Biographies

Adams, Dr. William Henry Harrison

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Dr. William Henry Harrison Adams was born on March 30, 1840 in Effingham County, Illinois. He w...

Allin, James

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James Allin was born on January 13, 1788 in North Carolina. He was the son of Isaac and Sarah F...

Annette, Madame

Mysterious “Mme. Annette” interviewed all—from jailbirds to society matrons At the turn of the ...

Anthony, Susan B.

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Please note: Susan B. Anthony did not live in, was not born in, and is not buried in McLean Cou...

Austin, Grace Jewett

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Grace Merrill Jewett Austin was born on January 12, 1872 in Laconia, New Hampshire.  She was th...

Bach, Maria Sophia

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Maria Sophia (Koehler or Kahler) Bach was the wife of pressman and political dissident, William...

Bakewell, Edwin

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Edwin Wells Bakewell was born in Wellsburg, Brooke County, Virginia (today located in West Virg...

Barton, Lucinda

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Lucinda Robinson Barton was born on January 18, 1838 in Washington Co., Missouri. When she was ...

Becker, Augusta "Gussie"

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Augusta Becker, known as “Gussie” to most, was born in Berlin, Germany on November 13, 1882, to...

Beich, Paul F.

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Paul Frank Beich was born in Wehlau, East Prussia (now part of Russia) on May 22, 1864. He was ...

Belt, Augustus "Gus"

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     Augustus “Gus” Hamilton Belt was born on January 14, 1895, to John and Margaret (McReynold...

Belt, Edith Pressler

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     Augustus “Gus” Hamilton Belt was born on January 14, 1895, to John and Margaret (McReynold...

Benjamin, Reuben Moore

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Reuben Moore Benjamin was born on June 29, 1833 in Chatham Center, Columbia County, New York (2...

Biggs, Llora Withers

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Llora Withers Biggs is a McLean County girl who became a renowned soprano singer and theater st...

Blue, Richard

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     Richard Blue was born on February 22, 1842 in Dayton, Ohio. The names of his parents are u...

Bohrer, Florence Fifer

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Florence Fifer Bohrer was no stranger to politics. She was born in 1877 into a political family...

Bradner, Judith Ann

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Judith Major Allin Bradner was born on May 9, 1814 in Bourbon County, Kentucky to William T. an...

Brokaw, Abraham

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Abraham Brokaw (he preferred to go by Abram), was born November 6, 1815 in Somerset County, New...

Brown, Henry L.

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Henry Brown was never afraid to learn new skills to overcome the challenges life threw at him. ...

Buchanan, Richard and Judy

Richard and Judy Buchanan were recognized as a couple for the 2019 History Makers GalaRichard: ...

Bunn, T.J.

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Thomas Jefferson (T.J.) Bunn was born on August 29, 1832 in Xenia, Green County, Ohio. He was t...

Burnham, Almira Sarah Ives

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At the turn of the twentieth century, when the public reception of visual arts in Bloomington, ...

Burnham, John Howard

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John Howard Burnham was born on October 31, 1834 in Essex, Massachusetts. His parents, John Bur...

Butler, James Preston

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At the passing of James Preston “Press” Butler in 1918, newspapers, both near and far, took the...

Bynum, Edward

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True and literal meaning is leant to the phrase “brothers in arms” by and his younger brother L...

Bynum, Lincoln

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True and literal meaning is leant to the phrase “brothers in arms” by Lincoln Bynum and his old...

Cahill, Francis

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Francis Cahill, Jr. was born on April 5, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the oldest of four s...

Calcote, Matilda

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Matilda Bell Heaston entered the world on November 30, 1910. Born to Jake and Doshie (Robinson)...

Calimese, Louise

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Napoleon J. Calimese (pronounced Calimeez) was born February 18, 1890 in Irvine, Kentucky. He w...

Calimese, Napoleon

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Napoleon J. Calimese (pronounced Calimeez) was born February 18, 1890 in Irvine, Kentucky. He w...

Campbell, Hank & Mary

Hank & Mary Campbell were recognized as a couple for the 2023 History Makers Gala.Habitat h...

Carman, George

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“‘To write, or not to write: whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to sit and scratch your pate in va...

Carnahan, Nellie Jones

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Nellie Jones Carnahan was one of the “movers and shakers” of her time in Lexington, Illinois. S...

Cheney, Owen Lee

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Owen Lee Cheney (1846-1911) was a quixotic man in his quest for fame, fortune, and new experien...

Christian, Annie May

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Annie May Christian (who went by May for most of her life) was born on November 28, 1866 to Mat...

