The Oswego Village Board Tuesday night will vote on a resolution to designate Jefferson Street in the village in honor of the Earl Zentmyer family.
Oswegoo Historic Preservation Commissioner Shaunna Barrow submitted an application for the honorary street designation to recognize the family’s public dedication and positive influence in the town, village officials said.
Barrow completed the application started by the late Historic Preservation Commissioner Amanda Olson, who was Earl Zentmyer’s great-granddaughter, Oswego Assistant Director of Community Development Rachel Riemenschneider said in a report to trustees.
Earl Zentmyer, who served in the Navy during World War II, was born in 1900 in Aurora and moved to Oswego in 1922, where he opened Zentmyer Garage, which later became Zentmyer Ford, Riemenschneider said.
Zentmyer served as an Oswego village trustee and one term as village president. He served as the first president of the former Oswego Township Library and Oswego Community Bank as well, officials said.
He also was the first bus driver for the Oswego school district and donated the first driver’s education cars, Riemenschneider said.
Zentmyer died in 2003 at age 103. He and his wife raised six children.
Earl Zentmyer’s son, Jim, born in 1923, managed Zentmyer Ford and served on the Oswego Zoning Board and Oswego Village Board, both as a trustee and president, plus was involved in community service as his father was, officials said.
Barrow, in her nomination letter, said Earl and his wife, Marjorie, opened an “upscale gift shop” in downtown Oswego called Lay-z Pine Drifwood Arts, which today is Bella Gia/Prom Shoppe on Main Street.
“Main Street near the corner of Main and Jefferson is an appropriate place because not only did Earl Zentmyer reside and have several businesses and owned other properties on Main Street,” Barrow said, he also played a large part with the Oswego Public Library at Jefferson Street as well.
Earl’s son, Jim, followed in his father’s footsteps, Barrow said in her application. He took over the Ford dealership and rebuilt the business after a fire and continued to give back to the community, according to Barrow.
He, too, served as a village trustee and village president “where he was instrumental in the addition of streetlights in the downtown area,” Barrow said.
Jim Zentmyer died in 1987 at age 63, she said.
Amanda Olson (Zentmyer), the great-granddaughter, was a lifelong Oswego resident, as were generations of her family, Barrow said.
“I know that (Amanda) would not want any of this attention on her,” Barrow said. “She is so deserving of this, plus more.”
“In Amanda’s application she quoted a family member’s remarks about Earl’s character, and I would say the same applies to Amanda. She was just amazing, totally unstoppable,” Barrow said.
“I think simply honoring the street name to Zentmyer will show a nod to Earl, Amanda and all of the Zentmyer family with deep roots to Oswego,” Barrow said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
