculum and Supervision from Northern Illinois University. She then taught 4th and 5th grade at Monroe Elementary School in Hinsdale, 3rd and 5th grade at Forest Hills Elementary School, and was a principal at John Laidlaw Elementary School. 

Pete Caris.

Mr. Pete Caris grew up in Old Town on Grand Avenue, and attended Grand Avenue School, as did his mother and his brother. Mr. Caris's father, Darrel, grew up in Beverly, was an Air Force flight instructor, and then a TWA pilot which is where he met Mr. Caris's mom who was from Western Springs and who worked for American Airlines.  Pete is actually named after his father, but his parents did not want him to be called Junior, so they called him Pete from the day he was born. When Mr. Caris's grandfather had a heart attack, Mr. Caris's mom and dad moved to his mom's childhood home on Grand Avenue. In 1961, Mr. Caris's father died while teaching a sales course at Northwestern University. 

After graduating from McClure Junior High School and Lyons Township High School, Mr. Caris went on to the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, where he graduated with a degree in Business Management. He was a Regional Sales Manager for The Drackett Company, Rubbermaid, Tucker, and HPI Housewares. Mr. Caris was so involved in the recycling of plastics that one of his nicknames was "Dr. Trash." 

Conversation Topics

• Pretty Penny Dress Shop - Mr. and Mrs. Caris met at the Pretty Penny Dress Shop in Western Springs. This is a big part of their story because she worked there and Mr. Caris went into the store to pick up a dress for his mom's wedding to his stepdad. They were married two years after Mr. Caris ran this errand more than 50 years ago!

• The First Congregational Church of Western Springs - As kids, Mr. and Mrs. Caris grew up close to the church and attended services there, though they did not know each other at the time. They eventually got married there. Their two sons are members of this church, which means there have been 4 generations of Caris family members of the church.

• “My Life up to 14” -  This is a journal that Mr. Caris's mom hand wrote and then later gave to her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Caris, because she knew how much Mrs. Caris valueds stories, especially stories about Western Springs. The journal is an incredibly personal artifact since it was a teenager writing about her own experiences so far, up until she started high school.  Mrs. Caris values this and thinks its important family history and a personal treasure. 

• Play Ball...With the Legends! - Mr. Caris got the rare opportunity to be a bat boy several times at Wrigley Field. The first time was by chance - he and his friends were there for a game when a coach came out saying they needed a bat boy for the visiting team, and Mr. Caris was picked. He was told that if he did a good job, he would be called back the next day and he was. Wrigley Field kept his home telephone number and the Cubs called him back multiple times. Mr. Caris got to meet some of the most famous ball players and coaches of the era including Doc Ewell, Jim Deshaies, Nellie Fox, and Sandy Koufax. Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks even remembered Mr. Caris because he was left handed!

Western Springs Story

Mr. and Mrs. Caris both grew up in Western Springs and even went to the same schools, but due to their two year age difference, they didn't meet until after high school. In elementary school, Mrs. Caris remembers being such good friends with teachers that the teachers would come to your house for lunch! Mrs. Caris was on the swim team, Captain of the McClure Cheerleaders, and a member of the Pom Pom Squad at Lyons Township High School.  She remembers McClure dances where they would dance to Blowin' In The Wind and Days of Wine and Roses. Mr. Caris played in the very first basketball game in the McClure gym. He also played and coached basketball for The First Congregational Church. 

Mrs. Caris had two older brothers who played basketball with Mr. Caris, but she doesn't remember meeting Mr. Caris until he came in to the Pretty Penny Dress Shop where Mrs. Caris was working. Two years later they were married at The First Congregational Church of Western Springs. That was 48 years ago! 

Mr. and Mrs. Caris have two sons, Jimmy and Michael, and one grandson, Dylan. Mr. and Mrs. Caris currently live in their third house in Western Springs. Mrs. Caris often visited this home on Woodland Avenue when she was a little girl. Currently, Mr. Caris is a board member of the Western Springs Historical Society, gives tours of the Water Tower, and loves to play golf and basketball. Mrs. Caris is a member of the PEO Sisterhood, Philanthropic Educational Organization, and the Woman’s Society of the First Congregational Church of Western Springs. Pete grew up in the Congregational Church, and Nancy grew up in the Western Springs Methodist Church and the Hinsdale Unitarian Church. They were married at the Congregational Church of Western Springs because Rev. Kemper and his wife were personal friends, and their philosophy fit their personal beliefs. Four generations of the Caris family have been members of the First Congregational Church over the decades - Walter and Dorothy Killey, Barbara and Darrel Caris, Pete and Nancy Caris, and Jimmy and Michael Caris. 

What Makes Western Springs Special

"We enjoy our library, our local businesses, and our own backyard. We are thankful for so many long-time friendships and lots of family close by. When Pete’s brother, Randy, visits from California, his first stop is Kirschbaum’s. When we visit our former neighbors in Michigan, a huge box of Kirschbaum’s coffee cakes is their gift. We have everything we need right here in Western Springs. The Caris and Schiller families have lived in Western Springs for over 100 years; and even though there have been many changes, it still has the unique charm that we enjoyed when we grew up here."

Changes Seen in Western Springs

So many businesses have come and gone, especially downtown on Burlington and Hillgrove Avenues. 

• • • Most people used to do their shopping in Western Springs, LaGrange, Hillside Shopping Center, or State Street in Chicago. The opening of Oak Brook Mall changed shopping patterns! Back then, stores were open on Monday and Thursday evenings only, which is why Mr. and Mrs. Caris met on a Thursday night in Western Springs.

    • The store that was the most special to Mrs. and Mr. Caris was The Pretty Penny Dress Shop where she they met. That storefront is now occupied by Casey's Market. 

    • There were 3 gas station and now there is only one. 

    • There were 2 hobby shops where Mrs. Caris's brother, Richard, would get model airplanes and model cars to build. It has since closed. 

    • There were four soda fountains in town. All have closed. 

Everyone played outdoors most of the time, but they had to be home by dinnertime or dark. In Mr. Caris’s neighborhood, each family had a special whistle calling them home for dinner-one, two, or three whistles.

Most people had one land-line telephone for the whole family and one black and white tv in those days! No cell phones. No computers. No social media!

Describe Western Springs in 3 Words

• Connected - “Whether you have something happy or difficult, everybody’s there for you." - Nancy Caris

• Historical - Though there are still many aspects of Western Springs around from the past, a lot of cherished sights are not here anymore.

• Friendly - “These are my pals [in the picture], we call ourselves the ‘Wild Bunch.’” - Nancy Caris

Artist's Sketch

Citation

Caris, Pete & Nancy. Personal Interview. 16 May 2023.