Cover Story
Remembering 2024
Our annual REMEMBERING edition, the last issue of the year, reminds us small-town folks that people we thought we knew we didn’t know as well as we wish we had, and those we didn’t know, we wish we had known. It reminds us that many more have died this year than we could possibly write…
Nosferatu a visually haunting vampire tale, Complete Unknown examines Bob Dylan’s rise, Babygirl too desperate
Eggers’ Nosferatu a bloodless exercise Among horror film aficionados, Robert Egger’s Nosferatu is the most eagerly awaited film of the year. While Werner Herzog’s 1979 remake of F.W. Murnau’s classic was a more grounded approach to the seminal vampire tale, the aesthetic of Eggers previous work promises something different. As for the story, Eggers introduces…
WILLIAM “BILL” HOLLAND Nov. 22, 1951-Aug. 10, 2024
Bill Holland arrived in Springfield modestly but stayed for almost a half-century and became a revered public servant, mostly out of public sight. What brought him here was a one-year internship after graduating from Seattle University in 1974 with a degree in public affairs. He was hired on full time by the House Democratic staff…
D’Wayne Morris Nov. 26, 1980-Aug. 8, 2024
D’Wayne Morris was the kind of friend everyone wishes they had: selfless, kind and always up for an adventure. He was a friend to everyone – someone with whom you could share successes, heartbreak, secrets and fears. His infectious laugh and warm smile could brighten even the darkest day. He was a confidante, a comforter…
BARBARA ANN YOUNG March 16, 1949-July 19, 2024
Barb’s parents were Fred and Doris Brown. In 1966 they allowed me to marry their daughter. This began a wonderful loving 58-year marriage. During those years the two of us grew up together. The first four years we were apart due to the military, the last 54 together every night. Barb had a love of…
PHILLIP “PHIL” R. KENNEDY Jan. 25, 1958 – Aug. 9, 2024
Phil Kennedy was the type who never met a stranger. While chatting with someone for the first time, it would indubitably be discovered they knew a person in common or were even related. His gregarious personality delighted in these reveals. He loved music and could often be found volunteering downtown and at Jerryfest. If there…
In memory of our homeless persons
I would like to take a moment to pray for the peace of members of the homeless community that we have lost this past year. There is no obituary mentioning family and their accomplishments. Their voice is quiet but their value is great as everyones’ is. They are children of God and will be missed…
KAREN M. BROWN-COASH Oct. 2, 1951-Oct. 29, 2024
Karen is missed very much, and her contributions to her community were many. Her kindness was extraordinary as well as her heart. Her knowledge of many topics and issues was amazing and her resources very broad. She could be tough yet compassionate, realistic but a visionary, and was committed to helping anyone in need, stranger…
DIANE BANTNER July 6, 1954-June 23, 2024
We lost our sister, Diane Bantner, on June 23, 2024, to non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver which turned to cancer. Diane worked in the pathology department at Memorial for 45 years before retiring. She started with Dr. Grant Johnson. She was a little intimidated by him at first, but then became good friends with him.…
ROBERT E. “BOB” CHIPMAN June 27, 1952-July 20, 2024
The Jacksonville community owes a debt of gratitude to local businessman, volunteer and all-around good guy Robert E. “Bob” Chipman. “Bob was good at whatever he did, whether it was loaning money, selling real estate or giving his time to organizations that were important to him and to Jacksonville,” said Joy French Becker, president and…
JENNIE D. MORICONI LIKENS Oct. 20, 1942 – Dec. 2, 2024
Grandmas hold a special place in our lives. They share with us knowledge of the past and inspire us as role models for the future. I truly believe that my grandma, Jennie Moriconi Likens, was one of the best grandmas anybody could ask for. Jennie was born in Springfield to a family of hard-working Italian…
The Miracle of the Lights
I begin by wishing those of our readers who celebrate Christmas a joyous and blessed holiday. As we approach the beginning of a new year, I hope that for all of us 2025 will be a time of health, of happiness and of fulfillment and that the new year might witness a lessening of the…
BRUCE HANNON August 1934–February 2024
In the world of conservation, Dr. Bruce Hannon was a giant. A legend. An activist. A teacher. A mentor. And expert clocksmith. He leaves a lasting legacy – in the lands and waters he helped protect (most notably Allerton Park and the Middle Fork River), the conservation organizations he launched, the oak seedlings he gave…
NORMAN KENT BROWN Jan. 17, 1936-Feb.18, 2024
Norm Brown was an adventurer in body, mind and spirit – one who drank deeply from the cup of life and was always in motion and in formation. He understood well that today’s present is more precious and authoritative than yesterday. Norman was a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserves from 1958 to 1962. He…
CAROLYN BARTHOLF OXTOBY June 1, 1931-Jan. 12, 2024
