Logan County Illinois  Biographies for George Junior Laun and Sara Nell Berninger


History of Logan County Illinois 1982

Transcription by William L. Stephenson, Jr., - Historian, Bock Family Association
     Sara Nellie Berninger was born April 1, 1927, at Mattoon in  Coles  County,
     Illinois, a daughter of Ernest A. and Nellie Murphy Berninger both of  whom
     were born and reared near Calhoun, Clay County,  Illinois.  They  moved  to
     Mattoon after their marriage in 1907 (where Ernest worked  as  a  telegraph
     lineman for Illinois Central Railroad) and lived there until  their  deaths
     in 1964 and 1979 respectively. Sara, youngest of four  children,  graduated
     from Eastern Illinois State College at Charleston in 1949  and  obtained  a
     job at Hartsburg-Emden High  School  as  English  teacher,  librarian,  and
     director of class plays. Selling tickets at basketball games was a  benefit
     in those days and this is how she and Buss met.

     George Junior Laun,  Better  known  as  Buss,  was  born  on  his  mother's
     birthday, September 6, in 1921, third child of George W. and Maris Seefeldt
     Laun, in Eminence township. In 1924 the family moved to the Woelfel farm in
     Orvil township, east of Hartsburg  on  Sugar  Creek.  Buss  and  Sara  have
     resided there since their marriage in 1952. Buss has lived  and  farmed  in
     the same general area all his life.

     Three children kept family life humming. Roger  Dale  was  born  August  7,
     1953; Nancy Gail was born March 7, 1956; Gary Lee was born  April  1,  1958
     (sharing his mother's birthday.) all children attended schools in Hartsburg
     and were active in sports, church, and 4-H  activities.  The  boys  enjoyed
     showing Duroc hogs at the county and state fairs. A highlight of Nancy's 4-
     H years was serving as an Illinois delegate  in  flower  arranging  at  the
     convention of the national Junior Horticultural  Association  in  Columbus.
     Ohio, in 1973.

     Roger attended Illinois State  University  at  Normal  for  two  years  and
     graduated from Western Illinois University at Macomb in 1975. He resides at
     Kewanee, Illinois and is involved with Agricultural credit. Nancy graduated
     from Western Illinois University  in  1977  and  has  worked  in  packaging
     research and development in both St. Louis and  Los  Angeles.  She  married
     David Erwin Limback at Lincoln on June 3, 1978,  and  they  now  reside  at
     Huntington Beach, California. David is the  son  of  Edwin  and  Willa  Mae
     Limback of the San  Jose,  Illinois  area.  Gary  graduated  from  Illinois
     Central College in 1978 with a degree  in  agricultural  mechanics.  He  is
     farming with his father.

     With the children grown, we continue  to  reside  on  the  farm  where  our
     married life began, only slowing the pace a bit. In January 1981 we enjoyed
     a Caribbean cruise as a belated 25th wedding  anniversary  celebration.  We
     are active members of Hartsburg Methodist Church. Buss served a  number  of
     years as trustee of Hartsburg Fire Protection district. Sara is a long time
     member of Homemakers extension Association and a  former  4-h  leader.  She
     enjoys gardening and working with flowers while Buss likes  to  travel  and
     meet people.