Growing up in Christopher Illinois on Samuel St., my neighbors were Roy(also known as "Mike") and Lucille Baxley. Lucille(we called her "mee-maw") Baxley would often have the neighbor kids over for tanbarine juice, or hot tea with honey.......she loved us like her own grandchildren. She also was proud of her rose garden and her cats........
I always remember Roy as being busy, from morning until night. He worked on his yard, which he kept immaculate and, of course, his bees and playing his guitar. He also gave guitar lessons......something I wish I would have taken advantage of!
Roy and Lucille lived just across the street from us, but his "bee house" was located right next door to us in a white barn. He often gave us bottles of his famous honey, which tasted so good!
Roy was the subject of many newspaper articles and appeared 2 times on WPSD TV 6, once in 1979 and again a few years later when WPSD's Sam Burrage revisisted him for a report. WSIU also did a story on the "BEE MAN OF CHRISTOPHER" a few years later.
Roy was a magician, excellent classical guitar player, bee keeper and served as a state bee inspector for 50 years. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago(Lucille passed away in 1986).
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