“When we took all the crap off it” – the crap being ill-considered “modernizations” that had turned a handsome 19th century commercial building into an ugly 20th century one – “we had a building that was simply stunning.” That was Carolyn Oxtoby, recalling the eureka moment when she became alive to the wisdom (and the…
CAROLYN SCHNIRRING DUNGAN April 16, 1957–October 6, 2024
Carolyn Dungan, a lifelong resident of Springfield, had a profound influence on her family, friends and the Springfield community. “Carolyn was an incredibly kind and generous person,” said John Stremsterfer, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. “She and her family have supported countless causes in our community, and her legacy…
MARIAN LEVIN Jan. 8, 1933 – Aug. 24, 2024
Member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Company in NYC; instructor of dance at Julliard. Marian was a dancer. She understood time, space, force, shape, dynamics. She breathed music – rhythm, melody, and tempo. Marian began her dance training at a young age, studying and performing with some of the giants of dance of her time…
FREDERICK C. EDMONDS June 29, 1951 – June 5, 2024
Fred Edmonds was well-known throughout Springfield and the central Illinois area as a performing musician and also as a loving family man and friend. He was a lifelong resident of Springfield, graduating from Southeast High School and working for 33 years at Honeywell Hobbs. Quiet and reserved by nature, Fred came alive when the drumsticks…
ALPLM volunteers
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Volunteer Services Department at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, our staff humbly offers a collective remembrance to memorialize the 191 volunteers who have passed over the last two decades. These dedicated individuals faithfully served our institution and the Springfield community by sharing the life and…
MARY AONO YOSHIMURA Feb. 18, 1955 – Aug. 21, 2024
When Mary was 10 years old, she auditioned for a professional production of South Pacific. One other youngster auditioning that afternoon was called to the stage and sang loudly; her voice reaching the back row of seats where we sat. Then Mary was called. With shoulders squared, her shiny black hair streaming down her back,…
DR. STEVEN L. FRITZ March 17, 1961-June 24, 2024
Steven wanted to be a psychologist since he was 8 years old and was adamant that he never wanted to retire. He was working until the day he left this earthly life on June 24, 2024. He embodied the phrase “still waters run deep.” He was a professional listener and a selfless servant to anyone…
GAIL LORENZINI Aug. 7, 1952-July 4, 2024
Gail Lorenzini was an educator, an entrepreneur and a business owner who immersed herself into the community and took advantage of her varied points of contact to support area causes. Gail did nearly all of this in partnership with her husband, John, before she died unexpectedly July 4 at the age of 71. Gail and…
PENNY ANN MEYER Jan. 10, 1945-May 19, 2024
Penny was a big sister, a serious student, a smiling teenager who dated regularly. She was an earnest college student studying math, business education, and library science. She was a teacher with high expectations of her students. She was a wife, a working mother of two who doted on both her son and daughter. She…
JIM JOHNSON Nov. 3, 1953-March 21, 2024
Jim Johnson passed away on March 21, 2024, at his home in Springfield. Some years earlier, Jim had retired as a brigade chaplain lieutenant colonel following a career that spanned 37 years in the U.S. Army. He had served as a chaplain, not only at various bases within the U.S. but also in Kosovo, Bosnia,…
MARY LYNN KELLY March 1, 1936-May 26, 2024
Heaven’s a lot more fun since Mary Lynn has arrived. And you can bet everybody’s been through her etiquette class. She fits right in as the new “special events coordinator” for God himself. Count on a welcoming front porch just like hers in Washington Park, an Irish welcome, an ear to listen and a hand…
BARRY JOSEPH SKAGGS SR. Nov. 29, 1960 – July 29, 2024
Barry was a special man. He would put everyone before himself. Barry would give the shirt off of his back if someone needed it, or his last dollar. He was called “Mr. Fix-It” because he could fix anything that was broken or that could be fixed. He also could build anything that you wanted him…
KEVIN G. KAMPWERTH June 18, 1960-Oct. 6, 2024
Kevin Kampwerth was a treasured volunteer and past president of the Clinton County Fair board in Carlyle. Kevin was the first to poke fun at himself or tell you how lucky he was to be married to his wife of 41 years, LuAlice. His daughter, Whitney Kampwerth Luebbers, and son-in-law, John, were often seen with…
BOB GRAY March 22, 1940-Sept. 23, 2024
“Bob always wanted to talk about issues and, frankly, he took an interest in the local political scene, too,” said his longtime friend Taylor Pensoneau, a retired Statehouse reporter and lobbyist. “He always wanted to discuss individuals, political movements and people that he considered to be on the right side of things, and then there…
TONY YOUNG June 30, 1960-Oct. 30, 2024
Tony Young was a pillar of the Springfield community, and not just for the theater. He was diligent, encouraging, hilarious and hard-working. To many people, Tony was a role model, a mentor and a confidant. Many people remember Tony because of his beautiful baritone. His voice was as captivating as his presence. He welcomed you…
