It’s official. Marge Vereecke’s photo and plaque will soon go up on the “Baker Park Golf Wall of Fame” at the 19th Hole alongside other Kewanee golf legends. The Kewanee Park Board presented the official plaque to Vereecke’s son, Jim Vereecke, at its monthly meeting on Thursday.
Board President Steve Brackett did the honors of presenting the award to Vereecke, recalling Marge’s long and storied golfing career. He thanked Vereecke for “his dedication and forcefulness” in seeking out the recognition for Marge.
“When we talked, you said she would have never wanted it for herself,” Brackett said.
“She would have been embarrassed actually,” said Vereecke.
But Vereecke felt that his mom, who passed away in 2010, was deserving of the honor, and has spent the last decade advocating for the Kewanee Park District to recognize her achievements to Baker Park and women’s golf.
Marge worked alongside other Kewanee women golfers to organize the first women’s golf league at Baker Park in the late 1950s, early 1960s. She was Baker Park’s Women’s Champion in 1974 and winner of the Helen Stull Tournament in 1976. She continued to play golf throughout her life and won several championships in the 1980s and 90s, including the City Tournament Women’s Senior Championship in 1999.
At the board meeting, Vereecke thanked all of the people who assisted him, including his good friend, Rene Verstraete, who sent several letters to the park district. He also thanked the commissioners, who just last month, voted to approve Marge’s admission into the Hall of Fame, and TD Welch and Commissioner Paula Kapacinskas, for their efforts at bringing the matter to the board’s attention.
Executive Andrew Dwyer told Verstraete that he would get the plaque and photo placed in a display case and hung up on the wall.
