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Naperville Mother Continues
Tradition of Helping Naperville

Doris Wood is a mother who knows that life still holds many options once the children are grown. Doris is a longtime Naperville resident and is often referred to being one of the daughters of Judge Knoch, an influential Naperville leader who helped establish the hospital and parks in Naperville. She has followed in her father's footsteps by contributing to Naperville in many ways. Her first task was to successfully raise seven children. As the children grew older, Doris decided to head back to school to complete a master's degree in history. Her thesis project about the depression was so interesting that it turned into a book
"I ended up spending hours in the attic of the upper level of the library reading microfilm," recalls Doris who was in her 50's at the time. "This was in the 70's before there were computers for research." Doris also spoke with many residents about their trials living in Naperville during the depression. "One story was from Les Schrader who told about trying to cook pork chops in the furnace to avoid turning on the stove. It didn't work so well. It was a challenge in those times to see how much you could do with so little. People really connected during the depression and helped each other out. We had the whole alphabet of help here-WPA, CCC-there was even a soup kitchen for awhile." The book "A Small Town Weathers the Depression" was published and remains as a very intimate look into a part of Naperville's past.
Doris accepted a position on the board of Nichols Library and helped build the new library during the 80's. "Nancy Young was also on the board and we went all over looking at libraries," recalls Doris. "We were so cramped in the old library." Working on the new library was a memorable experience for Doris who proudly states, "We came in under budget and on-time." To promote the opening of the new building, she recalls an event where residents lined up from the old library to the new library and passed books to move them to the new facility. "It was just a gimmick. We didn't move very many books but it was so exciting," she says.
Doris, who is now 79, is very pleased with the library and continues to be involved in various activities in town. "I think it is amazing just how wonderful our town library has done," she says. "It is truly one of the jewels of the town." -Judy Buchenot

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