Off Beat: Streator was a bigger place because of Mrs. Parsons

Bev Parsons was Streator’s window to the world.

When I met Mrs. Parsons, as she was known by many, she was a retired English teacher from Streator High School and she greeted me with her New England accent.

She and her husband, Dr. Robert Parsons who now lives in Greencastle, Indiana, hosted several foreign exchange students, and they had opened up their home this time to a Chinese student, Yao. I was assigned to write the story for The Times.

Yao attended Streator High School and shared what his life was like in Shenzhen, China, a metropolis of 17.56 million people. He lived in a skyscraper and took part in rigorous schooling in his home country. By opening up their home to Yao, the Parsons let Streator residents gaze into his world and culture 7,700 miles away in a hands-on manner, sharing lessons no geography textbook could match. In similar fashion, Yao, who only knew city life, also was able to experience what the world was like in rural Illinois, including getting a scare after seeing his first cow, for example.

The Parsons hosted seven other exchange students from Sweden, Norway, Russia, Kazakhstan and France from 1975 to 2010, with each of them sharing unique perspectives.

Streator is a community of roughly 18,000 people (within its ZIP code), 100 miles away from Chicago, with no major interstates or universities to speak of. These portals are invaluable in showing residents there’s a world different than their own, possibly inspiring some and creating empathy in others.

The Parsons, who were intellectuals in every sense of the word, were aware of the exchange they had between their fellow residents. Bev and her husband Robert, a physician, were always curious and learning. In any meeting with them, I was certain to hear them recite from the latest book they were reading or a recent article, sharing interesting and relevant information within the conversations.

Despite being raised in Portland, Maine, near the Atlantic sea shore, where lighthouses and scenic colonial communities are commonplace, Bev (and her husband, too) had a passion for Streator. She talked about how it was a great place to raise a family — they raised five children here — and connected with the town’s civic pride.

Mrs. Parsons hosted a book club that regularly met in her living room. She helped found Friends of Streator Library and was a strong advocate for literacy and literature.

When I was a recent college graduate in journalism who had lived in New York City and Albany, Georgia, and found myself back in my hometown, I immediately connected with the Parsons. They demonstrated for me an example of how it was possible to be a worldly person, and still take pride and passion in a small town. There’s a stigma to staying in your hometown when it’s a rural place, but there are still so many ways to connect with culture as long as you know where and how to look. There’s also value in celebrating your own role in it – something which the Parsons, coming from outside of the region, were able to point out was taken for granted.

My wife Julie and I furthered our connection with Mrs. and Dr. Parsons when we purchased their Streator home, known affectionately as “the 510,” when they moved to Greencastle, Indiana, to retire. We fell in love with the old two-story house, because it told so many stories, and we were excited to add our own chapters.

I was saddened to read Mrs. Parsons died July 5, but her legacy lives, because she opened so many windows to the world for others. She made Streator a bigger place with her presence and enthusiasm to teach and share, and for that, its residents were able to be a part of something bigger. To get that experience, there’s no telling how inspiring that can be.

• OFF BEAT is a column by Derek Barichello, regional news editor of The Times and NewsTribune, expanding on coverage beyond the regular news beat, from ideas to issues. Email him at dbarichello@shawmedia.com or call 815-431-4073 with news tips, questions or to chat.