Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice and Care for The Bereaved is a non-profit, volunteer based, community funded organization that gives support to individuals with life threatening and terminal illnesses. It services the patients and families of patients who live in Geneva and the surrounding areas. Call the number provided for more information.
Fox River Valley Dental Society is a civic organization for the dental community of the Fox River Valley area. Since 1960, it has regularly held meetings and events where community members can discuss dental matters in a professional environment.
Fox Valley Presbyterian Church invites friends and guests to come and worship with them. If you enjoy yourself, you can always become a member. There are new member classes, adult spiritual groups, children and youth classes, and every Sunday is an opportunity to meet other members at coffee after the service.
Good Templar Park's history is fascinating and closely tied to the city of Geneva. It is a private park, purchased in 1924, primarily because the International Brotherhood of Good Templars were charged the hefty sum of $4,000 by Ravinia Park to hold its annual Midsommar event called Svenskarnas Dag ("Swedes' Day"), to which attendance had grown to 10,000.
The Good Templar Park Association was established in 1925 after the purchase of about 66 acres of land that stretched from what is now East Side Drive to the Fox River. The park land by the river eventually was donated by the Good Templars to the city, and is now part of Bennett Park.
Good Templar Park presently encompasses about 60 acres and ends at Bennett Street. There are 51 cottages on the site, each owned by a Good Templar family.
The park is home to the Viking ship that was a replica of an 860-AD Viking ship and built for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Good Templar Park holds its annual Swedish Day in June and also opens to the public, usually on the Saturday of the city's Swedish Days festival. The public and corporations can rent the park at reasonable rates. Several soccer associations use the park's three soccer fields, and local Boy Scout organizations have visited annually.
Good Templar holds various fund-raisers during the year to help raise money for local charities.
Island Park, located off of State Street along the river, is a beautiful centerpiece for Geneva. Featuring bike and walking paths, Island Park is a great place for a picnic, bike ride or romantic stroll along the Fox River. The park is a little more than 11 acres and features a pavilion, stage area for plays or music performances, public restrooms, playground with swing sets, slides and a jungle gym. Fishing is permitted and there are some popular spots for catching bass. Public parking is available across State Street at the Old Mill Park near Bennett Street (Route 25.) From there, the park is just a short walk under the bridge. The historic Mill Race Inn and Gazebo outdoor restaurant are housed within this park. There are also two bike shops near Old Mill, which rent bicycles.
The beautiful chapel at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, built in 1868, is open during the day hours for quiet prayer and reflection. Worship is based on historic Anglican practices and prayer. Members come from all walks of life: many have non-church, Protestant or Catholic backgrounds. The newer part of the church has a columbarium available for purchase.
Windy Acres farm is open year-round and offers a variety of services and activities for every season. The fresh farm stand is open from spring until the end of fall, and in winter Windy Acres delivers firewood to residents' homes. Also, don't miss the Windy Acres Fall Festival.
The most popular food sold on the farm is tomatoes, followed closely by fresh watermelon and green peppers. Other options are homemade jam, cider and honey. During the Fall Festival, attractions include a pumpkin patch, hayrides, a spook house and a petting zoo.
The First Congregational Church of Geneva was formed in 1849 and has worshipped in this building since 1856. Congregational worship is derived from both the old and new testaments, and is founded in a belief that the congregation is the most important structure of the church, and in an individual and continually developing relationship to the scriptures. Visitors are welcome to join the First Congregational Church for Sunday services. First Congregational also provides youth Sunday school programs and a book club, and participates in community outreach and mission activities.
The Geneva Chamber of Commerce serves all Geneva businesses, helps bring business to the city and supports all aspects of economic and community development.
To the general public and throughout the Chicago area, the chamber is probably best known for its festivals. The four big events of the year are: Swedish Days in June, Geneva Arts Fair in July, Festival of the Vine in September and Christmas Walk in December.
"We've always been a city of festivals," Chamber of Commerce President Jean Gaines said. "And we've worked very hard to produce quality events that generate positive publicity, attract visitors, generate sales taxes and bring the community together."
The chamber also serves as the city's convention and tourism bureau and does advertising, promotions, historic tours, grant writing, prints the Geneva Tourism Guide and coordinates programs with other tourism agencies.
Chamber members receive scores of benefits and networking opportunities—from database management to e-mail blasts to seminars to coordinating holiday decorations. Business expos, referral leads, an annual golf outing, classic car shows, a gift-certificate program, the Soundings newsletter, merchant alerts and seminars are just a few of the offerings.
The historic Geneva Courthouse building is one of Geneva's landmarks and icons. Presidents have spoken at the courthouse, where the stage for Swedish Days is set each year, displaying Geneva's charm and heritage. The building presently is the home of the Civil Division administrative offices of the Sixteenth Circuit Court.
Michael J. Colwell is the presiding circuit judge of the Kane County Courthouse.
Geneva was selected as the county seat in 1836. The city had a courthouse and jail by 1840, but the original courthouse burned down, and the four-story structure on South Third Street was commissioned to W.J. Edbrooke and Franklin P. Burnham at a cost of $195,000.
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in front of the courthouse was dedicated in 1915. The two naval guns next to the monument were donated to Kane County by the Federal Government in 1925.
Many other Kane County court functions and the jail facility are located at the Kane County Judicial Center on Route 38 in St. Charles Township.
The Sixteenth Circuit also has space in the DeKalb County Courthouse, the Kendall County Courthouse in Yorkville and the Kane County Judicial Center.
Sharon Glass is a social worker specializing in relational psychotherapy. Call for more information or to set up an appointment.
The Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva is a diverse, welcoming community which endeavors to make its Covenant a living reality. We provide religious education and opportunities for spiritual growth. We encourage individual and mutual responsibility as together we work to be a liberal religious voice in the community and a force for compassionate social justice.
Approximately 2,700 families call St. Peter Catholic Church in Geneva their church home. Most parishioners live in the city of Geneva, and the church is active in the community, sponsoring more than 60 ministries, including the church's popular Barn Sale fundraiser.
St. Peter Church is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2011 under its new pastor, the Reverend Martins C. Emeh. The parish is host to St. Peter School and St. Peter Community Food Pantry.
"There's room for all here," Father Martins said. "Room for the conservatives and the more liberal and those in the middle. While people might not always see things the same way, various views are accommodated. Our views as a congregation are moderate, in the way we minister and in our philosophy. There's a phrase in Latin, in medio stat virtus, which translates to 'Virtue stands in the middle,' and we believe in that.
"We try to make it easy for people to get to church and the Sacraments. There are five weekend masses, and we have weekday masses two times a day and confessions six days a week."
The first paragraph of its mission statement reads as follows: "We, the people of Saint Peter Parish, guided by the Holy Spirit, are called to celebrate life in a community of faith, growth and compassion."
Calvary Baptist Church on Hamilton Street is an independent, soul-winning church. Part of its mission is to evangelize and bring the word of the Lord to men and women who have lost their way. The church features a new addition and is led by Pastor Rick Weesner, Spanish Pastor Edgar Velasco and Youth Pastor Andrew Whittenburg.
