Elaine Alane is the daughter-in-law of  Vic and Eva (Kasawich) Alane, those children of immigrants who famously became husband and wife in the 1927 “Three-Day Lithuanian Wedding” detailed on this blog and in my book, “A Century of Lithuanians in Springfield, Illinois.”

During the State Fair this year, Elaine wrote from Wisconsin with some family memories:

My husband Dick Alane, Vic and Eva’s son, has many fond memories of the Fair. He would go every day. At that time the Alane family lived on Marland Avenue and it was a very easy walk to the fairgrounds. His favorite foods were corn dogs and French fries, but only the fries from the vendor near the Grandstand –he cannot recall the name but says that they only sold fries.

Dick loved to play the carnival  games in Happy Hollow and especially liked to shoot nickels for prizes consisting of the now collectible carnival (also called Depression) glass. He won lots of it and would often have to take a trip home to drop off his loot. His mother Eva  saved a lot of the glassware he won, and we still have and use some of it in our home.

One night Dick, who was a high school varsity basketball player, and two of his friends went to the Fair and were shooting baskets for prizes. You had to sink 3 baskets in a row to win a prize, and Dick was able to sink 9 in a row before he was not allowed to shoot anymore…He went back the next day and said he couldn’t hit anything.

Dick’s folks also took in boarders during Fair time (like the Chernis-Urbanckas family). Dick and his father Vic would often sleep in the basement to free up rooms for the Fairgoers to use. Dick’s immigrant mother Eva would also enter quilts in the Fair’s arts & crafts contests.