Christian, Elizabeth Jane Mitchell

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Elizabeth Jane Mitchell, called Lizzie, was born on July 16, 1842 at Stout’s Grove near Danvers...

Clark, Lue Anna Sanders

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Much of what we know about Lue Anna Brown Sanders Clark comes from her own words, in the form o...

Claxton, Belle Blue

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Belle Blue Claxton was born in Bloomington, IL on April 30, 1872.  She was a daughter of Richar...

Colby, Celestia Rice

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Celestia Rice Colby was born on December 19, 1827 in Andover, Ohio.  She was the fourth child b...

Colby, Dr. June Rose

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June Rose Colby, known to friends and family as Rose, was born at Cherry Valley, Ohio on June 4...

Concello, Marie Antoinette Comeau

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Marie Antoinette Comeau ConcelloAntoinette Concello, known as the “Queen of the Flying Trapeze,...

Cotting, James M.

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James M. Cotting was born on March 18, 1825 in North Chatham, New York. He married Katherine M....

Cotting, Katherine M.J. Vanderpool

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James M. Cotting was born on March 18, 1825 in North Chatham, New York. He married Katherine M....

Covington, Dr. Eugene

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Dr. E. G. Covington was the first established and successful African American medical doctor in...

Crandall, June W.

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One of the early labor and socialist party leaders in Bloomington, June Crandall, was deeply co...

Crothers, Dr. Eli Kirk

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Dr. Eli Kirk Crothers (1826-1893) was a successful physician and druggist from the time of his ...

Crothers, Dr. Marie Louise

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Dr. Mrs. Marie Louise (DePew) Crothers (1833-1920), wife of well-respected physician and druggi...

Crothers, Rachel

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Rachel Crothers was a playwright and theatrical director known for her well-crafted plays that ...

Davis, Elmer

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Elmer Ray Davis was born in Bement, Piatt County, Illinois, on October 6, 1888. He was the elde...

Davis, Judge David

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David Davis was born on March 9, 1815 at Mercer Plantation, Maryland to David and Anne Mercer D...

Davis, Judge David

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David Davis was born on March 9, 1815 at Mercer Plantation, Maryland to David and Anne Mercer D...

Davis, Sarah

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Sarah Woodruff Walker Davis was born on September 4, 1814 in Lenox, Massachusetts.  She was one...

Davis, William O.

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William Osbourne Davis was the son of a Quaker farmer from Chester County, Pennsylvania and beg...

Deanna Frautschi & Alan Bedell

Deanna and Alan Frautschi were recognized as a couple for the 2022 History Makers Gala.Two McLe...

Delroy, Irene

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Josephine “Joey” Lucille Sanders was born on July 21, 1900 to Royal W. and Della (Soverns) Sand...

DeMotte, Harvey C.

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Harvey Clelland DeMotte was a devoted and beloved teacher who worked to bring out the best in e...

Dietrich, Julius R.

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Julius R. Dietrich was born in September of 1858 in Heinichen Saxony, Germany.  He spent most o...

Dillon, Ellis

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Ellis Dillon was born on March 25, 1816 in Clinton County, Ohio to Jesse and Hannah Pugh Dillon...

Dillon, Martha Fisher

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Ellis Dillon was born on March 25, 1816 in Clinton County, Ohio to Jesse and Hannah Pugh Dillon...

Dobski, Julie and Bob

Bob and Julie were recognized as a couple for the 2015 History Makers Gala.Is a business all ab...

Dodge, Flora Pennell

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Flora Pennell Dodge was born on September 14, 1868 in Normal, Illinois.  She was the youngest o...

Dotti Bushnell

The rich aroma of spices has followed Dotti Bushnell throughout her life, from her childhood in...

Doubleday, Ulysses Freeman

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Ulysses Freeman Doubleday was born on December 15, 1792 in New Lebanon, Columbia County, New Yo...

Duff, Alverta

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 Alverta Duff was the oldest child of Peter Charles and Fannie E. (Walker) Duff. She was born o...

Duff, Julia

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Julia Edith Duff was born on June 5, 1895 in Normal, Illinois, the daughter of Peter Charles an...

Duff, Peter

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The Duff family was one of the earliest black families to establish themselves in Normal, Illin...

Dyson, Nancy “Nannie” McCullough Orme

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Nancy “Nannie” McCullough Orme was born on October 23, 1834 in McLean County.  In 1853 she marr...

Ebo, Sister Mary Antona

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Sister Mary Antona Ebo was a well-behaved woman who DID make history as one of the Sisters of S...

