Gerry Vance, left, and Mayor David Slagel / photo via Dale Maley for Fairbury News. Gerry Vance was honored for his many years of service to the Fairbury Zoning Board of Appeals.   Mayor David Slagel awarded a plaque to Vance at the most recent Fairbury City Council meeting in early February.   Also at the meeting, the group voted to begin the process of applying for a 10 million loan to cover the cost for upgrading the drinking water plant on South First Street. Preliminary

130 Years Ago February 8, 1896 W. J. Bethard, one of our enterprising merchants, has established a branch store at Cissna Park. On Tuesday evening the colored brass band made its first public appearance by playing selections in front of the opera house, where the farmers institute was being held. The band has lately been reorganized and the city can just be proud of the organization. Last Tuesday, Mrs. Mary Ray celebrated her 104 th  birthday. Beginning next Monday a two week

130 Years Ago February 1, 1896 The fire at the south school house Monday morning did considerable damage and resulted in the tragic death of W. H. Karnes. When the fire broke out, Mr. Karnes, who had been janitor there for a number of years, but who had resigned two years ago, ran into the building and when the fire department arrived was spraying water on the fire with a hand hose. He shortly complained of feeling ill and passed away after being taken from the building. Rev.

Deryleen “Dee” Webster Koehl passed away peacefully at Fairview Haven in Fairbury, Illinois, on Sunday, Feb 1, 2026. She was 95 years old. Dee was born on August 5, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, to the late Frank and Veta Hamilton Webster. In 1935,  her family moved to McDowell, later married and lived in Pontiac, Illinois, and eventually settling in Fairbury. She graduated from Saunemin High School, Class of 1948, and married the late Lael  Garner. Dee worked for many years at

Calvin James Koenig, 83, Pontiac and formerly of Fairbury, died at 3:37pm Monday, February 2, 2026, at Goldwater Care, Pontiac.   Mr. Koenig was born May 30, 1942, in LaMoure, ND the son of Simon and Bertha Netzer Koenig. Surviving are two daughters, Michelle Koenig and Cindy Koenig. He is preceded in death by five sisters and one brother. Mr. Koenig served in the United States Air Force (7/22/1960-7/27/1964) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County, CA.  He later

Marguerite Mary (Kilgus) Lorch 93, of Fairbury passed away at 11:15 pm, Saturday, January 31, 2026 at Fairview Haven Retirement Community, Fairbury. Funeral services will be 10 am, Thursday, February 5th, 2026 at the Apostolic Christian Church, Fairbury with the ministers of the church officiating.  Burial will follow in the Apostolic Christian Cemetery, Fairbury.  Visitation will be one hour prior, 9:00 to 9:45am also at the church on Thursday. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fair

The Carrithers family has been a part of Fairbury history since the 1880s, including several war veterans, a judge, a librarian, and a proprietor of a very popular Fairbury coffee shop, the Grey Goose. Truman Carrithers could have been one of our famous generals during World War II if the Spanish Flu had not claimed him.   The story of the Fairbury branch of the Carrithers family began in Ireland. James B. Carrithers (1738-1813) grew up in Ireland and married Mary Porter (173

Frank D. Vaughan, 91, of Fairbury, passed away at 11:41 pm, Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at Evenglow Inn, Pontiac. His funeral will be held at 2:00 pm, Sunday, February 1, 2026, at First Baptist Church, Fairbury. Pastor Daryl Evans will be officiating. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery, Fairbury. Visitation will be from 1-2:00 pm, also on Sunday at the church. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, Fairbury. Frank was born June 24, 1934, in Pond Creek, the son of R

130 Years Ago January 25, 1896 School notes — The total enrollment of the Fairbury schools is 562. Of this number the high school furnishes 80. The two Franks of the high school, Moran and Compton, have offered a challenge for debate on the Venezuelan question. The challenge was accepted by the two Georges, Sype and Ford. So we will hear lots of words in the near future. Payne & Hemphill are putting in a stock of jewelry. They are also handling the Chicago Evening Journal and

Dianne Elaine Fisher Gibb passed away peacefully at the age of 80 at Brighton Gardens Memory Care Community of St. Charles, Illinois, after a six-year struggle with Lewy Body Dementia. Dianne was born in Urbana, Illinois, to George Harry and Ruth M. Fitzgerald Fisher. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Donald G. Gibb; daughter Alison C. (Roberto) Tirona; and grandchildren Adam, Elise, Isaac, and Ian Tirona. Dianne is also survived by her siblings-in-law, David A. (Ma

Fairbury has had two men's social clubs for many years. The oldest social group is Knoll Lodge, founded in 1919. This social group meets every Thursday night at their cabin on the Vermilion River, about five miles north of Fairbury. A meal is prepared for the group by a designated member.   The second-oldest social club is Arrowhead Lodge, founded in 1955. They also meet every Thursday night at their cabin in a beautiful wooded area about three miles northeast of Fairbury. Th

Terry Duane Hodges, 60, of Fairbury, passed away on Friday, January 23rd, 2026, at Accolade Healthcare of Pontiac.  Cremation rites have been accorded. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury, is in charge of arrangements. Terry was born on September 13th, 1965, in Fairbury, the son of Denton and Helen (Hines) Hodges. He graduated from Fairbury-Cropsey High School before starting a long career at Selig Sealing as a lab tech. Terry is survived by his mother, Helen Hodges, of Fairbu

Pauline Grandon, 101, of Fairbury, passed away at 2:10 am, January 19, 2026, at Fairview Haven Retirement Community, Fairbury. Her funeral will be held 11:00 am, Thursday, January 22, 2026, at First United Methodist Church, Fairbury. Pastor Charles Mendoza will be officiating. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery, Fairbury. Visitation will be held from 10-11:00 am, Thursday, January 22, 2026, also the church. Memorials may be made to Fairview Haven Retirement Community or Fir

Fairbury’s first annual Odd Fellow Summer Kickoff Carnival is expected to happen at Sunken Park this June after a request was approved by members of the Fairbury City Council Wednesday evening. The area includes the park, Locust from Fourth to Fifth and Fifth Street from the tracks north. Event dates are June 9-15. “The 9 th and 10 th  are basically just setup,” explained Mayor David Slagel. Slagel noted a couple of businesses he talked to were excited about the carnival and

Farm children attended country schools in Livingston County from the 1860s until about 1949 and there were 299 country schools in Livingston County at one time. The original plan was to place a country school every two miles so children did not have to walk more than one mile to attend school. Farming was so labor-intensive that most families had many children so they could help on the farm. It was common for farm families to have 10 or 12 children in the 1800s.   As farming

Fairbury’s Dec. 31 blood drive, held at the First United Methodist Church, surpassed its goal of 55 with 59 units collected. Grace Main and Kezia Wenger were first-time donors. Donors reaching milestones were Lee Waldbeser, four gallons, and MaryAnn Stork, 10 gallons. Others donating were Mark Bolliger, Louis Retter, Kyle Buchanan, Kinzey Bachtold, Ann Francis, Greg Hish, Brenda Bachtold, Nate Kelson, Cary Dehm, Lynn Barnett, Mark Hall, Kevin Moser, Charles Larsen, Matthew Br

130 Years Ago January 11, 1896 At the annual congregational meeting of the Presbyterian Church Monday evening the following officers were elected: Trustees, A. B. Claudon, L. W. Ring; ushers, Ken Shankland, Lyman Sheaff, A. B. Wharton and Henry Remington. The matter of holding church services was discussed, but nothing definite was decided. G. B. Gordon is building a new house on West Walnut Street. Conrad Munz has his dam across Indian Creek in shape again. It was taken out

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,