Community Corner

Grayslake Landmark Reduced to Rubble

Greg Koeppen, who is a a Grayslake Chamber director, executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau and a DJ, talks to Patch about the razing of the former Country Squire, where he enjoyed many events over the years.

The Country Squire in Grayslake is now a memory. The restaurant and banquet hall, which closed its doors in Jan. 2012, was razed Tuesday.

The land, purchased by Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, will be utilized for future space needs related to its Grayslake facility.

End of an era

The Country Squire opened in 1954 by Martin and Edna Giesel and was acquired by the Govas family in 1977, reported Patch.

Greg Koeppen, owner of Medleys in Motion, was a DJ for weddings and events at the Country Squire for 16 years. He also attended many other events at the restaurant as a Grayslake Chamberdirector, executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau and Grayslake Fire Protection District commissioner.

Koeppen shares with Patch his reflections on the end of a chapter in Grayslake's history.

The Country Squire was a not only a restaurant and banquet venue, but it was a place so many throughout the Chicagoland area identified with for life events. Wedding receptions, birthday parties, Easter brunch and even funeral luncheons were held there.

I personally have many great memories of being a guest and also DJ'ing weddings at the Squire. The food was always top notch, the service was excellent and the owners (the Govas Family) gave back to the community.

When people ask where I am from and I say Grayslake, they immediately reply, oh the home of the Lake County Fair, Rockenbach Chevrolet (now Rock Chevrolet under new ownership) and the Country Squire.

The Squire was one of those iconic venues that helped put Grayslake on the map. I (jokingly) doubt the cafeteria food at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital will be on the same par as the Squire, but at least the expanding medical facility will be great asset to the residents of Lake County.

Read more on Patch:
The Country Squire Closes its Doors

What are your memories of the Country Squire? Share them in the comments.


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