Charles Industries honors Casey employees

 CMYK
Casey Westfield
News - Sun
Vol. 6, No. 11
Postal Customer
MARSHALL, IL
PERMIT NO. 1
ZIP CODE 62441
Proud to serve the Casey Westfield area
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014
2014 Casey-Westfield Homecoming Court
Markwell named Illinois Funeral
Directors Association president
As a third-generation funeral home operator, Jay
Markwell of Markwell Funeral Homes was recently
installed as president of the
Illinois Funeral Directors Association during its 134th
Annual Convention. He took
over the role for the next
year on June 24, 2014.
“The IFDA offers invaluable support and resources to hundreds of funeral
home owners and members
throughout the state,” said
Mr. Markwell. ’I’m honored
to serve as president of this
time honored organization
and to help further its mission of assisting members in
providing the best and most
ethical services to their client
families.”
Founded in 1881, the Illinois Funeral Directors Association offers a forum for
members to share information and operational methods
while creating legislation to
protect both themselves and
2014 Casey-Westfield Homecoming Court. Front row
(l-r): crown bearer Kellen
Sullivan, Duchess McKenzie
Brewer, 2014 Queen Whitney
Stirrett and Crown bearer Julia Eckerty. Second row (l-r):
Jordan Disch, Joslyn Keys,
Duke Dustin Weger, 2013
Queen Emilee Monken, 2014
King Trey Thompson, Macie
Grafton and Madison Dane;
(row 3, l to r): Darius Fisher,
Cody Hollensbe, 2012 King
AJ McNeil, Dylan Lawrence
and Evan Blankenship. Photo
by Terri Cox.
t h e i r
customers. As
presid e n t
of
the
IFDA, Mr. Markwell will serve
as an advocate for the group
and preside over board
meetings and other functions. Additionally, he will
respond to media concerns
and represent the group at
the local, state and national
levels.
“At Markwell Funeral
Jay Markwell.
Charles Industries honors Casey employees
By Gary Strohm
Publisher
Charles Industries held its annual Anniversary
Luncheon Tuesday.
Several employees were honored for their many
years of service to the company: Doris Houser-15,
Dan Love-20, Rick Smith-25 and Dave Brown (recently retired)-25.
Plant manager Dave Cazzell explained that 30 of
the plant’s 31 employees are in the Anniversary Club.
“Charles Industries is reshaping itself,” said company president and CEO Joe Charles. “Our whole
business has changed.”
He told how the company’s Rantoul plant has
been so successful with products that it is creating
for Verizon that the company is offloading products
Casey plant manager Dave Cazzell.
to its other plants. He also explained
several new products and
reported that Charles has
opened a new plant in central Florida, Charles Components.
Sales are up 29% over
last year.
Mr. Charles assured his
Casey staff that while the
company would be phasing
out of the cable business,
“We’re looking for other products for Casey” and “We’re
expanding the marine line.”
Company vice president
J.T. Charles stressed that
safety and quality continue
(l-r): Charles Industries Vice President of Communications J.T. Charles, Vice President of Operations Dennis Bednar, Rick Smith,
Doris Houser, Dan Love, Dave Brown and President and CEO Joe Charles. Photo by Gary Strohm.
Westfield Board Report
By Carolyn Stephens
Staff Writer
On Monday evening the
Village of Westfield Board
met in regular session.
Clerk Kim Fouty announced Village Board seats
available in the election next
spring: 3 for two years and 3
for four years; mayor for two
years; Library Board seats
4-year and 2-year.
The board approved payment of bills as funds are
available
It was noted that the
Westfield Board has been
in compliance with “Open
Meetings Act” rules and that
it welcomes
comments
from citizens.
The citizens present were
concerned about keeping
Westfield uptown safe and
attractive and concerned
about trash in the alley and
a bowed building with an unattached falling-in roof. The
matter will be referred to the
Village Attorney.
Gregory Crowe of the
Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities
and Households (SEARCH)
Grant Program spoke on a
possible grant for Regional
Waste Water Treatment. It
would be a pre-development
grant which would generate engineering reports and
costs of a regional waste
See Westfield Board
on page 8
to be of “utmost importance”
to the company.
The employees enjoyed a
delicious dinner prepared by
Richards Farm Restaurant.
