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Columns

  • Don Funk exemplified a 'life well-lived'

     When I received my copy of The Leader- Union in the mail this past Thursday, I learned that my longtime chemo buddy, Don Funk, had passed.
    My first thoughts were of the place he had in my life.  
    I met Don Funk in 1999 when I began the long haul of chemotherapy for breast cancer.  We visited from time to time as we occupied easy chairs in the treatment rooms at Fayette County Hospital.

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  • Banks of the Okaw

    This week’s Mystery Banks Photo: These siblings, pictured about 55 years ago, all grew up in Vandalia. The girl on the left was an Army wife and now lives in Lebanon, the girl in the center has been a familiar face around Fayette County Hospital and the boy on the right deals in antiques.
    Do you know them? If so, call The Leader-Union, 283-3374.
    In last week’s Mystery Banks Photo was: Larry Peyton.

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  • The Way We Were

    15 Years Ago

    1995 – A ground-breaking ceremony was held for an addition to Fayette County Hospital & Long Term Care.
    The Vandalia Police Department received a $6,664 federal COPS MORE grant. The department was to buy up to six cages for squad cars.
    Ralston Edwards, a community leader and grocer in Vandalia for more than 60 years, died at the age of 82.
    Ann Schwarm of Loogootee was appointed coordinator of educational services for the Regional Superintendent of Schools.

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  • Notable houses also lined Gasoline Alley

    In April 1933, a former Vandalia resident, Jeff Freeman, visited his old hometown and sat down with the editor of The Vandalia Union newspaper to reminiscence about the businesses that lined Gallatin Street during his boyhood in the late 1870s and 1880s.
    “The famous National Old Trails Road on Vandalia’s leading street was just a sea of mud in which horses and wagons bogged down and citizens feared to cross 50 years ago.

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  • Banks of the Okaw

    This week’s Mystery Banks Photo: This young man, pictured nearly 50 years ago, has lived most of his life in Vandalia. He and his wife have three grown children and five grandchildren. In this picture, he was advertising a local car dealership.
    Do you know him? If so, call The Leader-Union, 283-3374.
    In last week’s Mystery Banks Photo were: Tammy Stine Votrain, G.R. Stine II and Kelly Stine Redenbo.
    Identifying them were: Juanita and Ted Workman, Danny Donaldson, Shirley Ferguson, Bailee Workman and Debbie Smith.

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  • The Way We Were

    15 Years Ago

    1995 – The chief of staff preservation services for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency came to Vandalia to view the rehabilitation work being done on the Fayette County Museum building.
    Tom Isbell, a Vandalia alderman and former member of the city planning commission, died after suffering a stroke.
    The Vandalia Vandals opened the 1995 football season with a 40-0 trouncing of Litchfield. Travis Blain led the Vandals’ offense with 73 yards, and Zach Gummert completed seven of 17 passes for 103 yards.

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  • Blankenship's hobby preserved history

    Granville Blankenship was born on April 5, 1890, in Bear Grove Township, the son of Francis Marion Blankenship and Barbara Tirzah Carpenter.
    Barbara was a daughter of Peter and Mary Dickson Carpenter, and came to Illinois with members of her family from Cleveland County, N.C., soon after the death of her father on May 27, 1865, in a Union prisoner of war camp at Point Lookout, Md.

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  • Banks of the Okaw

    This week’s Mystery Banks Photo: These three siblings are pictured about 35 years ago. They grew up west of Vandalia. The girl on the left now lives about 60 miles west of here, is married and has four children. They boy in the middle and the girl on the right still live in the area. The boy is single and has one son. The girl is married and has two children.
    Do you know them? If so, call The Leader-Union, 283-3374.
    In last week’s Mystery Banks Photo was: Erma Joy Warner.

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  • The Way We Were

    15 Years Ago

    1995 – Jenner & Block, a Chicago law firm representing convicted murderer Stuart Heaton, filed a motion asking for the right to seek additional information it felt would help fight Heaton’s conviction and life imprisonment. Special prosecutor Don Sheafor was arguing that Jenner & Block should be disqualified because it was arguing Heaton was not adequately represented at trial, even though it waived that issue in appellate court.

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  • Carrie Nation wielded ax against saloons

    Carrie Nation was a terror to the saloon owners in Kansas, and many fled before her ax.
    Carrie Amelia Moore was born on Nov. 25, 1846, in Garrard County, Ky., and married Dr. Charles Gloyd in 1867. Dr. Gloyd, a veteran of the Civil War was a drunkard, and died soon after their marriage.
    Ten years later, in 1877, she again tied the knot – this time with David Nation, a lawyer, minister and editor. In 1889, the couple moved to Medicine Lodge, Kan.

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