Edge, Jana

How does a small-town girl from Wisconsin find herself in a C5A Air Force transport, directing ...

Edwards, Ruby

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Ruby A. Jackson was born on January 29, 1906 in Bloomington, Illinois.  She was the daughter of...

Ela, Frances Harriet Rowell

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Frances Harriet Rowell was born on November 15, 1835 in Waterford, Vermont.  She was one of fou...

Ela, George Porter

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Frances Harriet Rowell was born on November 15, 1835 in Waterford, Vermont.  She was one of fou...

Elder, Mary

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Mary Elvira Elder was born in Bloomingburg, Fayette County, Ohio on September 18, 1835 accordin...

Erickson, Alexander G.

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Swedish immigration during the nineteenth century was part of a larger trend occurring in the w...

Esque, Eliza (Davis)

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Eliza Davis Esque was born around 1845 in St. Charles County, Missouri.  Little is known about ...

Ewing, Hazle Buck

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World traveler, pioneering activist, environmentalist, and philanthropist, Hazle Buck Ewing was...

Eyer, Lloyd

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Lloyd Eyer served as physical director of the Bloomington YMCA for twelve years from 1905 to 19...

Eyestone, Lura

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Lura Mary Eyestone was born in Bloomington, Illinois on October 14, 1872 to Theodore Riley and ...

Fazzini, Rob

Making friends to build a community is both the business and civic mission for History Maker Ro...

Fell, Hester Vernon

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Hester Vernon Fell was born on March 2, 1819 in Little Brittain, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania...

Fell, Jesse Weldon

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Jesse Weldon Fell was born on November 10, 1808 to Jesse Fell and Rebecca Roman Fell at his fat...

Ferre, Goodman

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Goodman Ferre (pronounced Ferry) was born on January 27, 1806 and died on September 24, 1897.  ...

Fischer, Melinda

Melinda Fischer’s career as a nationally renowned softball coach mirrors the broader trajectory...

FitzHenry, Judge Louis

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Louis FitzHenry was born in Bloomington on June 13, 1870. He was the oldest son born to Hiram a...

Fitzwilliam, Sarah Raymond

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Sarah Raymond Fitzwilliam (1842-1918) was born in Kendall County, Illinois on October 11, 1842....

Foster, Daniel T.

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Captain Daniel T. Foster was born on July 22, 1841 in Waitsfield, Washington County, Vermont. H...

Fox, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Irons Folsom

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Elizabeth “Lizzie” Irons was born in September 1861 in Peoria to Charles and Ettie Maria Englis...

Fraker, Guy

Central Illinois roots and Abraham Lincoln tugged at Guy Fraker, bringing this Missouri-born, s...

Frank, Henry “Teddy”

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Henry “Teddy” Frank was born in Pennsylvania sometime in 1840 or 1841 and remained there until ...

Froelich, Nancy

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County board chair, businesswoman, education leader, unifier – Nancy Froelich has served her co...

Funk, Benjamin Franklin

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Benjamin Franklin Funk was born on October 17, 1837 to Isaac and Cassandra Funk. Benjamin was t...

Funk, Florence Mae Risser

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Florence Mae Risser Funk (1871-1923) was one of McLean County’s most renowned suffragists and s...

Funk, Henry

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Henry Funk was a career orchardist, apiarist, poultry man, and horticulturalist. Though not to ...

Gage, Dorothy Louise

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The life of Dorothy Louise Gage, although brief, was certainly meaningful, leaving an impact th...

Gay, Henry

It’s a rough road from the Louisiana cotton fields to Bloomington-Normal, with obstacles every ...

Geneva, Carolyn Schertz

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Carolyn Schertz Geneva was born on October 13, 1892 in Hudson. Illinois. She was the daughter o...

Goodheart, James

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James Goodheart is recognized in our local history as the son of two “honored pioneers” as well...

Gordon, Myra & George

George and Myra Gordon were recognized as a couple for the 2022 History Makers Gala.“Tikkun Ola...

Graves, Linus

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Linus Graves was born in Williamstown, Vermont on April 2, 1815 one of eleven children born to ...

Green, Fred -"The Flying LaVans"

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“The Flying La Vans,” were first known by the name the “La Van Brothers” or the “Brothers La Va...

Green, Harry -"The Flying LaVans"

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“The Flying La Vans,” were first known by the name the “La Van Brothers” or the “Brothers La Va...

Gridley, Asahel

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A great deal of the information known about Asahel Gridley is based on reminiscences of his fri...

