Roger Owen Irvin and Becky Eileen (Eater) Irvin will celebrate their 30th anniversary Jan. 3, 2011. Roger is the son of the late Owen Irvin and Elizabeth (Gammon) Irvin. Becky is the daughter of Marlin Eater and the late Nelda (Draege) Eater. They have four children, Rhonda (Jerry) Vessell of Brentwood, Tenn., Ryan Irvin of Bartlett, Tenn., Todd (Megan) Irvin of Pontoon Beach, daughter-in-law Kim Irvin of Brentwood, Tenn., wife of the late Rodney Owen Irvin; three grandchildren, Savannah Denae Vessell, Dalton Owen Irvin and Kayce Autumn Irvin all of Brentwood, Tenn. They will celebrate with their family. Those who wish to send cards may send them to 4017 Shiloh Drive, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864-9621

- Ruth Pigg will celebrate her 94th birthday on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. She will be with family and friends. Cards may be sent to 123 Castleton Ave., Mt. Vernon, IL, 62864.

MT. VERNON - Mrs. Deloris (King) Pearson, 80, of Normal, passed away at her home on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010. Deloris was born in Mt. Vernon, on Sept. 3, 1930. She was a daughter of the late Clyde Vernon King and the late Lora Belle (Womack) King. Deloris King married the late Mr. Robert Clayton Pearson, Jr., on July 15, 1949. Deloris worked for AT&T from 1967 until she retired. She was preceded in death by brothers, Harold and Clyde "Barry" and sister Lora. She is survived by her brother, James (Carol) King; and her children, John, Joseph, Mary Jayne, Matthew Alan, Luke Gerald, Mark Andrew, Elizabeth Anne (Marty), Martha Anastasia (Michael) and James Robert; grandchildren Christine, Chelsea Leigh, Nathan Robert, Seth Avery, Levi Clayton, Jeremy Andrew, Cassandra Lynne, Caryn Michelle, Joshua Robert, David Scott, Jeffrey Lawrence, Anastasia Marie, Brian Edward, Robert Allen, Stephanie Elizabeth, and Alvero Miguel; in addition, Deloris had numerous nieces and nephews. She had special friends Karen Biddle, Linda Pate and Barb Swanson and they enjoyed many activities with her. Deloris was an avid Cubs fan, with a large collection of Cubs memorabilia. She had an extensive collection of baseball Cards. She also enjoyed Bingo. Per Deloris' wishes, cremation rights were accorded, with no visitation. There will be a small gathering of family and friends at the grave site at Mount Carmel Cemetery of St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church of East St. Louis, Ill.

Cody Jae Taylor, age 21, of Du Quoin, IL., died at 4:58 p.m. on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 in Perry County, IL as the result of an automobile accident. Cody was born April 23, 1989 in Mt. Vernon, IL., the son of Arthur Taylor and Janice (Lamke) . Mr. Taylor was a Craftsman at 5-Star Industries in DuQuoin. He was a graduate of DuQuoin High School where he had served as a manager for the football team. He loved fishing, swimming and was a recycling advocate. Cody is survived by his mother, Janice and husband Rick Bedar of Du Quoin; maternal grandparents, Anselm Lamke of Scheller and Alberta Newborn of DuQuoin; paternal grandfather, Art Taylor; uncles, Jim lamke, Bill Lamke and wife Georgia, and Ben Newborn and fiancé Leslie; aunt, Connie and husband Keith Ridgeway; and special friend Amy Brooks. He was preceded in death by his father; maternal grandfather, Bob Newborn; paternal grandmother, Katherine Robison; one sister, Jillian Lamke; and cousin Gretchen Lamke. Memorial Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday January 16, 2011 at Newell Funeral Home in Waltonville with Rev. Merle Fullerton officiating. The Family will receive friends on Sunday from Noon until service time at Newell Funeral Home 505 East Main Street in Waltonville, IL. For those wishing, memorials may be made to the Prader-Willi Institute in Pittsburg and will be accepted at the funeral home. For more information you may call Newell Funeral Home at 279-7272

Jeffrey Joseph Thompson 43-year-old Normal, IL resident, Jeffrey Joseph Thompson, died Thursday, January 6 at his home. He was a furniture maker. Surviving are his father, Orrin Thompson of Branson, MO; one sister, Dody Thompson of Woodlawn, IL; an uncle, C.L. Wood of Chicago, IL; and an aunt, Janney Gant of Marion, IL. Private funeral services for Jeffrey Joseph Thompson will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 15 at the Archie L. Sanders Memorial Chapel in Wayne City. Burial will be in Thomason Cemetery. There will be no visitation. Richardson Funeral Home in Wayne City is in charge of the arrangements.

