Breeze-Courier

Breeze-Courier Christian County's ONLY Daily Newspaper! You can find us online here:
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09/08/2026

City Council meeting

09/08/2026

City of Taylorville live coverage at 7 pm

Edinburg announces its 2026 Labor Day Royalty, including Owen Veach, Maevyn Thomas, Shay Zepin, Peyton King and Kinleigh...
09/08/2026

Edinburg announces its 2026 Labor Day Royalty, including Owen Veach, Maevyn Thomas, Shay Zepin, Peyton King and Kinleigh Moore.

For more stories like this, head to our website at: https://www.breezecourier.com/

ATTENTION!Make plans to attend or participate in the upcoming Parade for Childhood & Osteosarcoma Cancer and to celebrat...
09/08/2026

ATTENTION!

Make plans to attend or participate in the upcoming Parade for Childhood & Osteosarcoma Cancer and to celebrate local resident Trevor Freeman's 19th Birthday!

When: Sept. 22nd at 6 p.m.

Where: Start at the Christian County Fairgrounds and proceed East on Main Cross Street up town and around the Taylorville Square.

What: There will be classic & sports cars, Jeeps, trucks and lots of people walking.

You are encouraged to wear yellow or gold!

Cathleen Marie Hill October 1, 1963 — August 22, 2026Cathleen Marie Hill, 62 of Mattoon passed away on Saturday, August ...
09/08/2026

Cathleen Marie Hill
October 1, 1963 — August 22, 2026

Cathleen Marie Hill, 62 of Mattoon passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Palm Garden in Mattoon.

She was born on October 1, 1963, in Taylorville, IL, the daughter of Robert and Mary Catherine (Durbin) Dudra. She married Russell Hill in 1980 in Taylorville and they later divorced.

Cathleen is survived by her children: David (Mindy) Hill of Taylorville, IL; Carolanne (Travis) Beard of Nokomis, IL; Rachel (Zach) Cassidy of Nokomis, IL; Father Robert Dudra (Jessie Damerin) of Taylorville, IL; grandchildren: Payton Hill, Hattie and Ty Beard; Laurelie Hill and Stella Cassidy; sisters: Leslie Johnson of Cookville, TN and Shari Straight of Washington; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her mother and step-father: David Compton.

Cathleen will be cremated and there will be a celebration of life held on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at South Fork Dirt Riders in Kincaid, IL.

Memorials may be made to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.

Sutton Memorial Home in Taylorville is assisting the family with arrangements.

ATTENTION!!!!There will be a parade for Childhood & Osteosarcoma Cancer to celebrate local resident Trevor Freeman's 19t...
09/08/2026

ATTENTION!!!!

There will be a parade for Childhood & Osteosarcoma Cancer to celebrate local resident Trevor Freeman's 19th Birthday on Sept. 22nd at 6 p.m.

The parade will begin at the Christian County Fairgrounds and proceed on Main Street ending at the Taylorville Square.

There will be classic & sports cars, Jeeps, trucks and lots of people walking in the parade. You're encouraged to wear yellow or gold to represent cancer.

Joseph L. BloomeJune 13, 1961 — September 6Joseph L. Bloome, 61, of Morrisonville, Ill., passed away peacefully on Sunda...
09/08/2026

Joseph L. Bloome

June 13, 1961 — September 6

Joseph L. Bloome, 61, of Morrisonville, Ill., passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 6 at home, surrounded by those who loved him.

He was born on June 13, 1961, in Springfield, Ill., to Joseph A. Bloome and Phyllis Bloome (Franklin). He attended Morrisonville High School - Class of 1983. On June 27, 1992, he married Denise Bloome (McKinnie) in Morrisonville, Ill.; together they shared 34 years and built a life rooted in family, hard work and love of farm life.
Joe farmed his entire life, working the ground he was born and raised on. Alongside his father, Joseph A. Bloome, he took the family farming operation and grew it beyond what came before, building a legacy defined by hard work, vision, and a deep commitment to the land.