Gridley, Mary

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Mary Enos Gridley was born in Onondaga Hollow, Onondaga County, New York on March 18, 1818. Whe...

Guthrie, Adam

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Adam Guthrie was born on March 10, 1825 in Circleville, Pickaway Co., Ohio. He was one of twelv...

Haggard, David

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David Haggard was proud of his family tree. David was a descendant of Sir Andrew Ogard, a Knigh...

Halbert, Charles and Willie

Charles and Willie Halbert were recognized as a couple for the 2023 History Makers Gala.The Lor...

Hall, Helen Ross

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Helen Ross was born on September 15, 1846 in the village of Kenagh, in County Longford, Ireland...

Hamilton, Kate Waterman

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Kate Waterman Hamilton was born on November 12, 1841 in Schenectady, New York the only daughter...

Hamm, Ruth Thelma Bitting

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Ruth Thelma Bitting Hamm was passionate about her community, genealogy, and the DAR. Her mother...

Hanner, Carl Gustav

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Carl Gustav Hanner was born in Kungsholmen Parish, Stockholm, Sweden on August 8, 1840. His mot...

Hanson, Ethel Hamilton

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Ethel Hamilton Hanson was a popular member of society circles and active in educational, politi...

Harmon, Paul and Sandra

Paul and Sandra Harmon shake their heads when they’re referred to as a “power couple,” but that...

Harris, Carter

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Carter Harris was born April 15, 1856 on a small plantation in Red Bank, Mississippi. A so...

Hart, Craig

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Craig Hart was born on January 11, 1934 in Streator, Illinois.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree...

Hartmann, Mary J.

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Mary J. Hartmann was born on October 13, 1845 on a farm in Franklin Township, Washington County...

Hathway, Barb & Bob

Barb and Bob were recognized as a couple for the 2023 History Makers Gala.Barb and Bob Hathway’...

Hawkins, Absalom

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Absalom Hawkins, known as Ab by nearly all, was born on December 25, 1855. According to his obi...

Hawkins, Julia Bee

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Julia Bee was born in Illinois on March 29, 1863. It is not known who her parents were but in t...

Hawks, Samuel Lockhart

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Samuel Lockhart Hawks, known as “Louis” Hawks, was born in Scotland on March 7, 1832 the son of...

Heafer, Napoleon B.

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Napoleon B. Heafer was born on December 14, 1823 in Charleston, West Virginia. At the age of te...

Henderson, Effie

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Effie Henderson was born on October 29, 1859 in Towanda, Illinois. Her parents, Franklin and Sa...

Hendryx, Jane Frankeberger

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Jane Frankeberger was born in Champaign County, Ohio on September 4, 1818 to Jesse and his seco...

Hennessy, Father Doug

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“Where is God? God is in your neighbor.”That simple philosophy sums up the deep spirituality an...

Hewett, Edwin C.

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Edwin C. Hewett was born November 1, 1828 in Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was the first ...

Higgins, Hamer

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Considering his chosen line of work, one might not be too surprised to learn that Hamer J. Higg...

Hill, Dr. William

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Dr. William Hill (1829-1906) was a talented surgeon and one of Bloomington’s most respected phy...

Hoagland, George

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Born to an enslaved mother and unable to read until he was in his late twenties, Kentucky nativ...

Hobbs, Dr. William C.

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Dr. William Hobbs was born in Maryland on December 24, 1800. Very little is known about his lif...

Hogg, Harvey

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The Bloomington lawyer and Civil War cavalry commander, Harvey Hogg (originally from Tennessee)...

Holder, Julia

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Julia Montrose Holder was on born December 24, 1884 in Bloomington, Illinois to Dan and Kate (S...

Horine, William H.

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William (Bill) Horine was born to Adam and Sallie (Mason) Horine on March 3, 1840 in Jessamine ...

Howard, Emily

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At the turn of the twentieth century, when the public reception of visual arts in Bloomington, ...

Huggins, Sophia

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Much of what is known about Sophia Huggins is based on two newspaper interviews: one with The P...

Hutchison, Jill

Born: March 8, 1945 in The Bronx, New YorkA Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and an int...

Ijams, Lewis Ellington

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Lewis E. Ijams was born on November 21, 1841 near Zanesville, Ohio.  His parents were Lewis and...

Jackman, John

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John Adams Jackman was born March 22, 1816 in Boscawen, New Hampshire, where his great-grandfat...

Jackman, Sarah Farnum Sargent

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Sarah Farnum Sargent Jackman was born on December 18, 1816 in Boscawen, New Hampshire. She was ...