MT. VERNON - Alice Compton, 87, of Peoria, Ariz., passed away quietly with family by her side on Jan. 7, 2011, at Boswell Medical Center in Sun City, Ariz. She was born in Jefferson County on Sept. 15, 1923, to Charlotta (Slicker) and Alvin Hails. She is survived by her loving spouse, Alfred (Marvin) Compton and her only child Greg Compton (Sharon). Alice also has 4 grandchildren: Doug Compton (Amber), Steven Baltz (Joan), Kristin Stenger (Justin) and Julie Stenger (Brandon). She is also survived by 6 great grandchildren, Jack, Kate, Skyler, Kayden, Andrew (AJ) and Benjamin. Alice and Alfred shared 69 years of marriage and were fortunate to travel to many countries including Austria, the Holy Lands, Scotland and Egypt. They spent several years during the war in Washington, where Alice had the opportunity to work as a code operator on the Manhattan Project, which was the codename for an Allied project conducted during World War II to develop the first atomic bomb. She reported directly to Commander Groves. Visitation will be held at Stygar Funeral Home in St. Charles, Mo. on Jan. 20 at 1 p.m. with service following at 4 p.m. Alice will be laid to rest in Mt. Vernon. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the National Arthritis Foundation

Thu Jan 13, 2011, 07:30 AM CST MT. VERNON - Mrs. Irene Colgrave of Ashley, departed this life at Friendship Manor Health Care Center in Nashville on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011. She had attained the age of 89 years, eight months and 13 days. Mrs. Colgrave was born on April 29, 1921, in Jefferson County, the daughter of Teofil and Mary (Bock) Kujawa. She was united in marriage to John P. Colgrave on Sept. 5, 1942, in St. Louis, and he passed away on Oct. 21, 1997. Irene was a homemaker and also enjoyed quilting. She was a member of St. Michael's Catholic Church in Radom, and St. Michael's Altar and Rosary Sodality. Left to mourn her passing are two sons, John A. Colgrave and his wife Christina, and Mark Colgrave and his wife Deborah, all of Ashley; four daughters, Marcia Kujawa and husband Alex of Ashley, Sharon Kubiak and husband Paul of Ashley, Carol Speiser and husband Randy of Centralia and Annette Paul and her husband Rob of Ashley; 19 grandchildren, David (Brenda) Kujawa, Jeffery (friend Ronda) Kujawa, Tricia (Kevin) Kujawa-Kirsch, Valerie (Steve) Zgonina, Victor (Tamera) Kubiak, Sarah (James Lewis) Kubiak, Jennifer, Rachel and John Kubiak, Jessica (Chad) Hays, Dawn (Matt) Spotanski, Ryan (Amy) Povolish, Adam and Kari Povolish, Ashley Jackson, Jami and Jace Colgrave, and Brandon and Ashlee Colgrave; 17 great-grandchildren, Chelsea, Erica and Sidney Kujawa, Hillary and Harrison Zgonina, Alexandria, Shiann, Michael and Dean Kubiak, Sophia Lewis, Austin and Cayden Spotanski, Remington Povolish, Haley Chelf, Neal and Noah Jackson and Madilyn Hays; a sister-in-law, Veronica Kujawa of Waltonville; Paul "Skip" Povolish of Waltonville; and many nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter-in-law, Cheryl Colgrave; three brothers, Joseph, John and Vincent Kujawa; two sisters, Ciara Varone and Frances Schindelar; four brothers-in-law, Joseph Rynski, Martin Schindelar, Joseph Strauss and Pete Varone; and a sister-in-law, Eleanor Kujawa. Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Michael Catholic Church in Radom on Saturday at 10 a.m. with Father Robert Zwilling officiating and with interment in the church cemetery. Friends may call at the Campagna Funeral Home in Ashley from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The prayer service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Should friends desire, mass offerings or memorials may be made to the St. Michael's Catholic School and will be accepted by the Campagna Funeral Home. Online expressions of sympathy can be made at www.campagnafuneralhomes

MT. VERNON - Kenneth Ray "Chetty" Proctor, 83, of Mt. Carmel, formerly of Grayville, died Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011, at Meadowood Nursing Home in Grayville. He was born July 1, 1927, in Grayville, the son of Chester and Marie (Pritchard) Proctor. He married Mary Ruth Staley on June 2, 1956, and she survives. Kenneth was a retired truck driver and World War II Army veteran. Survivors include his wife, Mary Proctor of Mt. Carmel; two sons and their wives, Stephen Ray and LaDonna Proctor of Albion and David Allen and April Proctor of Flora; two daughters, Janet Marie Downs of Grayville and Kendra Gail Anderson and her companion Gary Wright of Mt. Carmel; two sisters, Thelma Joyce Reather and her husband Bernard and Sarah Louise Belew and her husband Jim, all of Carmi; seven grandchildren, Sasha (Nathan) Stone, Miki Baughman, Misty (Jerad) LaFollette, Brooke (John) Powers, Damian (Charla) Proctor, Alicia Jordan and Amy Proctor; and 13 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Chester and Marie Proctor; a brother, Billy Wayne Proctor; an infant sister, Agnes Ruth Proctor; an infant brother, Charles William Proctor; and a great-grandson, Denzel Stone. Visitation and funeral is Friday at Cook Funeral Chapel in Grayville. Visitation is at 10 a.m. and funeral is at noon. Burial with military rites will be in Oak Grove Cemetery in Grayville.

