Friends of Basketball

Ken & Margaret Mietz

Year Inducted: 1991

Category: Friends of Basketball

Schools / Organizations:
Joliet Central High School

Biography:  If Joliet Central was playing basketball, 3 people in the stands would answer to the names of Leroy Brunner, Margaret Mietz and Ken Mietz.  The trio had been following the Steelmen since their high school days back in the late 1940’s. They braved foul weather, restructured weekends and tailored vacation plans to be on hand for the Steelmen games. Counting sophomore games, girls’ games and occasional Joliet West games, the trio watch 75 games a year. Mietz’s fascination started in 1946 as a freshman watching the likes of Big Eight Conference scoring leader Frank Blum. Margaret Smith attended Wyanet High School and with a few friends would cruise the 90 miles to Joliet Township games. At a game in 1963,  Margaret caught Ken’s eye and they were married in December of 1968. Brunner keeps score at all the games while sitting with the Mietzes, with whom he rides to the games. They have followed the Steelmen to Champaign and remember Roger Powell of the Steelmen outplaying Thornridge’s Quinn Buckner. They cringe at the memory of the 1972 sectional loss to Lockport, when the Porters scored six points in the final 35 seconds to win. Ultimately, enduring tough losses and driving in blizzards were labors of love for Brunner and the Mietzes.

Ken Mietz died on November 7, 2018 at the age of 86.  Margaret died on November 9, 2015 at the age of 82.