He was a proud member of the Morrisonville Masonic Lodge #681, where he served as Worshipful Master from 1993-1994. He was also a member of the Springfield Ansar Shrine and Christian County Shrine Club.

He had a collector's eye and a deep love for antique lanterns, and over the years he gathered quite a collection — each one with a story he was glad to tell. He was an avid outdoorsman who could identify nearly any bird, plant, or bug you pointed him toward, and he took enormous pride in the lake he built, where he would enjoy walks with his dogs, fishing, sitting by the water, and lose track of an afternoon. But above all else, he loved his grandchildren. They were his greatest joy, and he never missed a chance to spoil them, tell them stories, or simply sit, watch and listen to them.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Phyllis Bloome (Franklin).

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Denise Bloome (McKinnie) of Morrisonville; his son, Joseph L Bloome Jr. (Gillian) of Morrisonville; his son Ryan Convery (Nicole) of Bloomington; his daughter Michaela Convery of Rochester; his 5 grandchildren, Baylor, Reece, Cade, Nova, and Vienna; his father, Joseph A Bloome of Morrisonville; his sister, Dr. Deborah Bloome (Tami) of Indian Rocks Beach, Fla; his brother Clayton Bloome (Christy) of Pawnee and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

A visitation will be held on Friday, September 11, from 4pm-7pm at Assalley Funeral Home in Morrisonville, Ill. and the funeral will be held on Saturday, September 12 at 11am at Assalley Funeral Home in Morrisonville, Ill. A reception will follow at Bullards at 311 South Sixth at Morrisonville, Ill.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be to Shriners Children Hospital of St. Louis, Mo. or Morrisonville Park.

Carol Lee StewartJune 28, 1942 — September 7, 2026Carol Lee Stewart, 84, of Morrisonville, Illinois, passed away peacefu...
09/08/2026

Carol Lee Stewart

June 28, 1942 — September 7, 2026

Carol Lee Stewart, 84, of Morrisonville, Illinois, passed away peacefully in Springfield on September 7, 2026, following a brief illness, with her son, Gregory, by her side.

Carol was born on June 28, 1942, in a farmhouse just outside Morrisonville to Myrvle Lloyd Smith and Nellie Pearl (Johnson) Smith. She lived her entire life in Morrisonville, residing in four different homes over the years, all within the small town she loved so dearly.

Carol married James M. Stewart in 1959, and together they built a life centered around family, hard work, and their community. From the early 1960s until approximately 2010, Carol and Jim operated Stewart’s IGA in Morrisonville. The store became an important part of their lives and of the community they called home.

Family was at the heart of Carol’s life. She and Jim had two children, Vicky Lynn Stewart, born in 1961, and Gregory Lee Stewart, born in 1963.

Carol had a deep appreciation for country life and the simple beauty of the world around her. She loved country music, horses, and the familiar sights of rural Illinois. In her later years, she took up painting, finding joy in capturing barns, tractors, and other scenes that reflected the character and beauty of country living. Many of her paintings were inspired by the very landscapes and rural scenes surrounding Morrisonville.

Carol was proud to have spent her entire life in Morrisonville and spoke often and fondly of the community. She appreciated its small-town character, the people who made it home, and the country life that had surrounded her from childhood. Morrisonville was more than simply the place where she lived—it was home in every sense of the word.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James M. Stewart, in 2014; her daughter, Vicky Lynn Stewart, in 2012; her brothers, Dale Smith and Lloyd “Shorty” Smith; and her parents, Myrvel Lloyd Smith and Nellie Pearl (Johnson) Smith.

She is survived by her son, Gregory Lee Stewart of Morrisonville, and two granddaughters, Danielle Elizabeth Furness and Shelby (Jake) Nicole Chamberlain.

She was a country girl at heart, and Morrisonville was always home.

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Taylorville, IL
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