Donald E. Fairchild, 46, of Mt. Vernon, Illinois passed away at 10:40 P.M. on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at Mt. Vernon Health Care Center in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. He was born on Tuesday, November 24, 1964 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois the son of the late Edward and Wilma (Carlton) Fairchild. Surviving family members include his wife: Christina Miller of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; 3 sons: Cory, Donald, Jr. and Dustin Fairchild of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; 3 daughters: Haley, Alexis and Breanna Fairchild of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; stepson: Jerry Miller and wife Samantha of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; 2 stepdaughters: Tiffany and Christin Miller of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; 2 brothers: Roger Severs of Mt. Vernon, Illinois and Don Gulley of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; 3 sisters; Shelly Severs Myogeto of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, Sue Fairchild Panzer of Mt. Vernon, Illinois and Janet Severs Phillips of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; several nieces and nephews also survive. His parents, grandparents and one sister: Sandra Fairchild preceded her in death. Don was an oil field worker and was of the Baptist faith. VISITATION: will be held from 12 noon to service time at 1:00 P.M. on Friday, January 14, 2011 at Knob Prairie Cemetery in Waltonville, Illinois. GRAVESIDE SERVICES: will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Friday, January 14, 2011 at Knob Prairie Cemetery in Waltonville, Illinois. Reverend Chuck Ellis will officiate. INTERMENT: Knob Prairie Cemetery in Waltonville, Illinois. For those who wish, memorials may be given to The Fairchild Family and will be accepted at the funeral home, cemetery or may be mailed to Hughey Funeral Home, P.O. Box 721, Mt. Vernon, Illinois

Shirley Jane Jones, 75, of Centralia and formerly of Dahlgren, passed away at 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011, at Centralia Manor in Centralia. She was born July 5, 1935, in Birmingham, Ala., the daughter of Dallas F. Goldman Sr., and Beatrice (Martin) Goldman. She married Clarence L. "Jack" Jones on Sept. 8, 1960, in Birmingham, Ala.; he preceded her in death on Feb. 13, 2009. Mrs. Jones is survived by her son, Jay W. Jones and wife Sunni of Dahlgren; daughter, Leslie Moran and husband Hugh of Centralia; stepdaughter, Jacquelin Lovoy and husband Egnatius of Harpersville, Ala.; grandchildren, Alicia and husband Cody, Kyle, Aerial, Quinn, Shea "Budda", Arrian and husband Ben and Nat; great-grandchildren Caroline, Benjamin and JackAnthony; sister Doris Garcia and husband Edmund of Fresno, Calif.; and many nieces, nephews and friends. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; infant son, Alan Jay Jones; brother, Dallas Goldman Jr.; sister, Gladys Cox; and infant sister, Margaret Goldman. Mrs. Jones was a homemaker. She lived the last two years of her life in Centralia, and formerly lived in Dahlgren for 36 years and Bessemer, Ala. She enjoyed the time she spent with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Dahlgren with the Rev. Stacy Tate officiating. Those attending the services are asked to go directly to the cemetery on Saturday. Interment will follow in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Dahlgren. As per Shirley's request, there will be no public visitation. Memorial contributions may be made in Shirley's honor to the charity of the donor's choice and will be received at Styninger Queen-Boggs Funeral Home in Centralia. Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.styningerfuneralhomes.com.

a.. b.. Search Marie Davis, of Davenport, Iowa, and formerly of Mt. Vernon, passed away Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at her residence. She was born Aug. 27, 1966, in Detroit, to Eddie Charleston and Ellis Marie Jones. She attended Edison and J.L. Buford Schools and Mt. Vernon Township High School. Joyce was married to Marvin Davis. Together, they cherished three children. Joyce was full of life and loved her grandchildren and family. Joyce accepted Christ and united with Word of Faith Tabernacle in Davenport, Iowa, with Pastor Jim Swope. Joyce is survived by two sons, Marzel Eugene Jones and Travis Martez Davis of Davenport; a daughter, Markela Lashan Davis of Muscatine, Iowa; her mother, Ellis Marie Kelly of Davenport; stepfather, L.B. Kelly of Batesville, Miss.; grandmother, Rosielee Brand of Hayti, Mo.; step grandmother, Pauline Watson of Mt. Vernon; four brothers, Charles "Mr. Woo" (Carmen) Jones of Mt. Vernon, Eddie L. Williams, Bruce (Doug) Jones of Davenport and Bryant E. Kelly of Muscatine; three sisters, Monica (Wayne) Owens of Kennett, Mo.; Makisha Miller and Lilita B. Kelly of Davenport; 11 grandchildren; nieces; nephews; cousins; several uncles and aunts; and many other special friends who will miss her deeply. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Willie D. and Ruby Williams; a niece, Miracle Jones; aunts, Elaine Williams, Betty Simpson and Joan Williams; her father; and great-aunt, Mable Grace Young. Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Chruch with Elder James Gordon and the Rev. Lawrence James officiating. Interment will be at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the church. Jackson Funeral Home is providing service to the family and may be contacted

Stella F. Wood, 106, of Mt. Vernon died at 6:52 a.m. Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, at Mt. Vernon Countryside Manor. She was born Oct. 16, 1904, in Jefferson County, the daughter of J.R. and Laura (King) Edmison. She married Glee Wood on June 5, 1928, in Jefferson County and he preceded her in death on Oct. 21, 1963. Ms. Wood assisted the family at L.S. Wood Printing Company. She taught Sunday School at Logan Street Baptist Church for over 50 years. She is a past president of the Mt. Vernon Women's Club. She was also a member of DAR. She is survived by two sons, Robert Wood of Mt. Vernon and Richard Wood and Taunya of Houston, Texas; six grandchildren, Janea of Killeen, Texas, Deana Rae of Mt. Vernon, Leesa Weaver of Wayne County, Robert Wood of Darien, M'Lane Ellis of Cross Plains, Texas, and Christine Burke of Jacksonville, Fla.; seven great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers and a daughter-in-law. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011, at Johnston Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon with the Rev. Jimmy Bledsoe officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Mt. Vernon at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Logan Street Church Building Fund and will be accepted at the funeral home at any time.

