From Rend Lake to Hidden Lakes: Dr. Jack Struck retires
The fabric of Dr. Jack Struck's life is woven with the word "genuine" and the good works that make up his life are so substantial--over such a long period of time--that it is important to revisit a life well-lived.
It's a foible of our society--remembering greatness--and finding ways to reward it.
At age 83, Dr. Struck last fall largely retired from chiropractic medicine, closing a practice that dates back to an upstairs office in the majestic Brookings Building in downtown Du Quoin in July of 1957, later moving to the art deco surroundings of his current suite of offices on North Division Street. That beautiful office building was constructed by Dr. Stevens in the same era that saw the construction of the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. building along Rt. 51. Both magnificent.
Dr. Struck was a group of one, having passed all of his licensing boards in a 1950s world of chiropractors who fooled us and were never licensed. He chose Du Quoin because two brothers-in-law lived here. He smiles and remembers, "I got my license, wanted to be a professional and stuck out my shingle."
"I did my best on getting people well," he said. And, he certainly did--one patient at a time until his reputation in chiropractic spread from river to river. "I have had a good clientele of patients with referrals through the generations."
A graduate and laureate practitioner of the Missouri Chiropractic College the college points time and time again to the success of Dr. Struck's practice. And, in 2011 the Illinois Chiropractic Society honored him as "Chiropractor of the Year" for what he brings to the profession. He is the best of it. Chiropractic is health care that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches. For hundreds of patients--probably thousands--he found relief. "I've had a good time doing that. I have had patients who went to medical doctors, then came to me. I treated everyone myself by hand.
"The American Medical Association tried to get all of us out of business because we wouldn't use their products," he smiles. "That was unfair." His career spanned decades and he retires as the profession transitions to high energy preventative wellness--aerobics and zumba. And, that's okay. "We have gotten into computers and gotten out of patient care," he says.
He Gave a Thirsty Du Quoin Access to Rend Lake
Dr. Struck was as effective outside the treatment room as he was in it. He served as mayor of the City of Du Quoin from 1965 to 1973 and became a visionary on meeting the needs of a growing Du Quoin. "I had a good administration. I was first elected after Bob McCollum resigned. I ran against Allabastro. The city lake was filling in with silt and we knew Du Quoin had a water problem. It was during the era of large water users like the Du Quoin Packing Co., Coca-Cola and Phelps Dodge. Subdivision housing had sprung up overnight to meet the needs of families working for coal companies, Turco, P.R. Mallory and others. There was a 16-inch water main from the filtration plant to the water tower, but only an eight-inch line for three miles from the city lake to the filtration plant."
As engineers for the Rend Lake Conservancy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed plans for Rend Lake, project superintendent Larry Foster knew Rend Lake needed Du Quoin as a customer as much as Du Quoin needed Rend Lake.
"I had a meeting over at the newspaper with Lucius Smith and we thought it was a good idea so long as Du Quoin could be a water customer without having to be in the Rend Lake taxing district."
Dr. Struck negotiated that contract and the city went from water rationing during the hottest weeks of the summer to a reliable water system that serves this city well.
The Inter-City Water System became a project that treats 27 million gallons of water a day with over 200 miles of pipeline in its distribution system covering seven counties. Thirty-five towns and water districts purchase wholesale water for distribution to their customers. Another 1,200 retail customers also receive their water from Inter-City Water.
Dr. Struck and Du Quoin were a big part of that. The Du Quoin City Lake is now a recreational lake teeming with fish and lined with some beautiful homes. Taking care of that area is an issue, but having enough water to serve Du Quoin isn't because of Dr. Struck.
His city council was responsible for reaching out to the United Electric Coal Co. to establish a 40-acre municipal landfill.
He stood alongside icons of Du Quoin business development like Don Hayes (Coca-Cola) when he "kicked the dirt" trying to finalize plans for Phelps Dodge (now General Cable) to come to Du Quoin. "We decided to raise money to get them here and that was a turning point for Du Quoin industry," Dr. Struck said. "The packing company put us on the map and we were proud of the Hambletonian being here," he said.
There was Du Quoin Day at Busch Stadium. "We have with us today the mayor of Du Quoin, home of the Hambletonian," the announcer said. "That was a fun day," he said.
"I remember when the newspaper man--Scripps--(Scripps Howard newspaper chain) was in Du Quoin. "We went out to United Electric and got the most beautiful apples from the orchard and presented them to him," he said. He was thrilled.
He became a close friend to Congressman Ken Gray, helping raise money to purchase a helicopter so Gray could better cover his district. He flew in it with Gray, calling it "the first helicopter ride of my life." His council had the vision of a Du Quoin overpass.
Wife Eloise, who died from cancer at the age of 51, was the "Welcome Wagon Lady." Art Vogel donated a car for that project.
That marriage gave them two great children in Scott and Michelle. In recent years the love of his life now is insurance agent Molly Newman, a card-carrying Green Bay Packers fan who escapes with the good doctor to a retreat in Wisconsin when they can. She is good for him and he is good for her.
The list goes on and on. He worked on projects like bringing the National Campers & Hikers convention to Du Quoin, the largest assemblage of RVs ever in Du Quoin. "The big thing we have is our hospital. You wouldn't believe the number of employee cars behind there," he beamed.
From homegrown beginnings as a graduate of Murphysboro High School in 1949 he enlisted in Company A Medical Detachment of the 135th Combat Engineers and served for four years beginning in 1950 in the Army Air Force. He graduated summa cum laude in 1957 from the Missouri Chiropractic College and has held medical privileges at Marshall Browning Hospital since 1987.
His upstairs office have housed everything from the draft board to the beginnings of the Perry County Counseling Center. He has been Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce president (1994-1996) and its "Outstanding Citizen of the Year (1992).
He was appointed to the Du Quoin Industrial Commission in 1995 and was appointed Du Quoin Economic Director in 1997 and to the Southern Illinois Workforce Investment Board in 2004.
And, in 2007 he was honored by the Illinois Chiropractic Society for 50 years of distinguished service in the chiropractic healing art from 1957-2007.
Hidden Lakes & Who Says Retirement is Easy?
He finds blessings everywhere, even in dialysis, his "life line" from the effects of long term cardiac medications. But, he admits to a profound frustration with the City of Du Quoin. Despite developing the Hidden Lakes housing development (and housing is so important to a community) and the dozen new homes, water customers and upwards of $30,000 in new real estate taxes to the city, the city continues to turn a blind eye on Dr. Struck, saying he hasn't fully met the engineering requirements to take over the roads and turn this diamond-in-the rough into the visionary property it will become, equal--in time--to Fair Acres. It gets down to dollars and sense, but for all that Dr. Struck has given the City of Du Quoin, and for the thousands spent on groceries, car dealerships, downtown TIF agreements and clocks it just somehow seems wrong.