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Recent Obituaries: Patricia Yargus

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Patricia Yargus

Patricia Margaret Madigan Yargus, 93, of Marshall, IL passed away 8:50 AM Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018 in the Gibson Center For Inpatient Hospice Care at Terre Haute, IN.
She was born June 5, 1925 at Brocton, IL, the daughter of Patrick H. and Rosa Ann Carroll Madigan. She married Lloyd A. Yargus on Nov. 25, 1942 at St. Louis, MO and he preceded her in death on Nov. 16, 2010.
Surviving are her children, Loretta Allen of Marshall, IL, Linda (Rick) Hardway of Petersburg, IL, Larry (Jenny Higginbotham) Yargus and Lyle Yargus both of Marshall, IL; grandchildren, Christina Hardway, Tricia Hardway, Joe A. Hardway, Anne Sheehy, Catherine Shaffer, Margaret Steward, Matthew Yargus and Adam Yargus; great grandchildren, Jonah Fried, Eliza Fried, Ava Hardway, Drew Hardway, Keil Roberts, Ella Roberts, Benjamin Sheehy, Tommy Sheehy, Rose Shaffer, Patrick Shaffer and Riley Newlin and her special caregiver, Alona Conrad. In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Louella Casteel; son-in-law, LaDonne Mitchell; a sister, Mary Ax and two brothers, Jerry and John Madigan.
Pat was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the Altar Society of the church. She had formerly been a volunteer at the Marshall Food and Clothing Bank, member of Clark County Home Extension and the Clark County Republican Women’s Club. But most of all she had been a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend to all who knew her.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated 11:00 AM Wednesday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Rev. Augustine Koomson as celebrant. Burial will be in the Marshall Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-7 PM Tuesday at Pearce Funeral Home with a Liturgical Wake Service at 3:30 PM. For those desiring, memorial contributions may be made to the Marshall Cemetery Association or Marshall Schools Foundation. Online condolences are being accepted at pearcefuneralservices.com.

Recent Obituaries: Evelyn Schwartz

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Evelyn Schwartz

Evelyn "Jeanette" Schwartz, 95, of Bethany, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, surrounded by her family, who sang "Jesus Loves Me" as she went to reunite with other loved ones.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 7, 2018 at Reed Funeral Home, Sullivan. Visitation will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Tuesday November 6, 2018, at Reed Funeral Home in Sullivan, IL. Burial will be in the Marrowbone Twp. Cemetery, Bethany.
Memorials are suggested to the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be shared at www.reedfuneralhome.net

Jeanette was born on November 4, 1922 at Todd’s Point, IL, the daughter of Ray Pritts and Alta Zona (Powell) Pritts. She attended Bethany schools, beginning in the one room schoolhouse at West Hudson. She married Roger Dean Schwartz on August 3, 1939, and he preceded her in death on August 26, 1962. In addition to caring for Roger, who was an invalid, she lived her life as an extraordinary example raising seven children, teaching them the importance of honor, integrity, and love of God, country, and especially family. She and all the children were members of the First Christian Church of Bethany.

She then went to nursing school and was the top graduate in her Licensed Practical Nursing class. She immediately began a remarkable career lasting 25 years at St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur, where she specialized on the psychiatric ward. Known affectionately as "Schwartzie" by staff and patients alike, she gained a reputation among her co-workers and doctors of being able to help the complicated and complex treatment and healing of any patient with her professionally firm but understanding personality. This included especially uncooperative patients that even the police and security could not handle.

Jeanette is survived by thankful and devoted daughters Janet (Alex) Shealy, Kay (Ted) Atkinson, Louanne Banks, and Shirley (Lowell) Ford, all of Bethany, and Zona (Jerry) Speasl of Pleasanton, CA, and son John (Marsha) Schwartz of League City, TX. She was the cherished and highly revered "Granny" to 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great grandchildren. All of us feel deeply blessed to be part of her family.

Recent Obituaries: Brenda McCabe

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Brenda McCabe

Brenda Lee (Utley) McCabe, age 59, of Bethany, Illinois, and former resident of Newton, Illinois, passed away at 7:30 PM – Friday, November 2, 2018, at her home.