Jones, Annie Ethel

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Annie Ethel Berry was born in Booneville, Mississippi on May 19, 1899, to Malaci Berry and Ida ...

Jones, Eva

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Eva Mae Gaiter Jones (1930-1987) was a Bloomington civic leader with a conviction to serve her ...

Joslin, Roger and Stevie

Roger and Stevie Joslin were recognized as a couple for the 2013 History Makers Gala.Since 1963...

Jung, Jacob

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Jacob Phillip Jung was born on February 9, 1850 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois to parents ...

Kaywood, Florence Stevens

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Florence (Stevens) Kaywood was born on October 8, 1864 to William and Sarah (Shields) Stevens i...

Kennedy, Beulah Jones Thornton

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According to Beulah Jones Thornton Kennedy, “we wanted first-class citizenship. We had to pay f...

Kennedy, Merlin Robert

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The local story of the American Civil Rights Movement, especially in McLean County, cannot be t...

Kessler, Clara Louise

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Clara Louise Kessler (1893-1968) “knows and loves children and is vitally interested in them,” ...

Kessler, Frances

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Frances Flower Kessler (1887-1975) had a passion for music and education. Music was always an i...

Kimball, Luella

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Not much is known about Luella Kimball, sometimes known as Luella Rankin. Luella was the fourth...

King, Gertrude “Mickey” Comeau

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Mickey King was known as the “Queen of the Air.” This little dynamo rocked the circus world wit...

King, Mary Reed

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In the later portion of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Captain Samuel Noble King...

King, Samuel Noble

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In the later portion of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Captain Samuel Noble King...

Kirk, John and Peg

John and Peg Kirk were recognized as a couple for the 2015 History Makers Gala.John, Born: Marc...

Kirk, Margaret "Peg"

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Margaret "Peg" Kirk was born to Bernard and Veryl Sidley in Akron, Ohio, in 1933. She...

Kirkpatrick, Charles

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Much of the information about Charles Kirkpatrick’s life comes from an autobiographical intervi...

Klemm, C.W.

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Carl Wilhelm (C.W.) Klemm was born on May 1, 1845 in Haynrode, Saxony, Germany. His grandfather...

Lancaster, Jan

She is “Momma” to many searching souls, looking for a safe haven. Jan Lancaster has operated th...

Laurenti, Luellen

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Luellen Laurenti was born in West Virginia in 1939, the daughter of Steve Watson and Alice Coun...

Law, David D.

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David D. Law was born in Lebanon City, Pennsylvania on March 30, 1852 and was the son of Willia...

LeBeau, Julia

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Julia LeBeau was an accomplished and classically trained musician from Bloomington. From the te...

Lewis, Edward J.

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Edward J. Lewis was born to Enoch and Lydia Jackson Lewis in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sept...

Litta, Marie

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Marie (pronounced Maria) Litta, born Marie Eugenia von Elsner, was born in Bloomington, IL on J...

Livingston, Hilda

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Sigmund Livingston was born on December 27, 1872 in Giessen, Germany. He was one of eight child...

Livingston, Sigmund

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Read Must Men Hate onlineSigmund Livingston was born on December 27, 1872 in Giessen, Germany. ...

Locher, Beulah Baker

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Beulah Baker Locher was born on January 7, 1881 in Gibson City. She was the daughter of Frank R...

Loomis, Emily Hanks

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Emily Hanks Loomis was born October 18, 1837 on a farm in Hickory Point Township, four miles no...

Lott, Harrison Clay

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Harrison Clay Lott was born August 16, 1848 in Madison, Indiana.  When Lott was fifteen years o...

MacGillivray, Dr. Margaret

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Dr. Margaret MacGillivray was born in Dunfermline, Scotland on October 21, 1845. She was a very...

Maitland, John and Joanne

John and Joanne Maitland have served McLean County for more than 30 years, both as a couple and...

Major, William Trabue

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William Trabue Major was born on March 1st, 1790 about three miles from Frankfort, Kentucky.  H...

Malone, Simon Booth

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Simon Booth Malone was born into slavery on December 18, 1842 in Tippah County, Mississippi.  S...

Mandler, Christoph

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Christoph Mandler was born on April 23, 1858 in Daubringen, County of Gressen in the Grand Duch...

Markowitz, Judy

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Few women in McLean County history have had a greater impact on our community than Judy Markowi...

Marmon, Mary Ann

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Mary Ann (Cheney) Marmon (1837-1908) grew up in a log cabin on the Illinois prairie and was a m...

