Joann M. Scurlock, 88, of Fairbury, passed away at 2:00 am, January 12, 2026, at her residence. Cremation has been accorded. A memorial service will be held 11:00 am, Friday, January 16, 2026, at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury. Fr. Scott Archer will be officiating. Inurnment will be in Avoca Township Cemetery, Fairbury. Visitation will be held from 10-11:00 am, Friday, January 16, 2026, also at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to OSF Hospice or St. Andrew’s Catholi

Roberta Kay Meyer, 77, Fairbury, died at 2:28 pm Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Fairview Haven Retirement Community, Fairbury. Services will be at 10:00 am Thursday, January 15, 2026 at the Apostolic Christian Church, Fairbury with Ministers of the Church officiating. Burial will be in the Apostolic Christian Cemetery, Fairbury. Visitation will be 9:00 to 9:45 am Thursday also at the church.  The family suggests memorials be given to Fairview Haven Retirement Community, Fairbu

A concert is shown during the 2024 Fairbury Fair at the grandstand. File photo. The first Fairbury Fair was held in 1876, so the year 2026 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Fairbury Fair. This article is the first in a series examining the history of the long-running Fairbury Fair.   Fairbury was founded in 1857 when the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad laid its tracks from Peoria to Indiana. In the 1860 U.S. Census, Fairbury only had a population of 269. Over the next two decades,

Richard “Dick” L. Rhoda, 84, Fairbury and formerly of Chenoa, died at 10:10 pm Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at Fairview Haven Retirement Community, Fairbury. Dick’s funeral will be 10:30 am Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Chenoa with Pastor Kyle Ronchetto officiating.  Burial will be in Chenoa Twp. Cemetery. Visitation will be 4:00 to 7:00 pm Tuesday and 9:30 to 10:15 am Wednesday at the church. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Chenoa is in charge of arrangement

Robert Eugene Cooperider passed away from this life on December 29, 2025, at HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was born in Fairbury, IL on January 18, 1947, the son of Wendell and Josephine (Brucker) Cooperider. He spent his formative years in Cropsey, IL where he lived with his brother and sisters. During these years he worked on his parents’ farm, other local farms and building grain elevators. After graduating from Fairbury Crop

130 Years Ago January 4, 1896 Mrs. Hester Lough has opened a restaurant in the west end block. A New Year's Eve party to watch the old year out and the new one in, was given by Miss Alice Richardson. About 25 were present and the evening passed very pleasantly with refreshments and games. Perlee Bros. have put up a telephone line between their cold storage to their chicken house in the west end. Their store is also connected on the line. Perlee Bros. run a big thing and are a

Sgt. Chris Edwards (photo courtesy of the City of Fairbury). With the retirement of Fairbury Police Chief Robert McCormick, the Fairbury City Council voted to approve a contract for Sergeant Chris Edwards to become the next Chief of Police.   Sergeant Edwards has served for 10 years on the Fairbury Police force. He will officially start in the role January 12.   Also during Wednesday night’s Fairbury City Council meeting, the group voted to approve the new road known as Westf

Lorene Geyer Boner, 101, Fairbury, passed away at 8:59 pm Saturday, January 3, 2026 at Fairview Haven Retirement Community, Fairbury. Her funeral service will be held at 10:00 am Thursday, January 8, 2026 at the Apostolic Christian Church, Fairbury with the ministers of the church officiating.  Burial will be in the North Apostolic Christian Cemetery, Forrest. Visitation will be 9:00 to 9:45 am Thursday also at the church.  Memorials may be directed to Fairview Haven Retireme

Pamela Sue Cullins, 74, Fairbury, died at 5:15 am Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at Accolade Healthcare of Pontiac. Her graveside service will be held in the spring (date TBA) at Evergreen Cemetery, Chebanse. Cremation rites have been accorded by Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury. The family suggests memorials be directed to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or SELCAS. Ms. Cullins was born April 10, 1951 in Kankakee, IL the daughter of John and Mary Louise Bellee Johnson. Survivors i

John Virgin (1838-1900) was one of Fairbury's most prominent citizens. He was a Civil War veteran and married Serepta Jane "Jennie" McDowell, who was a member of the well-known pioneer McDowell family. John imported French Percheron horses and sold them to local farmers. He was active in the Fairbury Fair and the Illinois State Fair, and the Governor appointed him to organize the agricultural exhibit at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair.  

