Betty Bushert
Betty E. Bushert passed away on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at Bethel Oaks Assisted Living Center in Viroqua, WI at the age of 101. She was born on December 30, 1924, the daughter of Ralph and Cecelia (Shively) Lehman of Sullivan, Illinois. She had two brothers, Sam and Don and one sister, Kathleen. She graduated from Sullivan High School in Sullivan, IL in 1943.
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One Town, One Million Dreams initiative for Sullivan was presented to 120 Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development luncheon guests, January 29th. Executive Director Stephany McMahon addressed the crowd in the First United Methodist Church banquet hall, explaining SCED’s new initiative. “We hope to inspire each of you to brainstorm what dreams you have…” McMahon challenged the group. “By sharing our dreams, we hope to nurture many to fruition in 2016.”
The 2016 Sullivan School District Spelling Bee was held on Wednesday, January 27th, in the Sullivan High School Commons. Students in grades 4-8 earned the privilege of representing their grade level at this spelling bee. The six winners and two alternates who are moving on to the Moultrie County Bee are Lara Herschberger (5th), Zachary Kursell(5th), Aastha Patel (6th), Alyssa Thompson(6th), Reagan Crouse (7th), and Brett Johnson (7th). The alternates are Maggie McLaughlin (8th) and Zoe Walton (7th).
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•February 4, 2026•
by DM Williamee
Beginning on January 1st through to June 2026, Sullivan’s First United Methodist Church has an interim pastor, Mike Smith, a busy man. Pastor Smith is a retired UMC pastor with over fifty years of pastoral experience in local churches, serving in numerous conference leadership roles through the years. After retiring in 2020, he was appointed by three different bishops to serve several churches that needed short-term, transformative leadership. He has also developed an innovative/experimental program for churches to turn their stories around, with five churches currently engaged. He is also a part-time professional (certified) tour guide for Chicago, writes a blog, speaks at conferences, and has published a book (with more writing in the works) titled “Teaching the Preacher to Curse.” His wife Jie is the pastor of the Mansfield United Methodist Church, and they have three daughters and four grandchildren.
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•February 4, 2026•
by DM Williamee
We see the lights and hear the sirens as the SFPD trucks mobilize on a call, but oftentimes we don’t see or know the outcome of that call. No story is reported in the newspaper or released online, and nothing is coming down the grapevine. That does not mean, however, that nothing important occurred on that call. Sullivan Fire Protection District’s team of staff and volunteers is continuously hard at work, and what we see is a small fraction of what happens behind the headlines. When not out on a call, the Sullivan Fire Protection District staff is involved in a multitude of diverse duties such as ongoing training, smoke detector installations, pre-plan development, and maintenance on a daily, weekly, and monthly (always ongoing) basis. And this list is not all-encompassing.
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•February 4, 2026•
Moultrie County Monthly Quarter Madness will hold its February Quarter Auction on Wednesday, February 11th. The event will be held at the Sullivan American Legion. Heritage Woods of Sullivan, formerly Courtyard Estates, is the organization of the month. They offer an assisted living lifestyle that is affordable for all seniors. Heritage Woods opened in October 2008 and was recently acquired and is now managed by Gardant Management Solutions.
Bring a BINGO prize and receive a free $1 bidding paddle. Residents specifically love candy, puzzle books, word searches, Kleenex, toilet paper, and snacks. At the February Quarter Madness, vendors could include Plunder, Pampered Chef, Scentsy, Avon, Tastefully Simple, Color Street, plus different craft and food vendors with tumblers, t-shirts, crafts, earrings, signs, garden stakes, décor, sourdough baked goods, meat bundles, and more. Come shop with the vendors and stay for the Quarter Auction. Bring your quarters for charity items and extra bidding. All-In-Paddle will be $20. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the Quarter Auction begins at 6:30. All ages are welcome. A bake sale to also benefit Heritage Woods will have goodies for purchase. The SAL will be in the kitchen with food available for purchase. Drink purchases can be made through the Legion as well. For more information, visit “Mo Co Monthly Quarter Madness” Facebook page.
•February 4, 2026•
The Okaw Valley School District and the Project HELP Preschool program will be offering free developmental screening to provide parents with an opportunity to discover how their child is developing in the areas of speech, language, concepts, and motor skills. Vision and hearing screenings will also be offered, free of charge. It’s time to think about Pre-school and Kindergarten for the upcoming school year for your child. To find out what preschool options are available in your community or to pre-register your child for kindergarten, schedule an appointment to have your child screened.