WILL BURPEE Dec. 2, 1954-Jan. 7, 2024
Will Burpee passed away on Jan. 7, 2024 – just over a month after turning 69. When he relocated to Springfield to attend Sangamon State University, he carried with him a lifelong passion for writing (and also for the New England Patriots). As befitting a person whose middle name was Byron, Will was a keen…
LARRY BENEDICT Nov. 15, 1943-Sept. 22, 2024
Larry Benedict was a man of many talents and an endless well of warmth and wisdom. Known affectionately as “Granddaddy Larry,” he brought joy to those around him with his unshakable cheer and gentle spirit. In his garden, he found a sacred connection to the earth, nurturing each flower with care and a radiant smile.…
LAUREN ENGLEKE-SMITH June 8, 1978-Sept. 16, 2024
Bone marrow transplants saved Lauren Engleke-Smith’s two young sons, but the mother’s bone marrow transplant wasn’t enough to stop the raging leukemia in her own body. One bone marrow transplant is brutal for a family, but three seems untenable. Yet, Lauren radiated unending hope and faith until the very end. Lauren, 46, of Springfield, died…
SONYA MASSEY Feb. 2, 1988-July 6, 2024
To her large, extended family, the July 6 shooting death of Sonya Massey was a shocking and devastating loss of a single mother and a God-fearing woman struggling with mental-health issues who loved her two teenage children and was loved. To the world, the end of the 36-year-old Woodside Township Black woman’s life – brought…
ROBERT PRICHARD July 7, 1949-June 19, 2024
I’m just going to say it: One of the first things anyone would notice about Bob Prichard had to be his hand. It was brutally mangled – some fingers missing, the rest unartfully rearranged. Honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to ask what had happened to him, and when Bob voluntarily told me, some years into…
BILL EVANS July 29, 1939-Oct. 15, 2024
Have guitar, will play, could perhaps be the calling card of Bill “Mr. Machine Gun” Evans, one of the Springfield area’s most renowned, respected and revered guitarists ever to pick on those six strings. William J. Evans was born in Topeka, Illinois, and along with his lifetime pursuit of music-making, worked at Springfield Memorial Hospital…
THERESA FAITH CUMMINGS Feb. 27, 1933-Sept. 8, 2024
Some call Theresa Faith Cummings “a force” in the best way. “Aunt Theresa always worked to serve others,” says her niece, Rev. Vanessa R. Cummings of Oxford, Ohio. “She always stood up and spoke up. She could work until two or three in the morning, then be up at six to keep working.” Cummings couldn’t…
Judith “Judy” Cully Dec. 3, 1938 – June 7, 2024
After my mom passed away, I found a folder in her desk marked “funeral.” The folder contained her self-written obituary, a poem and a copied short story. The story was about how your date of birth and date of death are important dates but the most important is the dash between the two. The dash…
ELSIE JANE BLACK Sept. 1, 1940-Sept. 24, 2024
We lost my beloved mother-in-law, Elsie Jane Black, in September of this year. Mom, or “Momma Else,” as her son and my husband, Eric, called her, had a smile that would light up a room and melt away any troubles. She was a devoted mother, wife and sister. Momma Else was also grandmother extraordinaire to…
Betwixt holidays and NYE
As far as entertainment factor times go, having Christmas on a Wednesday works very well to get the holiday behind us before the weekend appears, and this year that’s the case. The only problem comes with covering New Year’s Eve in the same issue as that night of all nights pops up next Tuesday. Let’s…
DELORES L. (PRIOR) POWERS Dec. 18, 1940-Nov. 4, 2023
During this past year we lost the matriarch of our family, Delores L. (Prior) Powers. She was born Dec. 18, 1940, in Mechanicsburg. She married John F. Powers Sr. (1940-2003) on Oct. 15, 1957. They had five children, John F. Powers Jr., Levi L. Powers Sr., Vickie D. Landholt, Mark Q. Powers and Charlene D.…
BRANDON JAMES COONROD Aug. 27, 1998 – Aug. 9, 2024
Brandon was a faithful follower of God, loving brother, friend and beloved son. He was an Eagle Scout, member of Chatham Baptist Church, participant in Boys State and lover of the band Twenty One Pilots. He was incredibly intelligent and always had a passion for following the Lord and seeking after God no matter the…
LINDA KAY (LEE) VINCENT March 1, 1956-April 10, 2024
My sister, Linda Kay Vincent (nee Lee), passed away April 10 after a six-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was diagnosed in her early 60s as early onset dementia. They say Alzheimer’s/dementia is the long goodbye and it truly is. I miss my sister. We were only 1 1/2 years apart in age and many…
Annual downtown event rings in the new year in style
Head downtown on New Year’s Eve for this annual family-friendly event at four iconic locations. This year’s event features children’s activities, a special around-the-world midnight countdown with confetti cannons at ALPLM, ice skating at Union Square Park, tours with live music at the Dana-Thomas House and a dazzling fireworks spectacular. In its 38th year, this…
