Category: Dwight

Thank you to the Village of Dwight Water Treatment Plant Crew for reporting these numbers to The Paper: 

Chu Son Reis, 65 of Dwight, passed away Monday, August 31, 2026 at the OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home, Peoria. Visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11:00 AM Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Dwight. …

After a long battle with cancer, Rick Charles Bower, age 69, passed away peacefully on August 28, 2026, at home, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 6, 1957. Rick was the beloved husband…

Mary Elizabeth Sweeney, nee Maher, 73, of Braidwood, IL, entered into Eternal Life unexpectedly at 2:46 am on Thursday, August 27, in the Year of Our Lord, 2026.  Her final moments were at Morris Hospital, surrounded by many of her…

Donald “Don” McNamara, 76, of Frankfort, Illinois, passed away peacefully on August 26, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Born and raised in Dwight, Illinois, Don spent most of his adult life in Frankfort, where he built a life filled…

Michael “Mike” Leo Noonan, 73, passed away peacefully at 2:52 A.M. on Monday, August 24, 2026, at his lifelong home in Dwight, Illinois. Mike was born on November 13, 1952, in Pontiac, IL.  He was the son of Leo and…

St. Peter’s to Celebrate Historic 150th Anniversary DWIGHT — St. Peter’s Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church is preparing to mark a historic milestone as it celebrates 150 years of community, faith, and heritage. The congregation will commemorate its sesquicentennial anniversary with…

“On the eighth day, God looked down on His planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker.” So God made a farmer.”                                                                -Paul Harvey Everett Paul Severson, 82, passed away at his home August 21, 2026 after succumbing to…

William Joseph “Fatz” Hooker, 79, indomitable patriarch, of Dwight, Illinois, died on Wednesday, August 12th, 2026, after a lengthy illness. Visitation will be held from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at Hager Memorial Home, 201…

Mary Ellen Turner, passed away peacefully on August 10, 2026 at the ARC Nursing Home in Dwight, Illinois. She was 92 years old. Mary Ellen was born on June 8, 1934 in Ottawa Illinois to Luther and Hilda Wentz who…

Charles L. “Charlie” Schmidt Sr., age 80, of Diamond, IL passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family at his home on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. He was born on April 21, 1946 in Joliet, IL to Andrew J. and Rose…

Blessed Trinity Parish joyfully celebrates the ordination of Father Joshua Krischel to the priesthood on May 23 at the Cathedral of Saint Raphael in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, lowa. Joe and Paula Krischel, Fr. Joshua Krischel, ArchbishopThomas R. Zinkula  …

Brian Vecera, age 57, of Dwight, IL, passed away on Monday, June 22, 2026 at Loyola University Medical Center. He was born on April 21, 1969, in Joliet, IL, the son of the late Paul and Mary Jo (nee Hogan)…

Arnold D. “Arnie” Spandet, 74, of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away at his home surrounded by family. He was born November 2, 1951, in Streator, Illinois, and was raised in Dwight, Illinois. Arnie was the son of the late Arnold…

Dennis R. Tkachik, 76, passed away at his second home on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Born on June 2, 1950, in Joliet, Illinois, Dennis was the son of John and Pearl (Lacore) Tkachik. He attended Gardner-South Wilmington High School in…

Barbara Ann Mortensen, 82, of Dwight, passed away on June 12, 2026 at The Arc nursing home in Dwight. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday June 16, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Dwight, with visitation…

Derek “DT” Tjelle, 56, of Coal City, Illinois passed away on June 5, 2026. Born on May 7, 1970, in Streator, Illinois, he was raised and educated in Dwight, Illinois and graduated from Dwight High School with the class of…

Mary Hairald, age 78, of Dwight and formerly of Wilmington, Illinois, died Thursday morning, June 4, 2026, at Morris Hospital in Morris, Illinois. Born on February 11, 1948, in Joliet, Illinois, Mary was the daughter of Melvin Allen and Josephine…

May 30 – Regional Final At the Dwight Regional on Saturday the GSW Panthers defeated the Trojans by a score of 6-1 . Evan Cox absorbed his first loss of the season, even though he allowed only one earned run….

The 52nd Annual Dwight Invitational Golf Tournament was held on Saturday, May 9th, at Dwight Country Club. Sixty players competed under windy and difficult conditions for the title. The overall champion for the 2nd year in a row was Carter…

Gilbert Lew Nielsen, 88, of Dwight passed away on Thursday, May 14, 2026 surrounded by his loving family. He was born April 1, 1938 in Streator, the son of Kenneth and Louise Lippold Nielsen. He married Karene Marshall on September…

REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF DWIGHT COMMON SCHOOL DISTRICT #232 Held in the Dwight Common School District Library On May 13, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. Board President Jaime Mallaney called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m….

