Happy 200th Illinois!

Onwentsia Club

July 14, 2018

On Saturday, July 14, 2018, approximately 100 Illinois Dames and members of the Society of Colonial Wars gathered for their annual dinner dance at Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Illinois. Co-founded by Barbara and David Linville several years ago when they were serving as President and Governor of their respective Societies, the dinner dance has become a highly-anticipated summer event. This year was even more special, as the guests were celebrating the bicentennial of the admission of Illinois to the Union.

Enjoying the beautiful weather, attendees gathered for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the bluestone patio overlooking the golf course. At the conclusion of the cocktail hour, guests adjourned to the ballroom for a delicious three course meal. Cold curried soup with flaked crabmeat was followed by a surf and turf entrée. Best of all, in recognition of Illinois’ bicentennial, a tiered red, white and blue decorated cake, loosely modeled on a cannon, was set ablaze with fireworks-style candles shooting skyward.

Co-chair and Illinois Bicentennial Commissioner Todd Schwebel called forward those in attendance who had an ancestor living in Illinois in 1818, when Illinois first became a state. Miss Violet duBrul Cue, the youngest of that group, was selected to make the first honorary cut of the bicentennial cake.

Music was provided by The Steve Biossat Quartet, which played a variety of standards and oldies.  The younger members then returned to the terrace to dance to recorded music provided by Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois Governor Brian White. From cocktails on the terrace to dancing between courses and later reconvening on the terrace for “GuvDJWhite’s” after-dinner dancing, Dames and Warriors enjoyed their special celebration of Illinois’ at 200.