Actually, my Dad was transferred to Alabama. 🤣
The fifties through the mid-seventies were a golden age in that entire area. There was post-war prosperity and there were good schools. Overall, it was a really decent place to live. Even East St. Louis, while it always has had a reputation for being rough, was liveable. It went into steep decline after that and, unfortunately, much of the rest of the area has started to follow it.