Casey
Council
Report
By Gary Strohm
Publisher
At a special meeting held
prior to Monday’s regular
meeting, the Casey City
Council approved the refinancing of $1.6 million in
bonds.
During its regular meeting, the council approved
two resolutions which the
USDA requires for the new
water line between Casey
and Marshall. One authorizes the execution of a right-ofway certificate. The other authorizes City Attorney Martin
Siemer to represent the City
for the project at his regular
hourly rate.
The council also approved City Business Improvement Grants in the
amount of $10,000 each for
J & K Mitchell, MD Associates (Subway) and Meyer
Saturday, October 11
Sunday, October 12
Monday, October 13
Tuesday, October 14
Wednesday, October 15
Thursday, October 16
Friday, October 17
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Homes, we built our reputation by helping clients create
the most personalized and
meaningful memorials for
their lost loved ones,” said
Markwell. “As president of
the IFDA, I hope to provide
funeral home owners with
the support they need to do
the same while growing their
businesses in the process.”
A third-generation funeral
home owner, Jay Markwell
developed a multi-location
funeral home business that
boasted leading market
share before merging into a
regional company in 2013.
While serving as chief operator, Mr. Markwell drove
efforts to enhance cremation
offerings, local cemeteries
and to adopt new technologies, including online presence, funeral telecasting
and more environmentallyfriendly burial options.
A fourth-generation graduate of Worsham College of
Mortuary Science in Wheeling, Illinois, Jay recently was
invited to deliver the commencement message to the
2014 fall graduates of Worsham. Mr. Markwell is an
experienced public speaker,
embalmer and acclaimed restorative artist.
In his free time, he has
served as a volunteer funeral director during Hurricane
Katrina and holds the president’s post on the Casey
Township Cemetery Board
and Casey Industries, Inc.
See Markwell on p. 3
Oil and City Utility Grants in
the amount of $3700 for The
Yarn Studio and $4000 for
the Casey VFW. The council
also approved for BHMG to
do an Arch Flash study which
is required for the City’s electrical components at a cost
not to exceed $30,000.
City Clerk Robin McClellan informed the council that
petitions are now available
for the election next spring.
Utility
superintendent
Shelby Biggs reported that
the painting of the water
tower is nearly complete and
that the southwest drainage
project is still in progress.
Mr. Biggs also reported
that the Streetscape project
came in under bid and will
actually cost the City only
$79,000 instead of the original estimate of $120,000.
The project should complete
by early November.
Economic development
director Nicole Weigand reported on the Cash Mob
event to be held today.
“When you spend money
in your local community, it
comes back ten-fold,” said
Weigand.
Mostly Cloudy
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CMYK
Touch a Truck event October 18th
encouraged
to explore the
vehicles, blast
the siren, blow
the horn and
turn the dials.
Some different
vehicles have
been added to
the event and
The City of Casey Police car will be among the machinery scheduled to be on
some of the
site at the Casey Historical Society’s annual Touch a Truck event.
previous favorParents who plan on urday, October 18th are in ites will return.
bringing
their
children, for a treat! The event will be
Among the machinery
grandchildren and friends to held from 10am-2pm at the scheduled to be on site
the Casey Historical Society Casey Airport.
are: a Casey police car, a
(CHS) Touch a Truck on SatChildren 12 and under are fire truck, airplanes, trac-
Abraham
Lincoln
had ties to
Clark Co.
By Tom Emery
Before his presidency,
Abraham Lincoln traveled
across Illinois practicing law
and campaigning for office,
earning countless acquaintances along the way. Some
of that time was spent in
Clark County, particularly in
the county seat of Marshall.
Legend has it that Lincoln made several stops in
Marshall. On the afternoon
on September 19th, 1840,
he is said to have delivered
a speech in Marshall before
moving on to a stop in Casey
that evening.
His most well-known appearance in the county was
a court case in Marshall on
July 1, 1850, when he argued for the defense in a
murder case that had been
moved from Coles County
on a change of venue. The
defendant, William D. Davis,
received three years in the
state penitentiary on a manslaughter charge.
