February 6, 2025

A sampling of headlines in this week’s Sidell Reporter. To read the stories that go with this, plus many more articles in this week’s issue, subscribe today to read the Reporter in print and/or online. For details click here.

Citizens bring concerns to Catlin Village Board

Vance Township replaces 1989 road grader

ARPA funds made a difference to local towns

New Banquet Center open

Filicsky named Firefighter of the Year 

Sports

Salt Fork girls defeat Danville Vikings 59-45

Come-from-behind win gives boys an exciting 35-29 victory over Iroquois W

Three girls advance to wrestling sectionals

Cheer team falls short of advancing

Salt Fork Junior High Volleyball

Salt Fork’s Academic Challenge places 3rd

Salt Fork Scholastic Bowl opens season with wins

Remole’s buzzer shot gives Jr. High a 33-31 win in the Semi-Final Regional game



Obituaries
KENT A.FLORA, 81, of Champaign passed away at 8:51 p.m. on Thurs., Jan. 30, 2025, at the Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. 
    He was born on Jan. 7, 1944, in Urbana, the son of L. Lee and Ercel Puzey Flora and the great-grandson of Henry Puzey I, a pioneer settler of Jamaica Township, Illinois.  He married the love of his life, Sharon Bray Underwood, Dec. 31, 1974, at the family residence at Fairmount. She survives. Kent is also survived by his three sons, Brent Flora of Pheonix, Ariz., Don Underwood of Bloomington and Christopher Underwood, of Leander, Texas; four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents, one grandson, and his lifelong best friend, Ralph Livengood of Indiana.
    Kent was a product of the Drummond School of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the Fairmount school system, and a graduate of Jamaica High School where he was a member of the National Honor Society.  He was an Animal Science graduate of the University of Illinois, a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity, and the Block and Bridle Club. He was a member of the 1966 University of Illinois Livestock Judging Team. He was a fourth-generation steward of the family farm for the greater past of his life and received the honor of being named “Outstanding Young Farmer of Vermilion County’ in 1972.  Kent was a national-recognized breeder of Shropshire sheep and was a exhibitor at state and national shows throughout the central, eastern, and southern United States, winning many state and national championships. He was a founder and president of the Illinois Shropshire Association, a board member of the Illinois Purebred Sheep Breeders Association and served as the youngest national president in the history of The American Shropshire Registry Association.  Kent was very involved in his home-town community of Fairmount and Vermilion County. He served his country as a member of the United States Army Reserve. He also was a member of the Global Surveillance Department of NEG Micon, Inc. (later Vestas Wind Energy) and oversaw the operation of wind turbine generators (windmills) in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. He loved his family, travel, University of Illinois football and basketball, and spending time with friends.
    Funeral services were Feb. 5 at Robison Chapel, Catlin with Pastor James Blue officiating. Burial was in Davis Cemetery, Fairmount. Memorials may be made to The American Shropshire Registry Association, 41 Bell Rd., Leyden MA 01337. Condolences www.robisonchapel.com.


DAVID HETH SAWYER, 92, of Catlin, passed away at 1:15 p.m. Sat., Feb. 1, 2025, at Goldwater Nursing Home in Danville.
    David was born on March 26, 1932, in Sidell, the son of Earl Thomas and Hazel Miller Sawyer. He married Lorene Sacre on March 10, 1954 in Catlin. She survives along with his daughter, Lisa (George) Willis of Noblesville, Ind.; two grandsons, Jack David Hall (Hilary Mohs) and Zachary Joseph Hall; and two step grandsons, Philip George Willis and Mitchell William Willis. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Earl Tyrus Sawyer.
    David graduated from Eastern Illinois University and was a member of the TKE Fraternity while there. In 1953, he joined the army and was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas.  He taught high school for one year in Wyoming, Ill. He entered dental school at Indiana University School of Dentistry in Indianapolis, Ind. and graduated in 1961. While at IUSD, he joined the Delta Sigma Delta dental fraternity. He started out as a private practice dentist in Danville with Dr. Wayne Vaught. Eventually, he started his own practice at 518 North Logan in Danville where he practiced dentistry for over 25 years. He loved being a dentist and was respected by his patients.  After retirement, David kept busy as a beloved part-time instructor at the IU School of Dentistry in Indianapolis. He was an avid golfer and member of the Harrison Park Country Club in Danville. He attended the Catlin Church of Christ and was a member of the Danville District Dental Society.
    Memorial services will be held at 12 noon on Friday, Feb. 7 at Robison Chapel in Catlin with Paster Craig Roller officiating. Visitation will be held from 11:00 noon prior to the service at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Vermilion County Animal Shelter, 14775 Catlin Tilton Road, Danville, IL 61834. Condolences to the family may be sent to Robison Chapel, www.robisonchapel.com.

FRED ALLEN MAJORS, 97, currently living in Kamiah, Idaho and formerly of Ridge Farm, passed to his eternal rest in Heaven on Tues., Jan 21, 2025.
    He was born April 4, 1927 in Danville to Bertie and Alice (Walthall) Majors. He was the second of four boys in their family.
    Until the age of 14 the family lived on a farm near Quaker, Ind., after which they moved to a farm near Kingman, Ind.
    Fred graduated from Kingman High School in the spring of 1945 and then entered the Navy, serving in the Pacific for the last several months of WW2. He signed up for the Air Force during the Korean War. About this time he reconnected with a neighboring farm girl from the Quaker area, Dorothy Castle. The two were married in Spokane, Wash., on March 24,1952, where Fred was stationed at Fairchild Air Base.
    Fred was shortly after stationed at Yakota Air Base in Japan for seven months, where he flew night reconnaissance missions over North Korea to photograph the countryside.
He returned to the states in time for the birth of his first son, Stephen, born in Topeka, Kansas.
    Upon mustering out of the Air Force in 1954 Fred and Dorothy returned to Ridge Farm, to farm the Castle farm, where they would be for the next 30 years. Two daughters were born there, Janice and Becky, and two Korean children were adopted, Allen at age 1 and Ann at age 5. They were a musical family, traveled a lot, and made friends everywhere. They were always involved in church.
    After their kids were older, Fred started a second career in construction in Houston Texas. This new career led Fred and Dorothy to travel and work jobs from coast to coast over a 10 year span. After Fred retired from his second career, Fred and Dorothy moved to Zavalla, Texas where they raised emus, continued to travel, stayed connected with family, made new friends, and were always involved in church activities.
    In 1999 they returned to Ridge Farm, where they lived when Dorothy passed in October 2015. In late 2020 Fred moved to Kamiah, Idaho to be near family.
He is survived by his five children, Stephen (Bonnie) Majors of Kamiah, ID, Jan (Rick) Kvam of Rochester, MN, Becky (Tucker) Quetone of Rochester, MN, Ann (Michael) Lashansky Majors of Glen Allen, VA, and Allen Majors of Seoul, Korea, his 21 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
    There will be a memorial service at the Hopewell Friends Church, Quaker, Ind. Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2:00 p.m. Indiana time.

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