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Elmor “Sonny” Wilder: Heritage Health Spotlight

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Sonny pictured with Ed Love & Elizabethe Kuhlemeyer.

Elmor “Sonny” Wilder is our Resident Spotlight for Heritage Health Therapy and Senior Center. Sonny has been a resident at Heritage Health, previously Heritage Manor, since December of 2010. “It is very nice here, but there are other places I would like to be,” Sonny said. Sonny hopes to return home soon.

Sonny, who is 74 years old, was born in Dorchester, Illinois. Dorchester is almost identical to what it was when I was growing up, Sonny stated. Dorchester has not had much fluctuation in population for quite a few years. Sonny had a large family growing up, as he had two brothers and two sisters.

Growing up, Sonny worked almost all the time. Having a large family and living on the farm, there was always something for Sonny to do. The Wilder family always put in a large garden each year, so there was always garden work to be done. “If I wasn’t working in the garden, there were always animals to be fed,” Sonny said. During the winter when there was no garden, the Wilder children spent majority of the time hauling in wood for the wood burning stoves.

Living on a farm, Sonny experienced many “great” meals. Sonny’s favorite meal cooked by his mother was her fried chicken. “She was awful good at cooking it, I loved it,” Sonny mentioned. With the fried chicken, the Wilder family had “the standard.” The standard consisted of mashed potatoes, corn and gravy.

Sonny started school in a country school which was called a Grime school. When the Wilder family moved, Sonny attended Wilsonville School for only a year and half until all the schools were consolidated in Gillespie. Sonny then finished out his schooling in Gillespie. “I liked the sports,” Sonny said. Sonny said he could of done better when he spoke of the sport he played. Sonny played football while he was in high school. Sonny graduated in 1954 and he recalls about 60 kids graduated in his class.

After high school, Sonny joined the Marines. In the Marines, Sonny was awarded expert rifle and expert pistol awards as well as good conduct and national defense. Sonny taught small arms in the Marines. I usually spent my day at the firing range, Sonny said. Sonny recalled the event when he had to fail someone who was up for an officer position. After I failed him, he had to write a letter to combat of the Marine Corp. explaining why. “Boy he was madder than hell, I had to call the range officer to control him,” Sonny said, “The 300 yard line killed him, he completely missed his targets.. dumbass.” and Sonny was in the Marines for 4 years and then he got out because he wanted to get married. “They didn’t like you to have a wife if you were serving,” Sonny told us, “If they wanted you to have a wife, they would issue you one.” In the Marines, Sonny did a lot of guard work.

Then after the Marines, Sonny got married to Shirley and spent a little time in Milwaukee. With his wife Shirley, Sonny had 3 children: Lori, Lynn, and Karen. All three daughters live in the BenGil area and visit Sonny regularly, he said. “I didn’t like living in a big town, too much noise and too many traffic jams,” Sonny said. Then when Sonny returned to the BenGil area, he worked at many places. He didn’t stay very long because “I needed better hours.” At many jobs, Sonny had to work many night shifts and even weekends. Sonny worked the longest at Prairie Farms and yet, he still had to work every Sunday after working there for 7 years.

After quitting Prairie Farms, Sonny started a hog farm: Wild John’s Hog Farm. “The hog farm kept me pretty busy, there was always work to be done,” Sonny said. The hog farm was located outside of Dorchester and had room for 1,200 head in buildings. Sonny’s wildest hog experience was chasing an “ole sal” that escaped. The hog escaped and built a nest and gave birth to 5 baby pigs, Sonny said. “It was easy for me to get her back, because I just took her pigs back to the barn and she followed me,” Sonny explained. After about 10 years, Sonny sold the farm. At the time, Sonny was going through a divorce. It was best for me to sell it, Sonny told us.

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Shortly after selling the hog farm, Sonny started his second business: Wilder Excavating. Sonny did a lot of water line work when he operated the excavating company. Wilder Excavating no longer exists, Sonny said, I had to close it once I had a stroke and ended up at Heritage Health. Sonny’s family has sold off all his equipment since then.

I liked being my boss, but both jobs were “a hell of a lot of work.” Being his own boss, Sonny enjoyed the fact that he could take a day off whenever he would like. The excavating company was harder than owning the hog farm, Sonny recalled. Sonny is also the president of the resident council.

