Catherine Staab had just seven nieces and nephews, but if you included the people who called her “Aunt Catherine,” that number would have been in the triple digits. She never knew a stranger – everyone called her Aunt Catherine. A woman dedicated to her career as funeral director, Aunt Catherine served the Springfield community alongside […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inArts & Culture
Citizen Clarke
Jack Clarke reigned over the State Journal-Register when newspapers mattered. People believed what they read in newspapers when Clarke was publisher of the capital city’s daily paper. Newspapers were strong businesses, with profit margins that exceeded 25 percent and publishers who were players, sitting on influential civic boards and bestowing make-or-break endorsements on candidates for […]
Posted inArts & Culture
First responder
If you were to mention the name Al Lewin anywhere in the central Illinois emergency services community, there would be instant recognition. For many years, Al served the Illinois State Police, as well as fire departments in Auburn and Chatham. He could be seen often running to emergencies of all kinds. He served as an […]
Posted inArts & Culture
She held many titles
My mom had the biggest heart and was a phenomenal woman. Mom graduated from the U of I and received her master’s from SIUC. She was proud that three generations of women in her family had received SIUC master’s degrees (my mom, her mother and I). Her first job was teaching in Paxton, Illinois, and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dapper Dan
They called him Dan, Danny, Danny Boy, Dapper Dan, Mr. Dan and Mr. Buck, and all who knew him marveled at his resilience and the illumination he brought to nearly every conversation. Daniel R. Buck died on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the age of 95, a fitting day for a WWII veteran who always wore […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A champion of veterans
Thomas R. Jones dedicated his life to serving his country and his fellow man. He spent eight years in the U.S. Navy, which included a 13-month tour of duty in Vietnam, followed by a long and distinguished career in public service. Having experienced firsthand the horrors of war and the difficulties of adjusting to civilian […]
Posted inArts & Culture
You flooze, you lose
I’m a married lesbian in my 50s. I blew up my happy marriage by having an affair with somebody I didn’t love and wasn’t even that attracted to. Now my wife, whom I love very much, is divorcing me. Why did I cheat on her? I don’t understand my own behavior. – Lost There are […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Love thy neighbor
Military families often suffer from isolation, and the problem is even more pervasive at the holidays. Here’s how one couple went above and beyond to provide love, peace of mind and a few good meals to a military family in need of support. When Army Captain Chase Burnett was relocated to Fort Campbell in Kentucky, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Hometown shopping hero
We humans are social creatures, and nothing highlights our need for human interaction and goodwill like the holiday season. That’s why many shoppers prefer to patronize local stores, where a staffer might greet them by name, and help them select the perfect gift. For some, that experience is worth paying a few dollars more, even […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A mysterious blessing
This is Roy French’s annual Christmas memóir. Mr. Houck came early to the Sangamon Valley while it was still a wilderness without many inhabitants. He came before the land was surveyed so his fields stretched from the big sycamore tree to the east to the large cottonwood on the creek bank to the west. All […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Want to give back? Here’s how to do it
We’re moved to express our gratitude to those in need and those who have made a positive impact on our community. And many times, we feel the urge to do something that goes beyond a spoken “thank you.” For some, that involves volunteerism and service of their own. For many others it involves donating to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Sharing the love of reading
Tiffany Roe and Litina Carnes looked at their collection of books that had outgrown their houses and started brainstorming ways to share their love of books. “We didn’t just want to donate them and have them resold. So we said, let’s find a way to give them to ones in need,” Tiffany explains. Litina adds, […]
