Dowell man, town, celebrate 100th birthday this week

DOWELL - For Steve Boros, turning 100 years old this Friday has added significance as he will share the milestone with his hometown of Dowell.

Boros has lived a long and intriguing life. He worked a combined two years in the Old Kathleen and New Kathleen coal mines as a trip rider (moving coal cars to the tipple), played baseball for the mine team, went to barber school and worked as a barber at Eli's in Carbondale for about 20 years and was then hired as a custodian at Southern Illinois University, where he worked another 20 years until retirement.

Additionally and prior to his work life, Boros spent four years with the Air Force as a clerk during World War II.

"I graduated Elkville High School in 1937 and was out of school and unemployed when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor," Boros said, "I immediately joined the Air Force and was sent to Hawaii about a month later," he said.

Boros married in 1951. He and his late wife, Mary, also raised four children: Steven, Tom and Dan of de Soto and Billy Joe of Elkville.

When not working, baseball was Boros's passion. He played the game in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and then later umpired games in town.

"There were many times that I went from work to my home, grabbed dinner and went right to the ballpark," Boros said.

"When I played, we traveled all around the area - West Frankfort, Benton, Harrisburg, Sikeston, Missouri. "I played center field and could run a little bit, so I usually batted lead off."

During the Great Depression and through the war years, men who were good ballplayers were often rewarded with a job offer from coal mine bosses. The offers were quite competitive as it was important to mine owners who had the best baseball team in the region.

Some men, who had even played professionally, later joined mine teams like Kathleen.

"A lot of immigrants worked in the mines in those days," Boros said. "There were Hungarians, Italians, Polish - men from all over Europe."

Boros said Dowell featured more businesses in his youth and that there was no shortage of taverns, some of which he frequented from time to time.

"There used to be square dances and a lot of pool games. I remember watching Minnesota Fats (Dowell native) play. I didn't know him very well. I think he played mostly at Jansco's in Johnston City."

Boros, who has lived in de Soto for several decades now, has two younger sisters - Elizabeth VanZandt and Mary Dale, who both live in Dowell - and another sister, Rosie Phillips, who is deceased. A brother, Johnny, died in combat during World War II.

This Friday at 6 p.m., Dowell will honor Boros as their grand parade marshal.

"I appreciate it, although I am a little embarrassed by all the attention," Boros said.

The centenarian said he exercises regularly, drinks red wine in moderation and enjoys reading newspapers, including The Du Quoin Call.

"Anything to keep my mind active," he said.