By Ricky Rieckert
(Final part)
With this final article about the history of Aurora’s social, nationality, and service clubs, I hope you have enjoyed the stroll down memory lane. It’s a privilege to write about the history of this great city, Aurora.
As the Luxies cemented themselves as a premier club with events, they increased membership and revenues from the fish fry dinners and the gambling machines.
The Club celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1990. In 2015, as they were preparing to celebrate the 125th anniversary, a writer from a local newspaper, was asked to write an article about the history of the Club.
She saw the pictures in the hallway of the Club, along with a couple of members giving her a run down of the history and the 125th Anniversary party that was planned.
She seemed to ignored the history of the Club, and wrote about the gambling machines instead.
It was a disappointing article, and members wished it was never published.
Her fascination of the gambling machines, had nothing to do with the history of the Club. Very sad.
A large crowd attended the 125th anniversary party in 2015 which included plenty of good food and beverages. I had 125th Anniversary key chains made up for the party.
Many dignitaries were in attendance, to include: Tom Weisner, Aurora mayor; Chuck Nelson, deputy mayor; Mike Saville, 6th Ward alderman; Jim Oberweis, State senator; John Jaros, director of the Aurora Historical Society, members from the Luxembourg Brotherhood, and last but not least, Jim Michaels from the Luxembourg Cultural Organization in Belgium, Wis., and a member of Section 7 in Aurora.
It’s interesting that the Luxembourg’s are in Belgium, Wis., and the Belgium’s are in Luxembourg, Wis.. Go figure.
Five years later, Covid set in. I was at the Club the Sunday they had to close up at 11 p.m., with no idea when they would reopen.
It was very sad as we entered the Covid era. The Board voted to pay a month’s wage to those working, to show loyalty towards the employees. The Luxies did that to show that they wanted their workforce to return, after the set back was over.
During the lockdown, there were grants available from the government to help with bills, even though the Club was closed. It helped.
When the Club reopened, the patrons slowly returned and they kept all of their employees.
Business was slow at first, but returned once again.
I look forward to the 150th anniversary in 2040.
So ends the history of social, nationality, and service clubs in Aurora. Thanks for reading!