At Heritage Health, Sonny enjoys playing bingo and watching television. Sonny also enjoys therapy at Heritage Health. Therapy has been fun, Sonny said. “I can now walk from my room all the way down to the front desk and back every day,” Sonny mentioned.

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Gillespie teen wins drive safe Chicago video contest

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Wins $2,000 Prize and Video She Created will Air on 160 TV Stations Nationwide

CHICAGO – Emily Bergen, 16, a student at Gillespie High School in Gillespie, has won the annual Drive Safe Chicago public service announcement contest.  Antonio Knott, 15, of Merrillville High School in Merrillville IN, placed second in the voting, and Noelani Elizalde, 17, also from Merrillville High School, was third. 

Sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation in partnership with the Chicago Auto Show, teens from Illinois and surrounding states were invited to submit ideas for a 30-second PSA about sharing the road with other passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians.

Three finalists were selected and each worked with an Emmy Award-winning producer to transform their PSA submissions into 30-second TV public service announcements.  The public was then able to vote for their favorite online.  More than 1,400 online votes were cast.

The winner received $2,000 and will be featured on nationally-syndicated Teen Kids News, reaching more than 160 TV stations across the country. The first runner-up got $1,000 and the second runner-up won $500.  All three finalists’ teachers received $100 gift cards.

Bergen’s winning PSA shows a young driver starting her car and pressing a “share the road” button.  As she drives, an AI voice warns her of a bicyclist, a pedestrian and children in a school zone. The voice then reminds her, “Cars don’t come with devices like me, which is why you need to know how to share the road.”

“The carnage on our roads can be reduced if drivers remain aware of others who share the road,” said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes safe driving. “We think the creative ideas about sharing the road from our Drive Safe Chicago winner and runners-up convey that message effectively.”

“Although today’s new cars are safer than ever, with technological advances that are proven to help avoid crashes,” said Chicago Auto Show Chairwoman Kelly Webb Roberts, “drivers must still be aware of others they are sharing the road with, whether it’s a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrians.”

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The National Road Safety Foundation says driver error accounts for 94 percent of all fatal crashes, with speeding and driver distraction among the leading factors.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 40,990 people died on U.S. roads and highways in 2023, with hundreds of thousands of injuries and an estimated annual cost of more than $340 billion.

View Bergen’s winning video below:

Bergen’s video is also featured center on the National Road Safety Foundation’s website with the runners-up videos to the right and to the left: https://m.shortstack.page/NLxMqT

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L&C announces fall 2024 honors lists

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Lewis and Clark Community College

Students earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher out of a possible 4.0 are named to the President’s List. Those students earning a grade point average between 3.25 and 3.74 are recognized each semester on the Dean’s List.

Further requirements are listed in the college’s online catalog at http://catalog.lc.edu. All questions should be directed to the Enrollment Center at (618) 468-2222. Below is an excerpt containing students residing in Macoupin County.

President’s List

BENLD – Ryleigh L. Phillips; Zander E. Rieffer; Emily R. Schoen; Tristen B. Wargo;

BRIGHTON – Brandon M. Adams; Ike D. Austin; Lainie L. Behrends; Reagan Beilsmith; Ian C. Brantley; Tina M. Brass; Lane Cox; Madison P. Fenstermaker; Hunter D. Gillis; Hailey Gula; Alexis R. Harrop; Gavin Humm; Thomas D. Kunz; Nicholas O. McGee; Audrey A. Perkins; Ava J. Pulley; Alyssa J. Schuchman; Addison Strohbeck; Sydney A. Valdes; Abby Van Doren; Piper L. Voorhees; Madelyn E. Zarges;

BUNKER HILL – Alex Betts; Grant J. Burch; Kayleigh K. Butler; Abigayle L. Collins; Denise Deias; Braden T. Fulton; Dillon M. Guess; Maya R. Henfling; Hannah J. Herrmann; Madalynn Hilyard; Madelyn Landreth; William Manar; Kaylee L. Richert; Andrew Sanner; Abby N. Spraggs; Noah A. Thyer;

CARLINVILLE – Jack E. Beard; Matthew J. Eldred; Jack Goby; Stephanie K. Harding; Gabriel R. Henson; Alexsis A. Kalaher; Weston E. Kuykendall; Lillian McCurley; Emerald Ondrey; Joanna M. Roemer; Jessica N. Strubbe; Karleina J. Tipps; Samuel L. Wilson;