SPRINGFIELD - Jack W. Anderson, 73, of Mt. Vernon, passed away on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Peasley Funeral Home in Lincoln, with Kurt A. Flora officiating. No visitation is scheduled. Cremation rites have been accorded. He was born on Oct. 3, 1937, in DeKalb, the son of Samuel and Rena Haynes Anderson. He married Norma McCray on March 16, 1957. Surviving are his children, Debbie (Larry) Dunham, Pam (Rob) Mattson all of Lincoln, Brenda McCallister of McLean; his former wife, Norma Anderson of Lincoln; eight grandchildren, Jennifer Meagher, Joshua Dunham, Julie (Rob) Shoraga, Justin Smith, Cameron Smith, Bailey Smith, Lucas Smith and Riley McCallister; and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister. Memorials may be made to the McLean Fire and Rescue Squad.

Wendell H. "Park" Parker, 91, of Memphis, Tenn., resident of Waverly Gardens, died on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011. He was born in Centralia on Feb. 14, 1919, and attended Centralia High School. He retired from the Illinois Central Railroad in 1982, as a supervising agent. He was a member of the Toastmasters, Elks Club, and the MA Lightman Bridge Club. He enjoyed golfing, woodworking, bowling and fishing. He was also an accomplished pianist, vocalist and artist. He is preceded in death by his son, Tweed Bryan Parker. He leaves his loving wife of 67 years, Berdella "Dell" Joyce Lee Parker; his daughter, Donna Lee Parker Pace; and his grandson, Adam Parker Pace. The family will receive friends beginning at 1 p.m. on Wednesday with funeral services to follow at 2 p.m., all at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis. Memorials may be sent to the charity of the donor's choice.

Geneva Dell Lents, 91, of Clay City, IL died at 8:20 AM Sunday, January 9, 2011 at Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, IL. She was born April 5, 1919 in Clay City, IL to Oscar & Della (Yauch) Wease. She married Earl A. Lents on November 21, 1936 in Clay County, IL. He preceded her in death on June 30, 1957. She later married John Lents who preceded her in death in 2002. She was a homemaker and a member of Bethlehem Christian Church. Geneva enjoyed sewing and making dolls for her grandchildren. She is survived by her children: Karen Marlow & husband Phillip of Dix, Carol Raley & husband Ronald of Rinard, Rena Thomas & husband Don of Flora, Donna Given of Mauldin, SC, Noma Monical & husband Robert of Flora, Cheryl Hampton & husband Bill of Flora, Terry Lentz & husband Geoffrey of Houston, TX, and Richard Lents & wife Tina of Bridgeport; 31 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren, 7 great-great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, both husbands, a son (Dale Eugene Lents), 4 sisters, and 1 brother. Private funeral services will be held at Frank & Bright Funeral Home with burial in Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, IL. Memorials may be made to Clay County Cancer Support Group.

> Earl F. Tucker, 93, of Ewing died Sunday evening, Jan. 9, > 2011, at his home. > > A funeral service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. > 13, at the Morton & Johnston Funeral Home in Benton with > the Rev. Tony Auxier and the Rev. Mark Minor officiating. > Burial with military rites conducted by the American > Legion Post 141 will be in Hope Cemetery in Ina. > Visitation will be after 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral > home. > > Earl was born in Frisco on March 6, 1917, the son of > Turner R. and Minnie (Murphy) Tucker. > > He married Helen Marie (Plasters), and she preceded him in > death on March 16, 1991. > > He married Lucille Tate, and she preceded him in death on > April 19, 2010. > > Mr. Tucker was a member of the North Benton Baptist > Church. > > He was a World War II Army veteran, attaining the rank of > staff sergeant. He served in the Philippines and was the > recipient of two Purple Hearts. He was the first person > drafted in Franklin County. > > Mr. Tucker was a past commander of the DAV. He was a > member of the Ewing Coal Association and a former Ewing > School Board member. > > He is survived by his son, Kevin and Jeannie Tucker of > Ewing; daughter, Teresa Howard and husband, Glenn, of > Creal Springs; three grandchildren, Kellie Miller, Aden > Howard and After Cheyenne Tucker; one brother, Harold > Tucker of Whittington; and a sister-in-law, Maxine Tucker > of Mt. Vernon. > > Mr. Tucker was preceded in death by parents, both wives, > and two brothers, Clyde and Grover Tucker. > > Source: Benton Evening News 1/10/11 > > CAUSE OF DEATH WAS DUE TO FIRE AT HIS RESIDENCE >

