Special Issues

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]