Jack Eugene Mitchell, 90, Fairbury, died at 4:50 am Thursday, January 1, 2026 at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington. Visitation will be 3:00 to 5:00 pm Wednesday, January 7, 2026 followed by a memorial service at 5:00 pm at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury with Pastor Alan Willadsen officiating.   Memorials may be directed to the First Presbyterian Church, Fairbury, or St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Jack was born January 5, 1935 in Terre Haute, IN the son of Virgil a

Dennis Lyle Evelsizer, 85, of Danforth formerly of Forrest passed away at 12:48 pm on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at Prairieview Lutheran Home, Danforth. Cremation rites have been accorded with memorial service at 2 pm, Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Forrest.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Forrest or Prairieview Lutheran Home, Danforth. Visitation will be 12 – 2:00 pm, prior to the servic

130 Years Ago December 28, 1895 The weather the past week has been abnormally warm for this time of year. It has rained considerably, but the sun has shone several days and the high waters have abated. The Salvation Army meetings at the Methodist Church during the past week have been crowded to the full capacity of the building. John Scharlach, who has been employed in Walton Bros. Grocery for several years, has purchased a partnership in a hardware and implement store at Cis

Fairbury was founded in 1857, when the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad laid new tracks from Peoria to Indiana. Unfortunately, we do not have any historical records for the period between 1857 and the early 1880s. The first Sanborn Insurance map of Fairbury was not made until 1885, and we only have Blade newspaper archives back to about 1882.   One of the Livingston County history books recounts that John Marsh built a hotel and depot on the west side of Fairbury. This hotel and dep

Part of the PC Junior High gym roof is shown in the corner of the school's east parking lot Sunday. The Prairie Central Junior High School gym in Forrest was among the structures damaged by heavy storms that moved through the area Sunday. There was visible damage to the gym roof late morning as part of it was blown into a nearby parking lot and an area on top of the gym appeared to be pulled back by the wind with insulation exposed. “The majority of the damage was contained t

Ronald E. Durre, Sr., of Chatsworth, Illinois, formerly of Strawn, peacefully passed from time into Eternity, his Heavenly Home, on the morning of Thursday, December 18, 2025. At Ronald’s request, cremation rights have been accorded. A Celebration through Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 4, 2026, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury, IL. A private memorial service and interment will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorial contribut

The colorful history of the TP&W Railroad includes one of the worst wrecks in American history, the only railroad whose President was assassinated, the longest railroad strike in history and one of the worst railroad explosions in America.   Initially, this railroad was chartered in 1849 and named the Peoria and Oquawka Railroad. The goal was to provide a rail connection between the Illinois River  in Peoria and the  Mississippi River . After this goal was accomplished, the r

The First Presbyterian Church of Fairbury invites the public to a “Blue Christmas” service at 4 p.m. this Sunday (Dec. 21). A “Blue Christmas” or “Longest Night” service during Advent is for those who have experienced loss. The holidays can be a particularly painful time for some, stirring up grief in acute ways. The service is often observed on Dec. 21 in the Northern Hemisphere which is the longest night of the year, referred to as the Winter Solstice. Sunday’s service is d

Joan Tredennick 96 of Fairbury, passed away at 2:58 pm, Thursday, December 18, 2025 at Fairview Haven Retirement Community, Fairbury. Funeral services will be 11 am, Monday, December 22, 2025 at First United Methodist Church of Fairbury with Pastor Charles Mendosa and Wayne Kurth officiating.  Burial will follow in Graceland Cemetery, Fairbury. Visitation will be 9 to 11 am, on Monday prior to the funeral also at the church in Fairbury. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury is i

Byron Lane Moffitt, 67, Minonk, died at 11:07 am Friday, December 12, 2025 at OSF St. James-John Albrecht Medical Center, Pontiac. Byron was born March 21, 1958 in Colorado Springs, CO the son of Byron Wilbur and Hazel Marie Hoteling Moffitt.  He married Faith Ann Luck on April 19, 1997 in Springfield, IL.  She died on April 9, 2023. Survivors include two daughters, Samantha (Nathan) Black, Saunemin, Brittany Moffitt, Minonk, one son, Byron Lane Moffitt Jr., Springfield and o