Mayers, Aaron

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Aaron Mayers was born in Manheim, Pennsylvania in about 1827. It is unknown when exactly Mayers...

Mayes, John Jackson

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John Jackson Mayes, Jr. was born on April 7, 1851 in St John’s, New Brunswick, Canada. Mayes wa...

McClun, John Edward

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John Edward McClun was born on February 19, 1812 in Frederick County, Virginia.  He was the you...

McCormick, Henry

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Henry McCormick was born on February 5, 1837 in Belmullet, County Mayo, Ireland.  He spent his ...

McCoslin, William

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William McCoslin (1830-1878) was born in Vandalia, Illinois on July 27, 1830. While the names o...

McCullough, William

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William McCullough was born on September 11, 1811 in Flemingsburg, Kentucky.  He was the son of...

McCurdy, Helen Clark

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Helen Clark was born in Bloomington, Illinois on February 21, 1866 to James and Anna (Bacon) Cl...

McIntyre, John

At his father’s service station in Farmer City, John McIntyre—known today as “Coach Mac”—learne...

McNulta, John

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John McNulta was born on November 9, 1837 in New York City, New York.  His father was Irish and...

Mendoza, Margot

Margot Mendoza is an integral part of McLean County’s active grassroots community. From Human R...

Merchant, Mary Arenz

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Mary Arenz Merchant was born on February 28, 1841 in New Berlin, IL the fourth of ten children ...

Milner, Angeline Vernon

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Authors: Angela Bonnell, Morgan Bueza, and Candace SummersAngeline Vernon Milner, often known a...

Moore, Asa Harvey

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Asa Harvey Moore was born on October 20, 1820 in Rutland, Westchester County, Massachusetts. He...

Moratz, Palma

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Palma Moratz was born on April 6, 1879 in Bloomington, IL to German-born parents, Hermann and E...

Moratz, Paul

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Paul O. Moratz had a passion for building and design that started at a young age. For 34 years ...

Morehead, Ronn

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Ronn grew up in Normal, Illinois. Working in his father’s tavern as a young man, Ronn feels, sh...

Morgan, Lucy Orme

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Lucy Orme Morgan was born on January 21, 1858 in Bloomington, Illinois. She was the third of fo...

Morris, Charles

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Dr. Charles Morris was a Civil Rights pioneer in McLean County. After his arrival in Bloomingto...

Morris, Jeanne and Charles

Jeanne and Charles were recognized as a couple at the 2017 History Makers GalaCharles Morris: S...

Munsell, Oliver

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Oliver Spencer Munsell (pronounced Muhn-sl) was born on June 8, 1825 in Miami County, Ohio to L...

Munson, Don

Donald G. Munson was born September 26, 1941, in Gibson City and attended Gibson City schools. ...

Murray, Ethel

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Much of what we know today about Murray comes from oral history which can sometimes contradict ...

Muxfeld, Louise

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Louise Muxfeld, known as “Lizzie” by all, was born as Johanna Louise Catherine Tobecksen on Jun...

Neville, Edith

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Edith Neville, one of Bloomington’s most wealthy and eccentric citizens, was born in Bloomingto...

Noble, Clyde Van

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Clyde Van Noble (1881-1955) became a jeweler’s apprentice as a teenager and had a promising car...

Noble, Emily Vecchi

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Emily (Vecchi) Noble was born on Church Street in London, England on February 4, 1886 to Enrico...

Northrup, Rose Whipp

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Rose Whipp Northrup was born on September 27, 1850 in Beardstown, Illinois.  She was the daught...

Orme, William Ward

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William Ward Orme was born February 17, 1832 in Washington, D.C.  William’s parents died when h...

Paist, Maria Dawson

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Maria Dawson Paist came to Illinois with her family in 1822 at the age of five. The Dawson and ...

Penn, John

Humble service to his community marks John Penn’s commitment to his union, his community, and h...

Penn, Paul

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Paul Penn helped create decent conditions for workers and through volunteer labor, built a bett...

Pike, Alpheus

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Alpheus Pike was born to Harrison Wallace Pike and Susan A. Mayberry Pike in Casco, Maine on Au...

Pillsbury, Arthur L.

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Arthur L. Pillsbury was born in Bloomington, Illinois on November 29th, 1869. He grew up in Blo...

Porter, Ida

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Ida Porter was born on September 19, 1863 in Normal, Illinois.  She was the daughter of Solomon...

Porter, Jack

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Born June 4,1936 in Chicago, Illinois, Jack Porter’s passion for social justice has defined his...

