Martina McBride with young Springfield dancers at recent PCCC concert

I was recently informed that a young Lithuanian-American boy from Springfield is pictured in this group of local children invited to dance at a recent Martina McBride concert at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. Guess who? Hint: The young man in question (at left edge in McBride photo) is a descendant of the Sleveski-Mazika and Kavirt families.

http://www.sj-r.com/photo_galleries/x65614997/Martina-McBride-at-the-PCCC

Angela and Darrell Tureskis at Schnuck’s on Montvale

Every once in a while a Springfield Lithuanian-American comes out of nowhere to perform super-human feats of dedication and stamina, grab headlines–and make us proud. For the second year in a row, Darrell Tureskis, owner of Nyilas Cleaning Services, has won or tied the national record for Salvation Army continuous bell-ringing. When Darrell put aside his bell and went home tonight, he had been standing and ringing for 80 straight hours at the Schnuck’s on Montvale in Springfield.

Like last year, I happened by and exchanged a few words with our sleep- and food-deprived hero after he’d already been on his feet for two days. Just like last year, Darrell managed a tired smile and friendly conversation. (None of which I expect he’ll remember tomorrow.) Luckily, his wife Angela was there.

When I saw him this evening with Angela and other close friends and family members, who were standing by to support him through the final stretch and celebrate his accomplishment, Darrell had already been at it for almost 79 hours–already 19 hours longer than his 2011 performance. Amazing!

Like Dick Butkus and Charles Bronson, Darrell gives testament to that fact that some Lithuanian-Americans, at least, seem to be made of steel. Will his altruism, community-mindedness and pure physical endurance inaugurate a new sport–the charity triathalon? Stay tuned.

http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x65615260/Salvation-Army-bell-ringer-breaks-records-still-ringing

Young Lithuanian-Americans demonstrate publicly for Lithuanian freedom during downtown Springfield parade–circa 1955

I recently came across this striking and significant reminder of our local community’s Cold War history resisting Lithuanian captivity within the Soviet Union. “Lithuania Behind the Iron Curtain” was a float that took part in a downtown Springfield parade, possibly on Columbus Day or Veterans’ Day, circa 1955. In this photo, Violeta Abramikas Abad, then in high school, is standing at rear, representing the captive nation of Lithuania. Violeta is wearing her mother Stephanie’s Lithuanian national costume, which Mrs. Abramikas had worn on her wedding day before the family was forced to flee Lithuania. (The costume continues to live on in the Abramikas-Abad family, worn by Violeta’s granddaughter Catalina, now a freshman at Purdue University, when she was just 12 years old for a school report on how her great grandparents Walter and Stephanie and her grandmother Violeta immigrated to the United States.)

The girls in white with Violeta on the float represent “Vaidolutes,” vestal virgins guarding the eternal flame of Lithuania’s national spirit and independence. The flame is represented by a symbolic campfire made of sticks in the center of the float.

The girl in white sitting right in front and wearing glasses is Ramualda Sidlau Capranica. Behind her is Bernadine Staken Mikels. Other girls on the float include: Pat Urbanckas Mathews, and across from her to Violeta’s right, Pat’s sister Donna Urbanckas Frost. In front of Donna is O’Tilija Uzgiris, and in front of O’Tilija is Marilyn Urbanckas.

Tree branches decorating the back of the float signified Lithuania’s many forests, and red, green and yellow crepe streamers around the sides of the float represented the colors of the Lithuanian flag. There was probably a sign on the front of the float identifying the sponsoring Lithuanian-American patriotic and religious organization, The Ateitininkai, which is still in existence today. Mrs. Stase Sidlauskas was the originator of the Springfield chapter.