This story is well known in the Southern Illinois area. The parents of Wilford are Christopher Columbus "Lum" SWEETIN and Allice I. HARMON.I have one sister for him, Bertha SWEETIN, who married (1) Ed WILLS and (2) Alex BUMPUS. Mary ---------- Original Message ---------- From: Sandy Bauer <sandy@whalen-family.org> To: ilfrankl@rootsweb.com, iljeffer@rootsweb.com Subject: [ILJEFFER] Wilford Sweetin murder Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2011 23:58:37 -0700 Sweetin Researchers I was recently given a copy of newspaper clippings about a double murder by poisoning in 1924. Anyone else heard about this? I believe this is the family in the census below based upon the newspaper description which I've transcribed below the census info. Anyone know who Wilford Sweetin's parents are? 1920 census Spring Garden Twp, Jefferson Co, IL - 3 Jan 1920 34/34 Sweetin, Williford Head M W 35 M IL IL IL Elsie M. Wife F W 27 M IL IL IL Byford L. Son M W 9 S IL IL IL Stanton H. Son M W 8 S IL IL IL Harry L. Son M W 3 S IL IL IL First newspaper clipping starts with: By Peter Levins "Water!" whispered the dying man. "Please....water!" Wilford Sweetin's comely wife, Elsie, haggard from loss of sleep, jumped up, but the Rev. Lawrence High gently restrained her. "You Stay with him," he said. "I'll get you some water, Brother Will." Outside a dog barked as a car stopped in front of the Sweetin bungalow in the little town of Ina, ILL. Grave-faced neighbors, fellow coal miners, halted their pacing to watch Dr. Sullivan enter the brightly lighted house. It was the night of July 28, 1924. "Ah, Doctor," the minister greeted, "you are back sooner than we expected." Dr. Sullivan nodded. "Can you see any change in his condition?" "Unfortunately, no." The doctor sat down by his patient, who was breathing heavily, every muscle straining. Will had taken ill just six days before. Dr. Sullivan had diagnosed it as ptomaine poisoning. Nothing to worry about, he had said. Now Will was dying. Dr. Sullivan turned to Mr. Hight and nodded gravely. The minister motioned to the three Sweetin boys -- Byford, 14, Stanton, 13, and Harry Lee, 8 -- who were sitting in the next room. They ranged themselves by the foot of the bed. "We must pray," said the minister. He summoned Mrs. Eva Miller, a cousin of Mrs. Sweetin. All knelt. The heavy breathing ceased, the figure relaxed. The Reverend High prayed on, the soft words of supplication falling swiftly from his lips. The doctor left. The sorrowing watchers in the street dispersed. One by one the neighbors' lights went out. "It is God's will," the minister told Elsie Sweetin. "Try to bear up." The strain had been too much for the wife and mother. Friends and relatives had to take over the household duties and funeral arrangements. Mr. Hight and his portly wife, Anna, proved towers of strength. Sad-faced Elsie Sweetin recuperated enough to attend the funeral. She wept with the others when the minister delivered his sermon at the grave. "I am unworthy to preach the sermon over the body of this good man," he began. "I stand in the place of the Apostle St. John, who said, "Let not they heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would not have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." "I tell you as St. John did that you must believe in me when I say that in my father's house are many mansions and by my conversion of Brother Sweetin a place has been prepared there for him. "I NEVER wanted to come to Ina, Friends, but something drew me on, kept drawing me on. I never knew what it was, not until the day I met this good woman who lies cold in death before us here now. Then it came over me just as the great light that called me to the service of God came over me and I knew I was sent here to convert him to the true faith. "Brother Sweetin was an unbeliever in Jesus Christ and God, and I was sent here that he might be redeemed and that I might redeem him." Mr. Hight paused dramatically, gazed from one solemn face to another, then cried triumphantly: "But I saved his soul, Friends! I sat by his bedside as he lay dying. I found the good fight -- and won! I moved his soul for God and he is now in the eternal light of the gracious countenance of Our Lord!" Thus Will Sweetin passed on, and thus he was buried. Illustrated by SEMOUR BALL [separate photos of Elsie Sweetin and Rev. Lawrence Hight] More newspaper clippings continue to tell the story as follows: That summer Mrs. Sweetin often visited the Hights and was on hand when Mrs. Hight, mother of a son, 14, and two daughters, 16 and n23, fell ill of what seemed to be ptomaine posioning. As in the case of Will Sweetin, no sort of medicine helped her; she grew steadily worse. Mr. Hight circuit rider with four churches in that section of southern Illinois, asked his followers to pray that his good wife's life be spared. On occasion he knelt by her bedside and uttered fervent appeals to the Almighty. "O God in They infinite mercy," he sobbed, "can You not intervene and spare this woman who is so dear to me, and so precious to her children? Spare her, God, spare her!" Sometimes Elsie Sweetin knelt too. The sick woman suffered. She gasped for water. On Sept. 12 her breathing ceased. "Anna! Anna!" the husband cried. He flung himself across the bed. .... A small town everyone knows everyone else's business. Ina was a small town. Among the Sweetin-Hight neighbors, it became common knowledge that Elsie Sweetin, one of the best-looking women in the parish, was in love with the minister. He had apparently begun to exert a powerful emotional influence upon the miner's wife months before Will's death. One neighbor said