Wilbert “Feeley” Aderman has His Car Stolen

My 2nd great-uncle on my father’s side, Wilbert “Feeley” Adermann (25 Oct 1904 – 2 Dec 1985) had his car stolen just a month before his 60th birthday. He and his wife, Dorothy, were at church on Sunday, September 26, 1965 when three boys from Pennsylvania were apparently  working their way to California by stealing cars along the way. Uncle Feeley’s vehicle was sitting outside the church while everyone was inside worshipping. The boys helped themselves and continued west on Highway 40. They were caught further down the road in Vandalia.

Uncle Feeley was a life-long resident of Altamont in Effingham County, Illinois. Highway 40 is still the only east-west paved highway through Effingham County. It was a great highway for the boys to travel as they drove from Pennsylvania to California. The police caught the boys west of Altamont in Vandalia at the junction of Highways 40 and 51.

The intersection of Highways 51 and 40 is at Vandalia on the left side of this map. Altamont and Highway 40 is at the upper right side of the map.

Here is the story as my cousin and genealogy buddy, Kevin Hackett, found it in the Centralia (Illinos) Evening Sentinel, 27 September, 1965, page 10.

Arrest Three in Stolen Car

VANDALIA–Three Pennsylvania youths were arrested yesterday in a stolen car minutes after state and local police received the radio message from Effingham County.

State Trooper Clifford Dean and Vandalia policeman William Black took the youths, ages 15, 16, 17, into custody after blocking the Rte. 51-40 junction with the police car.

The youths, two from Philadelphia and the other from Pittsburgh, told authorities they were en route to California.

The stolen car was owned by W.P. Aderman and was taken from in front of church while the Adermans were attending services. A stolen car, with Indiana license, was found near-by.

The youths were to be returned to Effingham County today.