Remembering

Vice Adm. Nils Ronald Thunman was born in 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Swedish immigrants who moved to Springfield in 1939. His father, who dearly loved his adopted country, became an engineer, helping to build several of Springfield’s most important public works. To say that the admiral led a consequential life would be […]

Yours in service “Yours in service.” If you’ve ever received an email or a letter from my older brother, Scott McFarland, you may be familiar with his sign off. Scott’s entire life was dedicated to helping others. Although he was taken far too soon – a week prior to his 42nd birthday – he touched […]

“Hey Kemosabe!” There are many people, past and present, who could tell you colorful, incredible, amazing and heartfelt stories about my Dad (someone who had epilepsy his entire life yet was a tremendous athlete), served in the Korean War and garnered a ‘laundry list’ of accolades in his 91-plus years on this Earth!  I just […]

A legacy of care for animals Frank Coble was a second-generation Springfield veterinarian who radically changed how animals are cared for in the community by instituting advanced treatment techniques, establishing an emergency clinic and training a new generation of animal doctors.  Coble died Sept. 8 at the age of 80 after battling dementia for several […]

Taking care of the families Susan Boone used her compassion to guide families dealing with the death of relatives after homicides, accidents, suspicious situations and other circumstances that required the attention of the county coroner. The reflections about Boone, a longtime former Sangamon County coroner who died at 76 on Dec. 30, 2024, came from […]

It’s been almost a year that I lost my Jim. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him and I miss him even more. My wonderful husband was smart, funny, handsome, loving and giving. Jim was the youngest of four sisters and a true gentleman. A wonderful dad/stepdad, granddad/step granddad, great granddad, […]

He cleared Illinois’ death row George Ryan was a cigar-chomping, salty-tongued Illinois pol whose political career pinnacled in the governor’s mansion and ended in a prison cell. The state’s 39th governor died May 2 at the age of 91 in his hometown of Kankakee.  Ryan was a product of the Kankakee political machine, which was […]

This year we give thanks for mustachioed men with ornery temperaments and hearts of gold. Upon approaching this unusual species in his natural habitat, an ordinary person could very easily be expected to pay little attention to such an immediately unassuming individual.  However … if that same someone was to endeavor beyond the surface, just […]

An advocate for the Pillsbury neighborhood When the Springfield community experienced the passing of John Keller this year, we lost a committed and active voice for the Pillsbury neighborhood. John was the longtime president of the Pillsbury Neighborhood Association who had organized the association in the late 1990s. He led the efforts to find lasting […]

Janet Eden, 88, passed away on Aug. 9, 2025, in Springfield. Seven years earlier her husband, John Eden, passed away after 59 years of mutual respect and devoted married life. Janet lived a quiet life as a homemaker. For most of their marriage they lived on three partially wooded beautiful acres on State Park Road […]

Daniel Schull, 74, passed away peacefully Tuesday, May 13, 2025, while in hospice care at the Mary Bryant Home for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Springfield. Dan had retired after working as an eligibility case worker for the Illinois Department of Human Services for 45 years. He was also union steward and a member […]

Who was Carrie Michelle Eichen? Carrie was one of the two most wonderful women I knew in my life. I loved both, continuing to love them more and more every day. Before dying, my late wife, Diana, told me she wanted me to find another woman to take her place, so she would know I […]