Kewanee Back When The Life and Times of Mary Lou Reed Ketridge Griffith From Ballhawk to Friend of Kewanee Parks

Mary Lou Ketridge-Griffith passed away in December of 2023. This was more than 50 years after she'd left Kewanee, Illinois where she'd gained local notoriety from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, first as a member of the Kewanee Ballhawks Women's Baseball team, and then working as a reporter for the Kewanee Star Courier. It was while at the Star Courier that Mary Lou met and fell in love with her first, and much older, husband, the Star Courier editor in chief, Chris Ketridge. The pair were married in 1950 and remained married until Chris passed away in 1976. By this time, Mary Lou and Chris had moved to Coral Gables, Florida where they helped found the community and became an integral part of this newly developing city. But, Mary Lou never forgot her time in Kewanee. She and Chris would return to Kewanee regularly. One of Mary Lou's great loves was the Kewanee Park District. She loved golf and became a champion at Midland Country Club and Kewanee Public Golf Course. Her love of the Parks and the Golf Course kept Mary Lou in touch with Kewanee for years. During that time, she and her second husband, Carl Griffith, became friends with Kewanee Parks Director Brian Johnson who, in 2007, honored Mary Lou with the Child's Best Friend Award. Even though she lived in Florida, Mary Lou would call Brian Johnson and if kids needed their sports registrations covered, Mary Lou would pay the fees, no questions asked, no child denied. Her and Carl's generous gifts made it possible that children she never knew or even met, would still have the chance to play in the various parks leagues. Brian Johnson joined Sean and Dave Clarke to remember the generous and unique life of Mary Lou Griffith on this edition of Kewanee Back When.