Remembering

When a powerful tornado clawed its way through Springfield in 2006, Charles Robbins could have made a fortune selling real estate to homeowners and business owners whose buildings were destroyed. Instead, the legendary local real estate developer helped the city recover by offering his properties for free to the displaced. That was just part of […]

Grover Everett had at least one James Bond moment. It came at a Lincoln air show in 1988, while Everett was still in his skydiving phase. He was second in line, jumping right after someone who was going to display an American flag during the descent while a plane flew nearby in salute. Someone apparently […]

“Thanks for my walk upon the dust and stone / of this earth, to have fought for air, light and beauty / of my imperfect but so precious world.” Nancy Ganguli’s words and adoration touched many throughout Springfield, the U.S. and India. Even those who knew her briefly realized they were connecting with something special. […]

“When I met Yvonne it wasn’t long after my father (had) passed away and I was very depressed … Yvonne taught me how to love instead of hate. She was so free-spirited … it was just contagious. Within a week of meeting Yvonne, I went from being this really dark, angry person to… just a […]

What makes my grandmother special to me is the unconditional love she shared with me and our family. By this, she will never be forgotten. My grandmother was a woman you could never get by with disrespecting. She stood for respect and honor to all who entered into her presence. She always expressed love to […]

Shary Elizabeth Alwardt never gave up. She was born with a hole in her heart, which was bad enough. She also had pulmonary hypertension, a rare condition in which arteries that carry blood to the lungs become narrow. It is progressive, nearly always fatal and almost never present without some underlying trigger such as emphysema. […]

“Welcome home!” This was the last text I received from my dad the day before he suddenly died of a heart attack. He sent it as my boyfriend and I were returning from a weeklong, much-overdue vacation. Not only did he let us borrow his brand-new Prius so we could save money on fuel during […]

The Legacy Theatre’s summer production of Legally Blonde was in full swing with just a few shows to go, when suddenly an integral part of the team was gone. The production had lost its musical director, Jason Goodreau. In shock at the sudden death of their colleague and happy-go-lucky friend, the cast and theater community […]

I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). And through his faith in Christ, Gordon Smith did much. He lived a long, full life. His achievements were many, as were the lives he touched and shaped. Gordon’s faith provided the foundation to his life, which he honored through service to […]

My mama, Carol Ann Witherbee Cray, was a beautiful, strong and caring soul. The smile on her face could light up the darkest of rooms. Her life had many obstacles along the way; she however never let any one of them stand in her way. She found a positive in every obstacle that was thrown […]

Aunt Catherine was born on Nov. 6, 1919. She was not a famous poet, actress, singer, dancer or celebrity. She was our Aunt. She married Thomas Calwell in 1949. He preceded her in death in 2007. They had twin sons that died shortly after birth. Never again were Tommy and Catherine blessed with children. Instead, […]

Cilla Sluga was a radical, a rebel, a rabble rouser, a revolutionary. She was also a daughter, mother, friend and lover. She died suddenly Nov. 8. She died much too young. There are still people with disabilities locked up in institutions. There are still prisoners jailed by an unjust system. Thousands of people around the […]