Potter, Mary

Mary Potter (DOB/DOD unknown): In 1910, Mary Potter arrived at the Illinois Soldiers’ Orphans’ ...

Pratt, Mildred

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This was summarized from an Illinois State University news article by John Twork. There’s much ...

Price, John Joseph

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John Joseph Price was born on October 16, 1835 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Little information is known...

Prince, Ezra Morton

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Ezra Morton Prince was born on May 27, 1831 in Turner, Maine.  His parents were Job Prince and ...

Radbourn, Charles "Old Hoss"

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Charles Radbourn was born on December 11, 1854 in Rochester, New York.  He was the son of Charl...

Rankin, Melinda

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Melinda Rankin was born in Littleton, New Hampshire on March 21, 1811. She attended and taught ...

Rayburn, Jennie

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Jane “Jennie” Buttolph Rayburn was born May 11, 1858 in Middlebury, Vermont a daughter of Willi...

Read, Roland

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Roland Spencer Read was born in Bloomington, Illinois, on May 26, 1895. He was one of three son...

Reece, Sonja

Born: April 11, 1938 in Mexico, MissouriMissouri native, Sonja Reece chose to make Normal her h...

Reitan, Carol

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Carol Reitan holds a place in history as the only woman to ever serve as Mayor of Normal, but h...

Rhymer, Paul

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Paul Mills Rhymer was born in Fulton, Illinois on November 21, 1905. He was the eldest son...

Rice, Martha Baker

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Martha H. Baker (Rice) was born in Richmond, Kentucky on September 4, 1817.  Her parent’s names...

Riebsame, Christian

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Captain Christian Riebsame (1839-1913) was a German-born citizen who came to the United States ...

Ringer, Jerry and Carole

Jerry and Carole were recognized as a couple for the 2021 History Makers Gala.Jerry and Carole’...

Rodenhauser, William

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William John (Wilhelm Johannes) Rodenhauser (1842-1919) was among a large contingent of German ...

Roeder, John Conrad

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John C. Roeder was born in Nordeck, Germany in about 1836.  He was the son of Conrad and Elizab...

Rogers, Dr. Thomas

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No matter one’s opinion regarding Dr. Thomas Pierce Rogers’s professional practice or political...

Ropp, Gordon

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Born April 5, 1933 in Normal, ILIt is impossible to study the history of agriculture and rural ...

Rudolph, Sally

In an age when women’s career choices were limited, Sally Rudolph’s parents gifted her with the...

Saltzman-Stevens, Minnie

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The story of Minnie Saltzman-Stevens is a Cinderella story of the musical arts. She rose from a...

Sanders, Isaac

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Isaac Joshua Beasley Sanders was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 17, 1878. He was the ...

Sanders, Susan Pike

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Susan Augusta Pike Sanders was born in Maine on March 25, 1842. She was the third of seven chil...

Schneider, Father Ric

Since Father Ric Schneider arrived in Bloomington to become the pastor of St. Mary’s Parish 23 ...

Schroeder, Baroness Maria von Buchau

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Much of what we know about Herman Schroeder comes from his own accounts.  Some of this informat...

Schroeder, Dr. Herman

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Much of what we know about Herman Schroeder comes from his own accounts.  Some of this informat...

Scott, Charlotte Ann Perry

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Charlotte Ann Perry was born on September 18, 1831 in Athens, Tioga County, Pennsylvania.  She ...

Scott, John Milton

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John Milton Scott was born on August 1, 1823 in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois. His par...

Scott, Julia Green

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Julia Green Scott was born to privilege and distinguished ancestry on February 14, 1839 in Danv...

Sebastian, Feli

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not fo...

Seibert, Leonard

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Leonard Seibert was born on August 18, 1831 in Koenig, a borough of Essen, Germany. He came to ...

Shadid, Woody

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Woody Shadid’s Pantagraph career spanned an amazing six-plus decades. It all began in 1935 as a...

Shipley, Richard

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Richard Shipley, like many young people of his day, became captivated with the circus. Not only...

Smart, Jesse

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Jesse Smart was born on April 29, 1939 on a small family farm in Pike County, IL. After graduat...

Smith, Alice Orme

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Alice Orme Smith served as a nurse with the American, British, and French forces during World W...

Smith, Dr. Lee

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Dr. Lee Smith was born on May 8, 1832 near Havens Grove, Illinois. He was the first child born ...

Stearles, Willis

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Much of what we know today about Willis Stearles comes from oral history, members of the commun...

Stevenson, Adlai E. I

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A devout Democrat in a staunchly Republican district, Adlai E. Stevenson I managed to be twice ...

