People of Mount Prospect

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

Address in Mount Prospect:

Birth Date: Circ 1908

Death Date: April 2000

Marriage: No

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments

Thela Nipper was better known as “Idyl” the nickname her father gave her after reading a book titled Idyl the Girl Miner. Her nickname forecasted her industrious life. Idyl started her own business in the 1940s in Chicago and sold it just before moving to Mount Prospect. She then worked a number of different jobs, eventually retiring from Scott Foresman Publishing. However, Idyl Nipper is best known for the work she did as a volunteer. She made a career out of volunteering and certainly left her mark on the community. She first showed her flair for organizing groups while in high school in Chicago, where she started a girl’s riffle club. In Mount Prospect she is probably best known for her work with the Mount Prospect Public Library. She was the president of the board for the Friends of the Public Library and worked hard to raise money for the institution. In acknowledgement of her work, the main public meeting room at the Library is named for her. She also worked to raise money for the Maryville Academy and other schools in the area. Because of her successful fundraising, the Nipper School at Maryville in Des Plaines is named for her. She was the volunteer coordinator for the Wheeling Township’s Republican Party organization and worked with individual political candidates.

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

Address in Mount Prospect: 306 S. Emerson Street

Birth Date: February 23, 1875

Death Date: March 7, 1963

Marriage
Date: Unknown

Spouse: Bertha

Children: Arnold, Clara, Leona, and Walter

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments

In 1924 the village of Mount Prospect hired William Mulso as the first Police Chief in Mount Prospect. He replaced a magistrate as the head of law enforcement in the community. He was, in fact a one man police and public works department. When he took the job, there were no paved roads and a population was less than 500. The town developed quickly in the 1920s and in 1932 he hired George Whittenberg, as a second police officer, in part because Whittenberg was able to ride a motorcycle. The two, with the help of a portable jail cell, known as the Blaha after its first occupant, kept order in the community.

 

Does MPHS have photographs: No

Address in Mount Prospect: 17 S. Owen

Birth Date: September 15, 1898

Death Date: December 20, 1974

Marriage
Date: Unknown

Spouse: Walter A. Mueller

Children: Walter, Victor, Marion, Evelyn, Bernice

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments:

Caroline, or Lena, Mueller was the daughter of George Busse, one of the major developers in Mount Prospect. She married Walter Mueller, who was George Busse’s hired hand when they met. Lena Mueller went on to be involved in many local organizations. She was the Vice President of Saint Paul Lutheran Church Ladies Aid, and a member of Saint Paul Lutheran Church’s Historical Society. She was also the Hospitality Chairman for the Mount Prospect Historical Society. She was famous for her love of baking and the Historical Society has her recipes for white bread and coffee cake on file.

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

Address in Mount Prospect: 110 S. Elm Street

Birth Date: October 8, 1887

Death Date:

Marriage
Date: November 5, 1913

Spouse: Sophie Busse

Children: George, Paula and Jack

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments:

Rev. J. E. A. Mueller was the first Pastor for Saint Paul Lutheran Church. He was educated for six years at Concordia College in Milwaukee and three years at Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis. In 1910 he became a circuit riding preacher in the Dakotas, although he was not satisfied with the work. Meanwhile, downtown Mount Prospect was developing. In the early 1900s and 1910s more and more people began moving into the area that had been originally developed by Ezra Eggleston. During these early years there was no church directly in downtown Mount Prospect and this was hard on the residents. Saint John Lutheran Church, the first congregation in the community, was located on Linnemann Road, a little over a mile from downtown. This could be a long walk, especially in the winter, so in 1912 a group of local leaders got together to organize a new church in the center of Mount Prospect. After receiving a charter from the state, Saint Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded. William and Edward Busse donated land for the church and everyone began looking for a Pastor for the new congregation. Henry Haberkamp, a founding member of Saint Paul, eventually found one. He was in the wholesale dairy business and one day he was talking to one of his clients about the hard time they were having locating a pastor. This man told Haberkamp that the minister of his church had a son who was a minister and was in North Dakota freezing to death. Haberkamp looked into it and soon they were able bring J.E.A. Mueller, Jr. to the warmer climate of Mount Prospect as the first Pastor of Saint Paul. He arrived in Mount Prospect on New Years Day, 1913 and got to work immediately. There was still a lot of work to do on the church. They were still installing seats and putting together the finishing touches the night before the first sermon. On January 19 Mueller gave the first sermon at Saint Paul in the midst of a blizzard.

Mueller served not only as the first Pastor, but was also the first school teacher. A few months after giving the first sermon in Saint Paul he also began the first class in Saint Paul School. The original class had sixteen members, but it quickly grew. After a few years of working as both the Pastor and the School Teacher, Mueller got a full time School teacher to come and take over. He remained the Pastor of Saint Paul until 1957.

Does MPHS have photographs: Assorted images

Address in Mount Prospect: 1025 S. Na-Wa-Ta

Birth Date: July 9, 1914

Death Date: April 17, 1984

Marriage
Date: September 2, 1938

Spouse: June Violet (Matthes) Muckle

Children: Gary James and Ellen June

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments:

James Muckle was a practicing ordained Presbyterian Minister for 43 years. During his career, he performed 873 christenings, 397 funerals, 314 marriages, and 209 confirmations. He was also involved in a number of community organizations, including: The Kiwanis Club, The Lions Club, the AARP, The Masonic Order, and the Mount Prospect Historical Society. In 1982 he was given an ElderHonor award to recognize all of his work in the community.