Heather Edwards
Heather A. Edwards, 49, of Sullivan, passed away 3:37 a.m. Thursday, October 9, 2025 in her home surrounded by her loving family.
Read MoreObituaries 10-15-2025: Heather Edwards
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Obituaries 10-15-2025: Richard Day
Richard Day
Richard “Rich” Brian Day
Born July 10, 1950
Completed his journey on October 7, 2025, at 1:21 p.m., at home, with his wife, daughter, and a dear friend at his side
Richard “Rich” Day loved three things most: his family, honest work, and the open road. He was born and raised in Arthur, Illinois, learned early that your word matters, and carried that lesson all his life. He valued accountability, hard work, determination, and the stubborn spirit to never give up. He held those values to his last day.
Read MoreObituaries 10-15-2025: Reid Cornwell
Reid Cornwell
Reid L. Cornwell, 71, of Sullivan, passed away 1:40 p.m. Thursday, October 9, 2025 in his residence.
Read MoreObituaries 10-15-2025: Betty Bolsen
Betty Bolsen
Betty Lou Bolsen, 99, of Lovington, went to her heavenly home at 8:05 p.m. Sunday, October 12, 2025, at St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur, with family by her side.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the Lovington First Christian Church. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Saturday, at the church. Burial will be in Turner Cemetery, Lovington. Memorials may be made to the Lovington First Christian Church. McMullin-Young Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements.
Read MoreRemembering Who We Are……..78
Grandma’s Chamber Pot
•October 15, 2025•
by Janet Roney
I have too much stuff. Henry David Thoreau had a cure for too much stuff in his masterwork, Walden. He said to imagine tying everything you own onto a long rope, then dragging it all behind you everywhere you go. We would soon get rid of most of it.
When I pawed through piles of stuff inside my great aunt Oma Baker’s ancient oak wardrobe, looking for two Afghans I bought for gifts, I wondered who was responsible for all this stuff. Was it my Baker ancestor who came from Wales to Rhode Island in the 1600s to worship freely with Roger Williams? Did he bring a bunch of stuff with him, like this wardrobe, a bedstead, and maybe a chamber pot? Not likely. Did my Shuman ancestor, who left Germany for Philadelphia in the 1830s to escape becoming cannon fodder, bring his beer steins, walking sticks, and a cuckoo clock along with his shoe cobbler tools? No way! Did the little servant girl who came to Jamestown in 1610, the mother of my husband’s family line, drag a line of possessions after her to the new World? I don’t think so. All the stuff I was pawing through accumulated recently.
Read MoreA Look Back…10-15-2025
2015
Sullivan High School’s Alumni Banquet, held Saturday, was a celebration of heroic efforts and small-town values. The banquet, held in the Sullivan VFW building, included a special ‘Who’s Who” Award for an alumnus who has made a significant moral contribution to her local community. The winner was Kay Roney Chambers.
Harold White is a 30-year volunteer with the Lovington Ambulance Service, and on Saturday, October 17, his service will be recognized. Everyone was invited to stop by the Lovington Fire Department, have a snack, a drink, and thank him for his service.
Read MoreHICF adult scholarship recipient Clifton Ulbricht
•October 15, 2025•
by DM Williamee
The Heart of Illinois Community Foundation recently began awarding adult learner scholarships, and Clifton Ulbricht of Bethany was the first recipient of this scholarship. We spoke with him recently about the scholarship and the impact it has made on both his personal and academic life.
When asked how he became aware of the scholarship, Clifton advised that he found out about it through the Richland Community College Foundation office. It was a new scholarship, available to Moultrie County residents, and it had just been implemented this year for the Fall semester. He went online and applied, as well as followed through with letters of recommendation and the other typical pre-scholarship award steps. HICF asked him to share who he was, and his goals and ambitions were in the essay portion. Next, he spoke with the foundation and found out shortly thereafter that he was accepted into the scholarship program. Clifton shared that HICF’s scholarship application was one of the most streamlined, efficient, and simplest scholarships he has applied for. The scholarship award amount was $1,500.00, and it can be reapplied for on a semester-by-semester basis. Being awarded this scholarship has immensely helped him and his family. Having a family it helped balance the cost of going into a graduate program in Higher Education and Community College, which he is currently pursuing while also working in his chosen field.
Read MoreA sweet MCRTA meeting
•October 15, 2025•
Submitted
On Tuesday, October 1st, twenty-five Moultrie County retired teachers met at Flesor’s Candy Kitchen in Tuscola. Devon Flesor Story, the owner, welcomed the MCRTA with a history of her business and a tour of her kitchen. Story herself was a former teacher at EIU in Charleston.
Story’s grandfather, Gus Flesor, immigrated from Greece and began the American Dream working on the railroad. Through his efforts, Flesor brought over several family members and their favorite family recipes. By 1901, Gus and his brother Nick opened an iconic Greek confectionery and restaurant in Tuscola. Eventually, though, a family feud broke out and created business competitors. Customers had to sneak around the two brothers to do business with both.
Read More‘Holiday Market’ November 1st
•October 15, 2025•
On November 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the First Christian Church of Sullivan will hold a ‘Holiday Market’ at 1357 CR 1200 East in Sullivan. Coffee hour will be from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., with a lunch café from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. (carry out available). The market offers a ‘pick a prize’ drawing, barn quilt raffle, jewelry boutique, bountiful bakery, Christmas shoppe, and a crafters and quilters corner. All proceeds to benefit Moultrie County Food Pantry, SES Weekend Food Bag program, Sullivan AMBUBCS, and the Sullivan Area Ministerial Association.
Share your family favorite recipes
•October 15, 2025•
It’s that time of year again - we are asking for readers to submit their favorite recipe for our annual “Family Favorites” cookbook publication. Whether it’s an old family favorite passed down through generations, a recipe you created yourself when being creative, or something new that you love, we are interested in what tickles your palate and brings you joy to put on the table.
The “Family Favorites” cookbook will be published in November.
Please submit your recipes to rtipsword@newsprogress.com.