Funeral services celebrating Brenda’s life will be held at 2:00 PM – Wednesday, November 7, 2018, at the Meyer Funeral Home in Newton, Illinois. Burial will be in the Vanderhoof Cemetery south of Newton, Illinois. Visitation will be held 1 hour before the service. In loving memory of Brenda, memorials may be made to the family. The obituary can be viewed and condolences left at www.meyerfh.com.

Brenda was born on December 28, 1958, in Effingham, Illinois, the daughter of Jesse and Betty Lou (Yocum) Utley. She married Richard Lee McCabe on April 2, 1998 in Sullivan, Illinois.

Brenda worked at Hydro Gear in Sullivan for 8 years. She enjoyed playing BINGO and working crossword puzzles.

Brenda is survived by:

Husband of 20 years – Richard McCabe of Bethany, Illinois
Mother – Betty Utley of Bethany, Illinois
Children – Jesse (Samanthe) Utley of Lovington, Illinois; David Utley of Bethany, Illinois; Mindy (Whitney) Shupe of Sullivan, Illinois and Richard McCabe, Jr. of Sullivan, Illinois
Grandchildren – Zoe Utley, Hope Utley, Dakota Utley, Zack Utley, JaxsonUtley, Chase Utley, Sierra Julian, Alex Julian, Eli Julian, Tasha Julian, Benny Julian and Waylen Shupe
Brother – Rodney (Joyce) Utley of Geneva, Alabama
Sisters – Patricia Walker of Newton, Illinois; Sherry Timbush (Noah Miller) of Cherry Valley, Illinois and Vicki McClain – Bethany, Illinois
Best Friend of 45 years – Vanetta King of Newton, Illinois
Guard Cat – Boots
Several nieces and nephews also survive

Brenda was preceded in death by her father Jesse Utley.

Carriage Crossing Reaches Out

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•October 31, 2018•

Carriage Crossing Senior Living located at the Green Mill Village development in Arcola is hosting a free dinner 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 15 at the Best Western Plus Hotel at 917 Green Mill Road in Arcola.
The free dinner is one of the Caring Conversations Luncheon Series where leading experts in the senior living industry discuss purposeful and thoughtful topics that interest seniors, their loved ones and their caregivers.
Speaker will be Elizabeth Hagemann, the Manager of Education and Outreach for Alzehimer’s Association Illinois Chapter. Hagemann is a highly trained professional in the senior living industry serving the Eastern 14 counties in central Illinois.
Her topic will be “Forget Me Not: Conversations about the Stages of Dementia & Alzheimer’s.”
She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology from Eureka College and earned her master’s in human services concentrating in gerontology from the University of Illinois at Springfield. Hagemann enjoys blending the knowledge she learned during her studies with the experiences she gained while caring for her grandmother who had Alzheimer’s disease.
Her hope is to spread awareness of Alzheimer’s and link families to helpful resources. Sponsoring the speaking series is Carriage Crossing Senior Living of Arcola, a leading choice for assisted living and memory care communities. Carriage Crossing has successfully implemented a focus on lifestyle, family and trust, with maintenance free living, exceptional farm to table meals, life-enriching opportunities and 24-hour personal care assistance.
Memory care at Carriage Crossing Senior Living is designed to support families caring for loved ones with dementia through a partnership built on trust between the well-trained and caring staff, the resident, the family and the physician.
Hagemann will address the caregivers about their importance in providing professional care for loved ones challenged with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
As seniors age and require personal care services, Carriage Crossing Senior Living is designed to grow with them, enabling them and their loved ones to know they have chosen a community that can meet their needs for today and tomorrow. An RSVP is needed to secure space for the dinner. Call 217-268-3516 to reserve a spot. The Best Western Plus Hotel is located at the 1-57 exit for Arcola.

Understanding Illinois: Illinois: From Leader to Laggard, and Back Again?