GILLESPIE – Lauren E. Bertagnolli; Ean L. Davis; Lanie G. Doty; Kennedy G. Helmkamp;

MEDORA – Aubrey M. Reno; Anneliese M. Shatley; Haleigh Sinclair;

SHIPMAN – Alyssa L. Beck; Gracie B. Darr; Addison A. Jeffers; Tyson Kahl; Josiah A. Schuette; Bailee A. Sorgea;

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SOUTH ROXANA – Lyndsey M. Johansen; Caden O. Lara; Savanah M. Stogsdill;

STAUNTON – Julie A. Aloisi; Samantha R. Anderson; Zane P. Anderson; Shane Baker; Lilly M. Bandy; Grace Bekeske; Gianna Bianco; Carson G. Buffington; Kiersten L. Carlson; Karla J. Castillo; Izabella Claussen; Lillian Dothager; Olivia M. Favre; Eli J. Henke; Alexis A. Hester; Samantha D. Hoffman; Harold I. Irvin, III; Dylan Jarden; Korryn O. Keehner; Nicholas L. Raphael; Alexis P. Schaaf; Brady Seelbach; Carli L. Skinner; Cole Sternickle; Tyler J. Thompson; Lilly Trettenero; Lillyan S. Troeckler;

Dean’s List

BENLD – Ridge A. Braundmeier; Kaitlynn E. Conner; Elizabeth M. King; Alyssa S. McCollum; Marria D. Middleton; Alyssa F. Schuette;

BRIGHTON – Garrett R. Beuttel; Troy J. Brooks; Emily Y. Cambron; Jacob G. Carpenter; Lucy Childress; Olivia Cody; Logan T. Crane; Tristyn N. Ditterline; Kaylin G. Gerard; Cooper J. Hagen; Ashlyn K. Hall; Evan Hanold; Samuel J. Harshbarger; Amelia R. Hines-Pattan; Ella J. Kadell; Daylin M. King; Kayla A. Lemarr; Tucker Mayhew; Elizabeth L. Milford; Stacey M. Mynatt; Blythe E. Roloff; Jordan R. Short; Shiann Vinson; Grace A. Wylde;

BUNKER HILL – Cole T. Burch; Hanna N. Heeren; Madelynne K. Heflin; Taylor Miklavic; Katelyn J. Miller; Abigail G. Scott;

CARLINVILLE – Boedy E. Baker; Emily A. Barbre; Zachary Chapman; Ella R. Clevenger; Alana N. Dixon; Alison J. Dixon; Nathan Dyer; Addison Eldred; Saralynn I. Joiner; Henry S. Kalaher; William G. Meyer; Chloe A. Payne; Amy L. Pocklington; Jack Rives; Lanna P. Vanderpoel; Ella C. Wise; Braley M. Wiser;

GILLESPIE – Reese E. Bussmann; Regan E. Bussmann; Addie M. Hayes; Karter Mix; Adrianne B. Niemeyer; Grace J. Vandoren; Shannon L. Wright;

MOUNT OLIVE – Libbie M. Nowell;

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PIASA – Anna C. Fink;

SHIPMAN – Kaden G. Cottingham; Rocky Darr; Kathryn M. Mueller; Sayuri Owada; Rocky J. Rose;

STAUNTON – Rylee K. Baugh; David S. Dann; Belle M. Darte; Jacob A. Dillon; Vivienne Dothager; Sean T. Fleming; Kennedy L. Legendre; Zander MacHota; Savannah M. Missey; Nicholas Monahan; Nicole M. Narup; Kelley Perrine; Christopher S. Pritchett; Alivia Royer; Katie N. Schalk; Lakesi Settles; Priya E. Siegfried; Justin A. Smith; Kylie A. Tomso; Whitney Weller;

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Gillespie to host blood drive on Feb. 17

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Gillespie Community will host a Community Blood Drive with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Monday, February 17 at 900 Broadway, inside Gillespie Methodist Church Gym.

To donate, please contact Brenda Lowe at (217) 710-1336 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 60020 to locate the drive. You may also call ImpactLife to schedule at 800-747-5401. Appointments are requested.

Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available through www.bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo I.D. is required to donate.  For questions about eligibility, please call ImpactLife at (800) 747 5401. Donors who last gave blood on or before 12/23/24 are eligible to give at this drive.

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