Lincoln
returned
to
Springfield the next day,
though the case apparently
remained on his mind. On
January 10, 1853, he wrote
Illinois Governor Joel Matteson, stating that the “conviction was right but that
the term fixed was too long
under the circumstances.”
Lincoln related that he had
advised Davis to “behave
himself well for a considerable portion of the time” and
promised he “would join in
asking for a pardon for the
remainder”. He also reminded Matteson that Davis “has
a young family and has lost
one of his arms.”
Davis reportedly lost
his limb in the Mexican
War. Lincoln opposed the
war, which placed him in a
definite minority, as the war
gained widespread popularity among the public and in
the nation’s capital.
On December 22, 1847,
Lincoln, a freshman Whig
in Congress, introduced
resolutions asking President
James K. Polk to show the
precise spot where American blood had spilled on
American soil, which was the
basis of the border dispute.
The “Spot Resolutions” created a backlash, particularly
among Lincoln’s constituents in Illinois.
Even in Marshall, rumbles
of discontent were heard. On
January 27, 1848, a meeting
was held in town to “complain” about Lincoln’s resolutions.
When in Marshall, Lincoln
stayed at the Archer House,
built by Colonel William B.
Archer, a co-founder of the
town in 1835 with Joseph
Duncan, then-governor of
Illinois. Archer served four
terms each in the Illinois
House and Senate and was
often aligned with Lincoln,
a fellow Whig, on bills and
committees.
Interestingly, Lincoln opposed Duncan in a court
case on June 7, 1842, con-
cerning a $4,000 note
that Archer had given
to Duncan, who, in turn,
assigned it to the plaintiff. On December 11,
1854, Lincoln wrote Elihu
Washburne of Galena, a
future Secretary of State,
lamenting Archer’s loss
by a single vote in the recent Congressional race.
At the first-ever Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in June
1856, Archer helped Lincoln
to be nominated for vice
president. Calling Lincoln as
“pure a patriot as ever lived,
Archer, a vice president of
the convention, answered
charges of Lincoln’s toughness by saying “he’s strong
mentally, he’s strong physically, he’s strong every way.”
Despite Archer’s efforts, William Dayton of New Jersey
earned the nod on the first
ballot.
Archer and Lincoln’s relationship endured well after
the failed bid in 1856. On
May 5, 1863, Lincoln appointed Archer to the district
enrolling board of the state
of Illinois.
Lincoln’s time in Clark
County, however, did little
to help his presidential campaigns. He lost Clark County
with only 43 percent of the
vote in the 1860 election and
managed a meager 32 percent four years later. Clark
County was hardly alone in
its lack of support for Lincoln, who lost narrowly in
Edgar County in both elections and was decisively
defeated each time in Crawford, Cumberland and Jasper counties. He carried
Coles County in both 1860
and 1864, possibly a reflection of his former residence
there. His victory margin in
Coles in 1860, though, was a
mere twenty-eight votes.
Today, Lincoln’s legacy
endures in Clark County
and provides a glimpse into
his everyday life before he
became America’s greatest
president.
Tom Emery is a freelance
writer and researcher from
Carlinville, Illinois. He may
be reached at 217-710-8392
or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
Classifieds
are only 40¢
a word!
Markwell
Continued from page 1
As the Mid-West Regional
Director for Premier Funeral
Management Group, Jay is
currently pursuing the acquisition of a five-location business in Oklahoma.
tor, other farm
equipment,
road
grader,
welding truck,
city
bucket
truck and street
sweeper, semi
with grain hopper trailer and
ambulance.
Other confirmations are
pending.
This is a fun, friendly event
planned by the CHS and is
in its third year. Reports from
2013 indicated that patrons
had a great time!
About Markwell
Funeral Homes
Founded more than 87
years ago, Markwell Funeral
Homes are a third-generation business committed to
providing personalized funeral services to members of
the Casey, Martinsville, and
Westfield communities.
Recently, Markwell Funeral Homes, Inc. established a partnership with Premier Funeral Management
Blood drive
There will be a Westfield
Community Blood Drive
on Sunday, October 12th
from 10am-1:30pm in the
Westfield United Methodist
Church Meeting Room.
Please eat before donating, drink extra water
and bring your ID. You are
eligible to donate if last donated on or before August
17, 2014.