that on occasion he had seen Mr. Hight signal to the Sweetin home from the vantage point of a pile of railroad ties. "Elsie just couldn't seem to see enough of him," said the informant. "Where was she when Mr. Hight was holding that camp meeting at Bonnie a few weeks ago? Why, she was living in a cottage right beside his! An poor Will dead only a month!" Will had taken ill at a church social. The minister had come to see him every day during his illness. He'd sat with the sick man the last two nights of his life. Will had kept crying for water. Mr. Hight had brought him water. Mr. High? Such a pious man? ..... Gossip. The talk reached the ears of Druggist John E. Webster, whose store was in near-by Benton. He recalled selling Arsenic to the Reverend Hight some time early in the summer. For rats, the parson had explained. The rats had become a terrific nuisance at his place. Webster got out his poison register, which Hight had been required to sign at the time of the purchase. Here it was, Lawrence Hight, July 22. July 22! Why, that was the very day that Wilford Sweetin had taken sick! Webster phone Sheriff Grant Holcomb who called on State's Attorney Frank G. Thompson. The latter decided at once to have the body of Anna Hight exhumed and examined. Six days after Mrs. Hight's death, Dr. William D. McNally of Chicago reported arsenic in the body. Hight was arrested on suspicion at the home of his married daughter at Tamaroa. He insisted he had purchased the poison to kill rats, and had used for that purpose. "We found a box of rough-on-rats in the parsonage," Thompson told him. "You hadn't used it all. Why did you buy arsenic when you already had rat poison in the house?" "I insist I bought the arsenic for the rats." Locked in the Jefferson County Jail at Mt. Vernon, 12 miles south of Ina, he told reported "I am just as close to Heaven in jail as I am out of it." All this is the result of totally false gossip. I never talked to Mrs. Sweetin alone." Meanwhile, the body of Will Sweetin was being exhumed. The town seethed with the news. The doctor who examined Wilford Sweetin's exhumed boy reported: "Have found very large quantity of arsenic in the stomach contents. Further analysis will be made andn report sent as soon as possible." Feeling mounted. Mr. Hight began to lose his pious calm. From the window of his cell he could see men in the street -- brawny, rough-clad fellows. They had been friends of Will Sweetin. But the minister lifted his hands in horror at the accusations of his inquisitors. How could they bring such a charge as homicide against him? At 4 a.m., Sept. 22, he admitted that he had fed his wife poison "to relieve her pain." "To relieve what pain?" Thompson asked him. "She had been ill. She weighed 210 pounds and she was in pain." "From what?" "Ptomaine poisoning." He signed a statement to that effect, the signed a second statement reading: "On Sunday morning, July 27, 1924, at the home of Wilford Sweetin, I placed some poison in a glass and gave it to Wilford Sweetin, who drank it. I did it to ease his pain. Elsie Sweetin knew nothing of this." Crowds congregated at the jail. They wanted to take Mr. Hight out into the country. Sheriff Holcomb swore in special deputies, who took up posts around the building. "What is going on?" Hight asked a turnkey. "They want you" the attendant answered. "No, no! They would not do this!" "Oh, yes they would," the man said, "if we'd let them." "Call the sheriff! Tell him I want protection! Tell him to take me away from here!" Presently the sheriff arrived. The prisoner threw himself on his knees before him. "I didn't do it alone -- she helped me!" he all but wailed. "I killed my wife, yes -- but she -- Elsie -- she killed Will!" Mrs. Sweetin would not substantiate his story of a murder agreement. "If Will was murdered," she calmly stated, "then the minister must have done it. He is behaving like a coward." She admitted to reporters that she had fallen in love with Lawrence Hight. Will had been devoted to her, but what he had to give her in the way of worldly goods had not been enough. She had begun to work out at the age of 11, and had married Will Sweetin when she was 15. Pastor Hight came to town, and she went to him f or advice. She thought he was a good man. She withheld nothing in her confession of unhappiness. "I told him of my husband's want of affection." she continued. "I told him that Will was working too hard in the mines. I told him Will was neglecting me. I thought that Pastor Hight would suggest some spiritual remedy -- some cure through prayer. He was kind and sympathetic. He won my confidence from the start." She thought his love had been only spiritual. "Please believe that my own heart was pure!" she cried. "I did not know then that the heart I received in return was sinful." Hight also had something to say. "There is a lesson in all this," he said. "Marriages must have emotion as a basis or there is no happiness. Had I met and married Mrs. Sweetin first, our lives would have been unutterably happy. But she married a cold, indifferent man and I married that kind of woman. God forgive me!" Mrs. Sweetin eventually won an acquittal - in a second trial-- while Hight went to prison for life. THE AMERICAN WEEKLY Visit the Jefferson County ILGenWeb site at: www.jefferson.ilgenweb.net ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ILJEFFER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ____________________________________________________________ Moms Asked to Return to School Grant Funding May Be Available to Those That Qualify. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/4d2b10c79067da49f4est05duc

