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Mary Fulton: Heritage Health Spotlight

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In the “good ole’ USA”

 

Born and raised in Scotland, this lady was destined to be in the United States. If you ask her, she will tell you. This is the first woman I have heard brag about the Illinois weather. “It is absolutely wonderful,” she said. Everything from the weather, to a simple tree, to Heritage Health, Mary Fulton is grateful for everything and that is why she is the spotlight at Heritage Health for June.

Mary (Stevenson) Fulton visited Gillespie in 1948 with a girlfriend. Her friend, Agnus, had an aunt that the pair stayed with. It was just a short getaway from Scotland, but that is all it took. She fell in love, for the first time. Mary loved the weather and the sunshine because, according to her, it is always gloomy and damp in Scotland.

A few weeks passed and her aunt finally got ahold of them by telephone. “I got you two visas, you can come back now,” Mary explained as she recalled the telephone call. In no time at all, the two were back in the Gillespie area and ready to start their second life. They both immediately got jobs at a local dress shop owned by Agnus’s uncle.

The two then got very homesick as Mary recalled. So, they went back to visit Scotland for weeks at a time sometimes. “It was back and forth, back and forth,” Mary noted. Finally, Mary’s father put an end to that. He was strict, she added, and he told us, “You either stay or you go, you have to choose.”

Well, their decision unfortunately left behind their families. The two were back for good now. Still working at the dress shop, Mary and Agnus found out that two good looking hunks lived next door to the shop. Put two and two together and you get two marriages. Both Mary and Agnus joined in marriage. Mary married Bill Fulton. She went on to say that she probably would not have stayed here if she did not meet Bill.

“We moved over here because of the nice sunny weather,” Mary added. The rainy climate in Scotland is just simply incomparable to “beautiful sunshine” here. She kept insisting to appreciate the wonderful weather here. In Scotland, you don’t get any of the heat you get here.

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It wasn’t until after high school Mary and Agnus made the move. The two were childhood friends and attended kindergarten through high school together. They both got all of their schooling in Scotland. “It was very strict,” Mary referred to the schooling. She loved school and loved learning. Instead of college, the two made the voyage to Gillespie for the first time.

Upon arriving to Gillespie, she said she did not like the area at all. Don’t hold this against her, but it was very different for her. There was no dancing here for them and that was Mary’s number one passion in Scotland. Just call her the dancing queen. She made do though and finally settled in after 3 trips back home.

The pair went home to get back to the dancing again, Mary pointed out. “When we got to Gillespie, there was nothing,” she said. Nothing to do, no place to dance, and she felt left out. She loved ballroom dancing and, according to her, there wasn’t any where to dance. They were able to shake out the jives when they returned home.

Her husband’s parents and family lived in Scotland. In fact, oddly enough, very close to where she grew up: Ayrshire, Scotland. Her and her husband had one son, Robert Fulton. “He was very, very good,” Mary bragged.

Mary promised her husband she would take him to Scotland to see his family. He thought she was kidding. “You would do that,” he questioned. “Of course I would do that for him,” she laughed. The two finally went back and met his cousins and family that he was never able to see before. “He appreciated it and they have actually came back here to visit since then, in the good ole’ USA.”

She happily calls Heritage Health her home now, she loves it. “The company is great and the people are really nice,” she added. Mary loves to play bingo and enjoys coffee hour at Heritage Health. Although, she suggested that they get dancing so she can dance back to her youth.

 

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CUSD 7 News

Miners girls basketball clinch SCC championship

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In a nail-biting showdown that will be remembered for years to come, the Gillespie Miners girls basketball team captured the South Central Conference title with a hard-fought 55-52 victory over the Pana Panthers on Thursday night, February 13. This marks Gillespie’s first conference championship since their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, when they shared the honors with Southwestern both finishing with a 9-1 conference record.

The game held at Pana High School was anything but straightforward. After a tumultuous 13-minute delay due to injuries and a technical foul controversy, the Miners rallied their spirits to secure the win. Amari Vickery led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, while Mia Brawner added 11, Maggie Heyen contributed 10, Delaney Taylor posted 5, Sadie Sholtis scored 4, and Lainey Edwards and Corrine Fellin each had 2 points.

From the opening tip, it was clear that Pana was not going to roll over easily. The Panthers held leads at the end of the first two quarters, 15-14 and 28-26, showcasing their tenacity. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Pana had edged ahead 44-42, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

However, the game took a chaotic turn in the fourth quarter when a collision between Vickery and teammate Sloane Brawner resulted in both players going down with injuries. Sloane was not able to return the game but Vickery did. The Miners also lost both Delaney Taylor and Sadie Sholtis to fouls and Gillespie was assessed a technical foul under controversial circumstances which tied the game at 49. But Heyen carried the weight through the fourth quarter recording 6 of her 10 points in the final quarter of play.

Despite the setbacks, the Miners displayed remarkable teamwork resilience under the leadership of Nikki and Matt Brawner. With the SCC championship secured and the regular season concluded with a 22-8 overall record and 9-0 conference record, the Miners now shift their focus to the upcoming regional which is being hosted in Gillespie.

Gillespie hosts Alton Marquette on Monday, Feb. 17 for the regional semi-finals after Alton Marquette knocked East-Alton Wood River, 36-29, to face the Miners. The winner advances to the regional championship that will be played on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gillespie versus the winner of Staunton/Roxana.

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Community News

Macoupin County residential fire claims multiple victims on Saturday

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Tragedy struck in the early hours of Saturday morning in Macoupin County as a residential structure fire broke out in the 200 block of West Dean Street, Virden, resulting in the death of a male victim, the Macoupin County Coroner Anthony Kravanya announced.

The individual was pronounced deceased at 10:06 AM but the identity of the deceased has not yet been released, as authorities await the results of an autopsy scheduled for Monday, February 17, 2025. The coroner’s office indicated that a press release will be issued following the autopsy and the positive identification of the victim.

WAND reported a second victim died after being transported to Springfield Memorial Hospital according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon who confirmed a 13-year-old boy and a 34-year-old male were the victims.

The fire reportedly started around 9:30 a.m. and the home was fully engulfed when first responders arrived. Two people were reportedly rescued and life flight was requested but were not available due to the foggy weather conditions. 

An investigation into the cause of the fire is currently underway, involving multiple agencies including the Macoupin County Coroner’s Office, the Virden Police Department, the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

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Community News

Missions group to host trivia fundraiser on March 30

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Come and join us for an exciting afternoon of trivia as we support our local 2:18 Missions! Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 30 from 2 to 5 PM for an event that promises fun, camaraderie, and a chance to make a difference in our community. The event will be held at DeStefane Community Center in Benld, 201 East Central Avenue.

Teams of up to 10 people can participate for just $100 per table. Whether you want to reserve your table in advance or simply show up on the day of the event to pay at the door, we welcome all trivia enthusiasts to join in the competition!

Feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks to enjoy during the game—just please remember, no alcohol is allowed. For your convenience, we will have bottles of water available for purchase.

The stakes are high, and the competition is fierce! The first-place team will take home a prize of $150. Plus, bring some dollar bills to participate in “Heads and Tails” games during breaks and to buy mulligans for your team.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to support a great cause while enjoying a lively trivia challenge. To reserve your table or for more information, contact Kristin at 217-691-7469.

Let’s make this a memorable event for our community and the 2:18 Missions!

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