Community Calendar
October 11 - October 17
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11
*HS Golf Sectional
- TBA
*HS Band
- Newton Field Competition, Effingham Field Competition, TBA
*Casey High School Class of ‘84 Reunion
- at the Prairie Fire Smokehouse in Casey, 8pm
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12
*Westfield Community Blood Drive
- at the Westfield United Methodist Church Meeting Room
- 10am-1:30pm
*Becky Lercher Southern Gospel Concert
- at First Christian Church in Martinsville, 6:30pm
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13
*No School - Columbus Day Holiday
*HS Band - IMEA District 5 Auditions
- in Effingham, TBA
*Free Monday Meal
- at Casey White Oak Church of God, 4:30-6:30pm
*Lady Braves Basketball
- vs. Sigel St. Michaels at Casey, 6pm
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14
*Lady Warrior Tennis
- at Shelbyville, 4:30pm
*Lady Braves Basketball
- vs. Mattoon at Casey, 6pm
*Lady Warrior Volleyball
- at Hutsonville, 6:15pm
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16
*Lady Braves Basketball
- at Palestine, 6pm
*Lady Warrior Volleyball
- at Marshall, 6:15pm
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17
*Clark County Farmer’s Market
- in Westfield at Westfield Park, 4-7pm
*Entertainment at Oilfield Cafe
- Cathy at the keyboard, 6-8pm
*Warrior Varsity Football - LIVE on Casey Westfield TV!
- at Marshall, 7pm
Calendar Sponsored by
Chris Snedeker
Snedeker & Associates
Insurance • Investments
News - sun, Saturday, October 11, 2014 * PAGE 3
Bring your family and
friends. The cost of entry
is only $1! Lunch will begin
being sold at approximately
11am. Food available for
purchase includes hot dogs,
chips, cookies and drinks.
Call Patty Richards at
217-932-5463 with questions or call organizer Bill
McCluney at the Goodwin
Family Funeral Home 217932-6400 with vehicle information.
Group. Based in Indianapolis, Premier encourages funeral homes throughout the
United States to retain their
unique cultural identities and
personal approaches based
on their long-established
reputations and legacies.
Together, Premier and the
staff at Markwell Funeral
Homes strive to help families achieve ideal memorial
celebrations that are just as
unique and special as a lost
loved one was in life.
Harvest Gift
Gathering
A Harvest Gift Gathering
will be held on Saturday, October 18th from 9am to 2pm
at the Casey Trinity Church
Fellowship Hall, located at
2nd and Colorado Street.
Lunch will be served from
11am to 1pm.
Come and join to get a
head start on your Christmas
shopping. Proceeds
will go to church and
community outreach.
Vendors at the
Harvest Gift Gathering include: Advocare, doTERRA essential oil,
Handmade Items, Lia Sophia, Mary Kay, Pampered
Chef, Palmer’s Primitives
and Crafts, Peg’s Creations,
Pink Zebra, Scotty’s Garden
Center, Tastefully Simple,
Thirty One, Tupperware, Uppercase Living, US Borne
Books, Watkins and more!
Cottonwood Ham
and Bean Day
The Cottonwood Community Center near Moonshine
Store area is on mile west
and 1/2 mile north of store,
is having their usual Cornbread Bean and Ham Day
on Satu r d a y,
O c tober
1 8 t h
f r o m
11am to 4pm.
Donations are welcome
and tickets will be on sale
for the quilt. Raffle will be at
4pm.
Velsicol reunion
The Velsicol reunion will
be held on Friday, October
17th at the First Christian
Church, located at N. 6th
street in Marshall. The meal
will be served at 5:30pm.
Reservations are required by Tuesday, October
14th.
For further information,
contact Joanne at 826-8658
or Kay at 889-2603.
Remodeling is almost done!
Our North Branch lobby will be closing
effective Monday, October 20th
The lobby staff is moving back to
the main branch.
Drive Up Hours
Mon-Fri. 8am-3pm
Closed Saturday
Save the date for our Grand Reopening
on Friday, October 24th!
www.caseystatebank.com
NOW IN STOCK: C-W WarrIOrS TumblerS!
Saturday,
October 11
We have Tervis® tumblers!
The best cool cups with your
favorite teams, characters
or icons. Made in the USA!
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