People of Mount Prospect

Does MPHS have photographs: Yes

Address in Mount Prospect: 411 S. I-Oka

Birth Date: Unknown

Death Date: Unknown

Marriage
Date: Unknown

Spouse: Hester Pendelton

Children: David and Thomas

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments

Maurice Pendelton was the Mayor of Mount Prospect through the start of the huge post war boom in suburban construction. When he came into office World War II was just coming to an end. From there he watched as development in the area went from a slow trickle to tidal wave. Professionally, Pendelton worked as a publisher. He owned his own publishing business in Chicago, which specialized in printing lumber and wood working trade journals. He took this experience and used it to print the Prospector, Mount Prospect’s first newspaper.

Does MPHS have photographs: Assorted Images

Address in Mount Prospect:

Birth Date: October 25, 1901

Death Date: May 1963

Marriage: No

Interesting information on life, career, accomplishments

Rev. Thomas O’Brien was the founding priest for Saint Raymond’s Church. He was ordained in 1932 at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary. He spent seven years as an assistant at Saint Thomas the Apostle parish in Chicago and then ten years as the Chaplain at Saint Theresa Hospital in Waukegan. In 1949 he was assigned to Saint Raymond’s and sent to organize the congregation and build the church facilities. This was the first Catholic Church in Mount Prospect, and once it had a priest, it grew very rapidly. It was first started in the late 1940s when the Catholic Women’s Club began working to bring a Catholic parish to the community. After years of work, in 1949 Father O’Brien arrived and gave the first mass in the basement of the Central School. The parish grew quickly and opened the doors to its eight room school in 1954. The school was so popular by the end of the decade that they had to have two schedules for the students, one that came in the morning and one that came in the afternoon. The school has been significantly enlarged and continues to be popular in the community.

 

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.