Attending the Dwight baseball game on Thursday and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch was the Stevenson family, owners of Willy‘s pub in downtown Dwight. At the recent Dwight Booster Bash Fundraiser Willy‘s Pub was the grand-prize drawdown winner and…

DTHS Varsity Baseball Team Front Row LtoR: Jackson Launius, Ethan Cox, Asher Kargle, Jacob Wilkey, Joey Starks, Maddox DeLong, Gavin Leach and Ethan Pakula Back Row LtoR: Coach Mickey McDowell, Ayden Collom, Zach Bumpous, Hunter Paulsen, Micheal Leithliter, Carson Sandeno…

Joseph Lyle King, age 73 of Reddick entered new life on Friday, May 1, 2026, at Miller Health Center in Kankakee. He was born to Dale and Emma King on October 28, 1952. Joe was a farmer at heart, finding…

Harold Lee Schreiner, 88, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2026, in Lafayette. Born on August 16, 1937, in Crawfordsville, Harold was the son of Peter and Mary Helen (Grimes) Schreiner. Harold is survived by his beloved…

DTHS Boys Track Front Row LtoR: Jesus Zavala, Ryker Anderson, Dane Frobish, David Allen, Tysen Walker, Filemon Ortiz, McKay Gleeson, Jovanny Zavala, Hayden Colclasure, Alex Ortiz and Moises Martin Back Row LtoR: Coach Mitch Thompson, Coach Keli Gall, Joe Faris,…

Video Gaming Report for Dwight – February 2026 Gamblers in Dwight wagered $918,392 in February, with $674,599 being returned to them in winnings. This resulted in an increase in Net Terminal Income for Video Gaming Terminals in Dwight of $243,793…

Dwight Embraces Amtrak as a Smart, Scenic Travel Option DWIGHT, IL — Residents of Dwight and surrounding Livingston County are rediscovering the convenience, affordability, and comfort of passenger rail, as Amtrak service continues to connect this small Illinois community to…

Theresa Rose (Dzuryo) McNamara, 98, of Dwight, Illinois, passed away peacefully at 8:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. Visitation will be from 11:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday April 1, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 100 West…

Thomas “Bubbles” Burkhardt, 67, Dwight IL, a husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully at home on March 23rd, 2026, surrounded by his family leaving behind a legacy built on love, laughter, and countless cherished memories. His presence filled…

Lorene “Reen” (Burton) Adams, 74, of Dwight, Illinois, passed away peacefully on March 20, 2026, at her home in Dwight, Il. Memorial visitation will be held from 1:00 P.M. until 3:00 P.M. on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at Hager Memorial…

REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF DWIGHT TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #230 Held in the Dwight Township High School Board Room On March 18, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. Board President Joel Sandeno called the meeting to order at…

James D. Meece, 81, of Floyds Knobs, Indiana, passed away at 9:24 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. He was born in Pontiac, Illinois to the late Delno Meece and Lura (Stephens) Meece. James proudly served his country in the…

Melvin A. Drechsel, 88, of Dwight, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 27, 2026, at Arc of Dwight Nursing Home. Visitation will be held Friday, March 6 at Hager Memorial Home, Dwight at 10a – 11a.  With grave side services…

Ronald “Ron” Kerry Gay, 64, passed away peacefully on December 22, 2025 in Spanish Plaines Hospital in The Villages, Florida. Born on January 23, 1961 in Streator, Illinois, Ron was the devoted son of Elizabeth “Betty” (Ziegler) and Robert Keith Gay.  …

Ruby Alice (Crone) Thomas, 99, of Dwight, Il., passed away at 5:14 P.M. on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at OSF Saint James John W, Albrecht, Pontiac, IL. Visitation will be held from 9:30 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, February…

Paul J. Lund, 94, formerly of Herscher, IL, passed away following a short illness at Majestic Care of Carmel, Carmel, IN, on Friday, January 16, 2026. He was born on July 18, 1931 in rural Gardner, IL to the late…

Harry Lynn Johnson, 77, of Dwight, Il., passed away surrounded by his family at 11:30 P.M. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at OSF Saint James Hospital in Pontiac, Il. Visitation will be held from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. on…

Henry T. Lund passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on January 22, 2026.  Henry was born in 1930 to Theodore H. and Maren Lund.  Henry was one of four sons, raised on a farm in rural Gardner/Dwight.  Henry…