Angwell employees to gather Sept. 6

The current site of Furniture AwareHouse, the building at 804 N. Jackson St. housed the Angwell Curtain Factory for many years until the operation moved to the east side of town in 1969, the same year this photo was taken. (Courtesy of DePauw University Digital Library/RALPH TAYLOR)

None of them have worked together since the 1980s. For some, it's been even longer.

But for the formersworkers of the Angwell Curtain Factory, getting together and reminiscing on the old times is still essential -- so essential, in fact, that their yearly reunion will be back by popular demand on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Wilda Ray, who organizes the annual reunion, told the Banner Graphic the get together didn't happen last year, but her former co-workers demanded its return.

"We usually just sit around and fill friends in on what's been going on," Ray said. "We also talk about those we've lost. There's getting to be fewer and fewer of us."

The reunion, generally a humble gathering of 12-15 people, will take place at noon at Jackson's Double Decker in Greencastle.

Ray said most of those who have attended the previous dozen or so gatherings were longtime employees of the plant.

"It seems like the ones who were there in the last 10 or 15 years aren't as interested," Ray said. "They went on and had other lives and aren't as close as those of us who worked together for years."

Just the same, all former Angwell employees are encouraged to attend.

For most of its history, Angwell Curtain Co. was housed on North Jackson Street in the current home of Furniture AwareHouse. Angwell later relocated to the Ryan Building on South Warren Drive, which was built in 1969.

Angwell remained at the east side location until it went out of business in the 1980s. The Ryan Building has since gone through multiple expansions and has been the home of Heartland Automotive for more than 25 years.