OMG!! So you already knew all about the history. It was news to me. I'm not sure why Roy Wayne Gowler kept the newspaper clippings but he was the one that sent them to me. Neither Wilford or Elsie are connected to my family as far as I know but he keeps sending me all kinds of things since he knows I'm passionate about genealogy and always collecting information. Sandy On 1/10/2011 10:55 AM, Byford Campbell wrote: > HMMM. I lived in that house for about 8 years. > Was in Washington DC in 1954, used a credit card to pay for gas and the > attendant looked at the card and said "Ina , isn't that arsenic city?" I > told him "yes and I live in that house now." He had read the story in a > magazine. > Byford Campbell > > > Visit the Jefferson County ILGenWeb site at: > www.jefferson.ilgenweb.net > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ILJEFFER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

HMMM. I lived in that house for about 8 years. Was in Washington DC in 1954, used a credit card to pay for gas and the attendant looked at the card and said "Ina , isn't that arsenic city?" I told him "yes and I live in that house now." He had read the story in a magazine. Byford Campbell

In my database I have his death record: Willford SWEETEN, b. 24 June 1883, JCI, d. 28 July 1924, Ina, JCI. s/o C.C. SWEETEN & Alice T. HARMON. Spouse: Elsie M. SWEETEN. Pat Corona -----Original Message----- From: zandz@juno.com Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 7:57 AM To: sandy@whalen-family.org ; iljeffer@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ILJEFFER] Wilford Sweetin murder This story is well known in the Southern Illinois area. The parents of Wilford are Christopher Columbus "Lum" SWEETIN and Allice I. HARMON.I have one sister for him, Bertha SWEETIN, who married (1) Ed WILLS and (2) Alex BUMPUS. Mary ---------- Original Message ---------- From: Sandy Bauer <sandy@whalen-family.org> To: ilfrankl@rootsweb.com, iljeffer@rootsweb.com Subject: [ILJEFFER] Wilford Sweetin murder Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2011 23:58:37 -0700 Sweetin Researchers I was recently given a copy of newspaper clippings about a double murder by poisoning in 1924. Anyone else heard about this? I believe this is the family in the census below based upon the newspaper description which I've transcribed below the census info. Anyone know who Wilford Sweetin's parents are? 1920 census Spring Garden Twp, Jefferson Co, IL - 3 Jan 1920 34/34 Sweetin, Williford Head M W 35 M IL IL IL Elsie M. Wife F W 27 M IL IL IL Byford L. Son M W 9 S IL IL IL Stanton H. Son M W 8 S IL IL IL Harry L. Son M W 3 S IL IL IL First newspaper clipping starts with: By Peter Levins "Water!" whispered the dying man. "Please....water!" Wilford Sweetin's comely wife, Elsie, haggard from loss of sleep, jumped up, but the Rev. Lawrence High gently restrained her. "You Stay with him," he said. "I'll get you some water, Brother Will." Outside a dog barked as a car stopped in front of the Sweetin bungalow in the little town of Ina, ILL. Grave-faced neighbors, fellow coal miners, halted their pacing to watch Dr. Sullivan enter the brightly lighted house. It was the night of July 28, 1924. "Ah, Doctor," the minister greeted, "you are back sooner than we expected." Dr. Sullivan nodded. "Can you see any change in his condition?" "Unfortunately, no." The doctor sat down by his patient, who was breathing heavily, every muscle straining. Will had taken ill just six days before. Dr. Sullivan had diagnosed it as ptomaine poisoning. Nothing to worry about, he had said. Now Will was dying. Dr. Sullivan turned to Mr. Hight and nodded gravely. The minister motioned to the three Sweetin boys -- Byford, 14, Stanton, 13, and Harry Lee, 8 -- who were sitting in the next room. They ranged themselves by the foot of the bed. "We must pray," said the minister. He summoned Mrs. Eva Miller, a cousin of Mrs. Sweetin. All knelt. The heavy breathing ceased, the figure relaxed. The Reverend High prayed on, the soft words of supplication falling swiftly from his lips. The doctor left. The sorrowing watchers in the street dispersed. One by one the neighbors' lights went out. "It is God's will," the minister told Elsie Sweetin. "Try to bear up." The strain had been too much for the wife and mother. Friends and relatives had to take over the household duties and funeral arrangements. Mr. Hight and his portly wife, Anna, proved towers of strength. Sad-faced Elsie Sweetin recuperated enough to attend the funeral. She wept with the others when the minister delivered his sermon at the grave. "I am unworthy to preach the sermon over the body of this good man," he began. "I stand in the place of the Apostle St. John, who said, "Let not they heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would not have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." "I tell you as St. John did that you must believe in me when I say that in my father's house are many mansions and by my conversion of Brother Sweetin a place has been prepared there for him. "I NEVER wanted to come to Ina, Friends, but something drew me on, kept drawing me on. I never knew what it was, not until the day I met this good woman who lies cold in death before us here now. Then it came over me just as the great light that called me to the service of God came over me and I knew I was sent here to convert him to the true faith. "Brother Sweetin was an unbeliever in Jesus Christ and God, and I was sent here that he might be redeemed and that I might redeem him." Mr. Hight paused dramatically, gazed from one solemn face to another, then cried triumphantly: "But I saved his soul, Friends! I sat by his bedside as he lay dying. I found the good fight -- and won! I moved his soul for God and he is now in the eternal light of the gracious countenance of Our Lord!" Thus Will Sweetin passed on, and thus he was buried. Illustrated by SEMOUR BALL [separate photos of Elsie Sweetin and Rev. Lawrence Hight] More newspaper clippings continue to tell the story as follows: That summer Mrs. Sweetin often visited the Hights and was on hand when Mrs. Hight, mother of a son, 14, and two daughters, 16 and n23, fell ill of what seemed to be ptomaine posioning. As in the case of Will Sweetin, no sort of medicine helped her; she grew steadily worse. Mr. Hight circuit rider with four churches in that section of southern Illinois, asked his followers to pray that his good wife's life be spared. On occasion he knelt by her bedside and uttered fervent appeals to the Almighty. "O God in