This screening will take place on Monday, March 23rd and Tuesday, March 24th at First Christian Church, 312 W. South Water, in Bethany. For an appointment, call Tracy Ryherd at (217) 665-3541. Signed parent or guardian permission is required. Screenings are required for possible enrollment in the Project HELP preschool classroom.
Johnna L. Howard, 73, of Sullivan, passed away at 11:13 p.m. Monday, January 26, 2026 in Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri.
Celebration of Life services will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at the Sullivan Southern Baptist Church with Pastor Don Lusk officiating. Burial will be in the Beals Cemetery, Trilla, Illinois. Visitation will be from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Memorials are suggested to the Hope Lodge, 4207 Lindell Blvd. St. Louis, Missouri 63108 or the Sullivan Southern Baptist Church.
Johnna was born on December 14, 1952 in Mattoon, Illinois, the daughter of John W. and Charlotte Stortzum Claxon. She had been a Physical Therapy Assistant at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon. She was a member of the Sullivan Southern Baptist Church where she was Director of Women’s Missionary Group as well as many other church committees, member of the Southern Baptist Church Disaster Relief Team. She enjoyed hiking, camping and reading books, especially the Bible. Johnna married Terry Howard on July 14, 1978 in Mattoon.
Survivors include her husband Terry; sons Travis (Nicole) Howard of Mattoon and Troy (Diane) Howard of San Diego, California; grandchildren Landon, Ava, Ciara, Gabe, Candence and Caleb Howard; sisters Peggy Edwards of Rantoul and Billijean Powell of Mattoon; step sister Tina (Wayne) Giourard of Richland, Georgia; step brother Jeff Bickel of Arthur; half sister Beth Claxon of Colorado and half brother Jim Claxon of Mattoon and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, step father Charles Bickel, sister Vicki McGuffey and half sisters Megan Claxon and Katy Robinson.
Karon Lawson, 88, of Decatur, passed away on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at her home.
Graveside services will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Keller Cemetery, Lovington. Memorials may be made to American Red Cross: PO Box 37839 Boone, IA 50037-0839. McMullin-Young Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements.
Karon was born on February 25, 1937; the daughter of Allen and Jean Taylor (Gay) Wilke. She married LeRoy Lawson on May 8, 1954, in Union City, TN; he preceded her in death on January 13, 2018. Karon was a retired surgery tech and OB tech at St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur for many years. She was a volunteer for the American Red Cross and taught CPR. Karon was the Civil Defense Leader in Moultrie County during the Cuban Missile Crisis. She spent time as a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader through the years. Karon enjoyed crocheting and her circle word puzzles. She had a deep love for her family and Karon held a special place in her heart for all of her animals.
Karon is survived by her children, Kathy (Chuck) Levandoski of Decatur, Bill (Lori) Lawson of Lincoln, Susy (Pat) Simpson of Greenup, Lesa (Scott) Stearns of Bloomington and Mike (Bridget) Lawson of Downs; siblings, Joanlee Langone, Sharon Wilke and Roger (Joyce) Wilke. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Karon was preceded in death by her parents, husband and 1 granddaughter.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mcmullinyoung.com
Crystal R. Harl, 65, of Sullivan, passed away on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, in Sullivan.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Monday, February 2, 2026, at McMullin-Young Funeral Home, Sullivan, the family request casual attire. Visitation will be held an hour prior to the services, Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery, Sullivan. Memorials may be made to The Life Center: PO Box 11, Sullivan, IL 61951
Crystal was born on November 14, 1959, in Mattoon; the daughter of Lewis F. and Pauline (England) Harl. Crystal worked in the kitchen at the Masonic Home for twenty years. She was a member of the New Life Church. Crystal was an avid country music fan, and she took multiple bus trips to see county music stars, with one to Nashville Fan Fair where she got to meet her favorite country music artist Marty Stuart! Crystal also got to meet Travis Tritt and many other artists on her country adventures. She loved spending time with her friends, family and her sister’s Yorkies.
Crystal is survived by her sister, Penny (John) Fultz of Bethany.
She was preceded in death by her parents, 1 brother and 1 half-brother.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mcmullinyoung.com