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•October 31, 2018•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

This is the seventh and final column on “What the next Illinois governor and legislature must do.”
In an old cartoon, Pogo surveyed the world around him and declared: We have discovered the enemy—and it is us! So it may be in Illinois. We are so glum about our fiscal, tax, political and corruption problems that many of my friends have given up on Illinois. And their dour attitude is infectious.
We all need a strong dose of Norman Vincent Peale’s power of positive thinking, which can also be infectious.
First, we are not alone in our travails. Many states face big problems. Coastal states are being hammered by more frequent and more ferocious storms. Texas and the Southwest are ever more beastly hot and desperately parched, wondering where their next drop will come from. California has not only punishing taxes but also housing prices that are pushing many out of that state.
Yet some states with big problems thrive. Minnesota has an individual income tax top marginal rate that is twice that of our tax: 9.85 percent versus our 4.95 rate. And winters that can be brutal. Yet Minnesota has a healthy, growing economy and increasing population.
For most of our state’s history, our great strengths—location in the middle of the country, dense networks of interstate highways and railroads, the nation’s leading airport for domestic and international connections, an incredibly vibrant central-city Chicago, copious surface and underground water supplies, and much higher than typical percentages of population with bachelor’s and advanced degrees—have made Illinois a leader among the states in innovation and wealth. Read More

City Council Gets Start on Water Plant Improvements

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•October 31, 2018•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

At the last Sullivan City Council meeting the new water plant project was initiated with approval of Lee Beckman to prepare engineering plans.
This is a long term project which could cost between $2-3 million a year until it is completely rebuilt.
“It’s a big project, but I feel it is very important for the future of the city,” Commissioner Mike Mossman said.
The council went on to discuss whether to replace existing water meters which are eight years old with a projected lifespan of 10 years. They discussed the possibility of getting meters that are automatic and did not contain moving parts but also noted replacing all the meters would take more manpower.
To replace them in a “timely-fashion,” employees from the other departments could assist to complete the project. The council decided that they would do some more research with further discussion next meeting. Read More

Obituaries 10-31-2018: Gloria Foley

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Gloria Foley

Early on Monday, October 29, 2018, Gloria Foley, 93, of Lovington, took the hand of Jesus and received a big hug from John as she entered the gates of Heaven.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, November 2 in Lovington United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held 5-7 p.m. Thursday at McMullin-Young Funeral Home in Lovington. Burial will be in Keller Cemetery in Lovington. Read More

Thinking About Health: Choosing Medicare Drug Coverage Can Be Tricky

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•October 31, 2018•

By Trudy Lieberman
Rural Health News Service

Karen R., a 70-year-old Medicare beneficiary living in a mid-size town in Indiana, contacted me recently about her Part D drug coverage. She and her husband both have traditional Medicare, a Medigap policy, and what’s called a stand-alone plan for their drugs. For a long time, her stand-alone plan offered through Humana worked well for them. Her out-of-pocket costs for most drugs was only $8.
This summer Karen, who takes 11 drugs for a variety of illnesses, including atrial fibrillation and kidney disease, was diagnosed with a new ailment – psoraisis.
Not only did the diagnosis catch her off guard but so did the high price tag for Otezla, one of the newer drugs for treating this ailment. It was the only psoriasis drug that worked well with other medications she was taking.
Karen and other seniors are discovering that some of these new drugs come with hefty price tags. Read More

Hatchet Volleyball Team Dominates Regional Tournament

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Photo by Bridgette Cole
WSS Hatchet Class 1A Regional Champions.

•October 31, 2018•

By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

The No. 1 seeded Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg volleyball team knocked off Neoga and Okaw Valley to win the Hutsonville Class 1A Regional championship Thursday.
The Hatchets, the National Trail Conference champions, advanced to the sectional semifinals where they easily defeated North Clay at Effingham St. Anthony’s Enlow Center Monday night.
Against North Clay, a team WSS defeated Sept. 27 and in last year’s sectional championship, WSS defeated the Lady Cardinals 25-8, 25-16 this year to advance to the sectional championship against Decatur St. Teresa.
Megan Schlechte recorded six aces, 10 kills and digs, and Mackenzi Tabbert tallied 14 assists and three digs.
Carson Cole collected four assists and nine digs, and Calla Roney hit six kills. Read More