Stevenson, Adlai E. II

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Politics was in his blood. Adlai Ewing Stevenson II was a member of the two most influential po...

Stevenson, Helen Davis

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Helen Louise Davis Stevenson was born in Normal on September 17, 1869.  She was the daughter of...

Stevenson, Letitia Green

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Letitia Barbour Green Stevenson was born in Alleghany City in Western Pennsylvania on January 8...

Stewart, Grace Huddleston

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Grace Huddleston Stewart became known throughout Bloomington after she brought a fair housing c...

Stipp, Dr. George Winfield

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Dr. George W. Stipp was born on January 27, 1799 near Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia.  ...

Stokes, Ella Lee

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Ella Lee Luallen is one of many important voices in the Black history of McLean County. She was...

Stone, Judy

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Judy Stone was born in Columbus, Ohio on July 21, 1932. After growing up in Ohio, Judy received...

Stuart, Barbara

Barbara served for several years as president of the Normal Public Library Board and became the...

Sutherland, Robert and Marilyn

Bob and Marilyn were recognized as a couple for the 2021 History Makers Gala.During their over ...

Swearingen, Wyoma Elizabeth "Susie"

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Elizabeth “Susie” Swearingen loved working and couldn’t see how people couldn’t work. She start...

Taylor, Camille & Art

Always ready to lend her voice, Camille Taylor is a long-standing McLean County human rights ac...

Thomas, George Washington

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George Washington Thomas was born in Wisemantown, Kentucky, around 1860 or 1861. At that time K...

Thompson, Jennie

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Jane “Jennie” Lynd Thompson was born on October 28, 1860 in Bond Head, Canada—located in the pr...

Tipton, Judge Thomas F.

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Thomas Foster Tipton was born to Hiram and Deborah Ogden Tipton in Franklin County, Ohio, on Au...

Trotter, Georgina

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Georgina Trotter (1836-1904) was a dynamo of energy and a force to be reckoned with. According ...

Van Schoick, William

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Thomas William Van Schoick was born on August 2, 1829 in Monmouth County, New Jersey to David a...

Vrooman, Carl

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Carl was born in Macon County, Missouri on October 25, 1872. He was the son of Judge Hiram Perk...

Vrooman, Julia Scott

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Carl was born in Macon County, Missouri on October 25, 1872. He was the son of Judge Hiram Perk...

Waddell, John (Jack) Austin

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The text below was summarized by JoAnna Mink from “Voice of Experience” by Rachel Hatch, Illino...

Waddell, Ruth Gaines

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Ruth Gaines Waddell was a kind, but unapologetic activist in McLean County. She was a tireless ...

Wagner, Grace B.

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Grace B. Wagner was born on May 1, 1890 to Henry and Nellie Spafford Wagner. The family resided...

Wakefield, Dr. Cyrenius

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Dr. Cyrenius Wakefield was born on July 12, 1815, in Watertown, New York. He was the son of Jos...

Wannemacher, Patricia "Pat"

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“Bloomington-Normal and McLean County have been good to Pat Wannemacher, so I just wanted to gi...

Washington, Caribel

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“I believe that service is the rent you pay for the space you occupy,” was Caribel Washington’s...

White, Samuel

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Prominent contractor and builder Samuel White’s personal and professional “rags to riches” stor...

White, William Richard

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William Richard White was born on December 22, 1844 in Goosenest Prairie, Coles County, Illinoi...

Wickizer, Jennie MacDonald

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Jennie MacDonald Wickizer was born on December 31, 1852 at Knightswood, Scotland, located just ...

Williams, Private Gus

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Augustus “Gus” Williams was born in Jacksonville, Illinois on September 22, 1892. He was the so...

Withers, Allen

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Allen Withers was born on a farm in Jessamine County, Kentucky about seven miles from Nicholasv...

Withers, Sarah

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Sarah Rice Withers was born to John M. Rice and Patsy (Polly) Johnson Rice in Jessamine County,...

Witherspoon, Julius

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OverviewA wall mural at 100 E. Monroe Street, Bloomington, Illinois, includes the visage of Jul...

Wolcott, John Laurens

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John Wolcott was born in Berkshire County, Massachusetts on August 30, 1808.  He learned his tr...

Wright, Ebenezer

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Ebenezer Wright was born in either 1830 or 1831 in Ludlow, Massachusetts to Rev. Ebenezer and H...

Wunderlich, Gerald “Jerry” White

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Gerald “Jerry” Wunderlich (sometimes spelled Wonderlich) was born on August 25, 1889 in Chicago...