They infinite mercy," he sobbed, "can You not intervene and spare this woman who is so dear to me, and so precious to her children? Spare her, God, spare her!" Sometimes Elsie Sweetin knelt too. The sick woman suffered. She gasped for water. On Sept. 12 her breathing ceased. "Anna! Anna!" the husband cried. He flung himself across the bed. .... A small town everyone knows everyone else's business. Ina was a small town. Among the Sweetin-Hight neighbors, it became common knowledge that Elsie Sweetin, one of the best-looking women in the parish, was in love with the minister. He had apparently begun to exert a powerful emotional influence upon the miner's wife months before Will's death. One neighbor said that on occasion he had seen Mr. Hight signal to the Sweetin home from the vantage point of a pile of railroad ties. "Elsie just couldn't seem to see enough of him," said the informant. "Where was she when Mr. Hight was holding that camp meeting at Bonnie a few weeks ago? Why, she was living in a cottage right beside his! An poor Will dead only a month!" Will had taken ill at a church social. The minister had come to see him every day during his illness. He'd sat with the sick man the last two nights of his life. Will had kept crying for water. Mr. Hight had brought him water. Mr. High? Such a pious man? ..... Gossip. The talk reached the ears of Druggist John E. Webster, whose store was in near-by Benton. He recalled selling Arsenic to the Reverend Hight some time early in the summer. For rats, the parson had explained. The rats had become a terrific nuisance at his place. Webster got out his poison register, which Hight had been required to sign at the time of the purchase. Here it was, Lawrence Hight, July 22. July 22! Why, that was the very day that Wilford Sweetin had taken sick! Webster phone Sheriff Grant Holcomb who called on State's Attorney Frank G. Thompson. The latter decided at once to have the body of Anna Hight exhumed and examined. Six days after Mrs. Hight's death, Dr. William D. McNally of Chicago reported arsenic in the body. Hight was arrested on suspicion at the home of his married daughter at Tamaroa. He insisted he had purchased the poison to kill rats, and had used for that purpose. "We found a box of rough-on-rats in the parsonage," Thompson told him. "You hadn't used it all. Why did you buy arsenic when you already had rat poison in the house?" "I insist I bought the arsenic for the rats." Locked in the Jefferson County Jail at Mt. Vernon, 12 miles south of Ina, he told reported "I am just as close to Heaven in jail as I am out of it." All this is the result of totally false gossip. I never talked to Mrs. Sweetin alone." Meanwhile, the body of Will Sweetin was being exhumed. The town seethed with the news. The doctor who examined Wilford Sweetin's exhumed boy reported: "Have found very large quantity of arsenic in the stomach contents. Further analysis will be made andn report sent as soon as possible." Feeling mounted. Mr. Hight began to lose his pious calm. From the window of his cell he could see men in the street -- brawny, rough-clad fellows. They had been friends of Will Sweetin. But the minister lifted his hands in horror at the accusations of his inquisitors. How could they bring such a charge as homicide against him? At 4 a.m., Sept. 22, he admitted that he had fed his wife poison "to relieve her pain." "To relieve what pain?" Thompson asked him. "She had been ill. She weighed 210 pounds and she was in pain." "From what?" "Ptomaine poisoning." He signed a statement to that effect, the signed a second statement reading: "On Sunday morning, July 27, 1924, at the home of Wilford Sweetin, I placed some poison in a glass and gave it to Wilford Sweetin, who drank it. I did it to ease his pain. Elsie Sweetin knew nothing of this." Crowds congregated at the jail. They wanted to take Mr. Hight out into the country. Sheriff Holcomb swore in special deputies, who took up posts around the building. "What is going on?" Hight asked a turnkey. "They want you" the attendant answered. "No, no! They would not do this!" "Oh, yes they would," the man said, "if we'd let them." "Call the sheriff! Tell him I want protection! Tell him to take me away from here!" Presently the sheriff arrived. The prisoner threw himself on his knees before him. "I didn't do it alone -- she helped me!" he all but wailed. "I killed my wife, yes -- but she -- Elsie -- she killed Will!" Mrs. Sweetin would not substantiate his story of a murder agreement. "If Will was murdered," she calmly stated, "then the minister must have done it. He is behaving like a coward." She admitted to reporters that she had fallen in love with Lawrence Hight. Will had been devoted to her, but what he had to give her in the way of worldly goods had not been enough. She had begun to work out at the age of 11, and had married Will Sweetin when she was 15. Pastor Hight came to town, and she went to him f or advice. She thought he was a good man. She withheld nothing in her confession of unhappiness. "I told him of my husband's want of affection." she continued. "I told him that Will was working too hard in the mines. I told him Will was neglecting me. I thought that Pastor Hight would suggest some spiritual remedy -- some cure through prayer. He was kind and sympathetic. He won my confidence from the start." She thought his love had been only spiritual. "Please believe that my own heart was pure!" she cried. "I did not know then that the heart I received in return was sinful." Hight also had something to say. "There is a lesson in all this," he said. "Marriages must have emotion as a basis or there is no happiness. Had I met and married Mrs. Sweetin first, our lives would have been unutterably happy. But she married a cold, indifferent man and I married that kind of woman. God forgive me!" Mrs. Sweetin eventually won an acquittal - in a second trial-- while Hight went to prison for life. THE AMERICAN WEEKLY Visit the Jefferson County ILGenWeb site at: www.jefferson.ilgenweb.net ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ILJEFFER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ____________________________________________________________ Moms Asked to Return to School Grant Funding May Be Available to Those That Qualify. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/4d2b10c79067da49f4est05duc Visit the Jefferson County ILGenWeb site at: www.jefferson.ilgenweb.net ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ILJEFFER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message