🔴YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY TO SIGN THE PETITION. The request for donations is for the website - not our cause. No need to pay!! 🔴

“Always be humble and kind” is a line we have heard Tim McGraw sing since 2016.

Long before that, there was another legend by the name of Frederick T. Owens. He took a different approach to spreading the message of “always be humble and kind.”

Why am I comparing a “small-town mayor” who passed away in ’92 to one of the biggest country stars? Because I have about 1.7 seconds to make you care, to get your attention, and coax you to continue reading.

In Orland Park, Illinois, we have a local legend who embodied that spirit – my grandfather, Frederick T. Owens.

While Fred may not have been a country music star, his impact on our community was undeniable. He served as mayor and was instrumental in transforming Orland Park from a "farm town" to a thriving suburb.

Fred's vision and leadership laid the foundation for the Orland Park we know today. He sadly passed away in 1992 during the town’s centennial celebration but his legacy lives on. As his grandchild, I'm heartbroken by the recent decision to remove the sign dedicated to him at the Orland Park Village Hall.

The Village Hall served as a lasting tribute to Fred's dedication - inspiring those who drove past the sign outside the village hall to wonder who the legend Fred Owens was. And then hopefully learning the universal mantra he’s remembered by - how he treated other people.

While he wouldn't have cared about fanfare (he famously drove with his bumper tied on!), his legacy deserves to be remembered. We, his family, and the community are rallying to ensure that happens.

He dedicated his life to public service and made a remarkable impact in his short 54 years.

Village Center buildings bearing the names of two other public servants are also at risk. The exterior sign at the Orland Park Civic Center - named for the late Trustee Bill Vogel - is slated for removal. And, the sign remembering Orland Park’s village treasurer of 65 years, Franklin Loebe, is on the chopping block.

However, the overwhelming support has been inspiring. To honor these men’s service to Orland Park, we urge you to:

• Write to the Mayor and Board of Trustees requesting the signs be returned and remain in place.
• Sign our online petition

Together, we can preserve the legacies of three men who did so very much for Orland Park.