STEWARDSON — Stewardson-Strasburg High School recently hosted its annual Academic Awards night recognizing students in grades 9-12 for their achievements, including four students who will serve in the U.S. military: Peyton Dandurand, Garret Figgins, Andrew Verdeyen and Tyler Weeden. Sergeant Verschuyl and Sergeant Tuttle both presented them with awards and on behalf of the American Legion Auxiliary in Strasbourg, Mrs. Sarah Wyckoff presented the students with red, white and blue lanyards which were worn at the presentation of the awards. diplomas.
Algebra I: Blayzz Verdeyen; Geometry: Samantha Hayes and Jasmine Shafer; Algebra II: Briar Smith; Technical mathematics: Cassidy Smith; Trigonometry: Dan Durbin; Pre-calculation: Madilyne Rincker; Statistics: Louis Heine; English I: Ellie Wittenberg; English II: Briar Smith; English III: Madilyne Rincker; English IV: Isabelle Braden; Speech: Tanner’s Award; Mass media: Jozlyn Rich; Applied English: Handsome Dasenbrock; Student Council President: Alexis Agney; Student Council Vice President: Natalie Hayes; Student Council Secretary: Brianna Hewing; Student Council Treasurer: Samuel Vonderheide; Biology: Samantha Hayes; Physics: Clayton Rahn; Botany/Zoology: Taylor Dasenbrock; Chemistry: Briar Smith; The History of the United States: Dan Durbin; The story of the world: Brianna Hewing, Henry Vonderheide; Physics: Dan Durbin; World Geography: Natalie Hayes; Psychology: Craig Greuel; Sociology: Serenity Weeden; Illinois History: Rowyn’s foreman; Spanish I: Jasmine Shafer; Spanish II: Briar Smith; Spanish III: Dan Durbin; Directory Editor: Hannah Weaver; Accounting I: Taylor Dasenbrock; Accounting II: Dan Durbin; Inventory project: Rowyn’s foreman; Introduction to the agricultural industry: Ella Kinkelaar; Agricultural mechanics: Handsome Dasenbrock; Agricultural business management: Samuel Vonderheide; Consumption economy: Natalie Hayes; Cooperative Education: Handsome Dasenbrock; Beginner Art Award: Anna Albert; Advanced Art Award: Jasmine Shafer; Price Boy PE: Thomas Davis; Girls Physical Education Awards: Serenity Weeden; John Philip Sousa Group Awards: Harley Beck; Drumline Prize: Harley Beck, Zachary Cox; Senior Group Awards: Harley Beck, Zachary Cox, Rae Ann Smith; Gold Hammer Award: Craig Greuel; Silver Hammer Price: Emma Sayers; Webpage IDM: Kendall Sparr; Introduction to industrial technology: Blayzz Verdeyen; Building I: Garrett Hoene; Worksite II: Garret Figgins; AutoCad 1: Lance Lankow; Autocad 2: Craig Greuel; Scholastic Bowl Golden Buzzer Prize: Craig Greuel; Scholastic Bowl Silver Buzzer Prize: Henry Vonderheide; Sons of the American Revolution Outstanding Citizenship Award: Colin Kinkelaar; Perfect attendance: Carter Chaney, Jordan Wittenberg; Illinois State Scholars: Broderick Beals, Zachary Cox, Craig Greuel, Lance Lankow; Colin Kinkelaar Award for Perseverance: Taylor Dasenbrock; Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award: Natalie Hayes
Top honors: Anna Albert, Broderick Beals, Isabella Braden, Grace Carroll, Zachary Cox, Beau Dasenbrock, Taylor Dasenbrock, Dane Durbin, Rowyn Foreman, Isabelle Gratz, Craig Greuel, Natalie Hayes, Samantha Hayes, Louis Heine, Brianna Hewing, Ella Kinkelaar, Lance Lankow , Morgan Mathis, Halle Moomaw, Evan Petzing, Samantha Porter, Clayton Rahn, Madilyn Rincker, Serinity Schultz, Jasmine Shafer, Briar Smith, Kassidy Smith, RaeAnn Smith, Jack Stremming, Henry Vonderheide, Samuel Vonderheide, Gavan Wernsing
Honors: Alexis Agney, Hunter Braden, Benjamin Bridges, Colten Bridges, Carter Chaney, Estephani Cuatzozon, Peyton Dandurand, Marisa Daniels, Thomas Davis, Garret Figgins, Greyson Foreman, Alaira Friese, Amber Goen, Jacob Gracey, Nathaniel Gracey, Jackson Gurgel, Collin Hewing , Garrett Hoene, Jack Holland, Abbie Kelly, Colin Kinkelaar, Amparo Martinez Martinez, Claire McCormick, Reagan McCormick, Brenna Musson, James Porter, Kendall Sparr, Blayzz Verdeyen, Gabrielle Vonderheide, Hannah Weaver, Serenity Weeden, Tyler Wetherell, Austin Wittenberg, Ellie Wittenberg
Honorable Mention: Hayden Bowers, Raleigh Harris, Dominick Hensley, Jacob Kellum, Connor Manhart, Graci Ogle, Preston Parks, Tanner Price, Kinley Quast, Jesse Smith, Dennon Stremming, Katelyn VonBehrens, Mckenzi Vonderheide, Jordan Wittenberg
The Mattoon High School Alumni Scholarship awards $15,500 to MHS seniors
Scholarship for top math students: Brianna Hewing; Top Social Studies Scholarship: Natalie Hayes; Scholarship for the best science students: Brianna Hewing; Best Scholarship for English Students: Isabelle Braden; Strasbourg American Legion Auxiliary Mary Anderson Memorial Scholarship: Alexis Agney, Colin Kinkelaar; Holland Energy Scholarship: Broderick Beals; Haley Legacy Award: Brianna Hewing; Shelby County Agricultural Bureau Foundation – Howard Buffett Scholarship: Samuel Vonderheide; Shelby County Agricultural Bureau Foundation Scholarship: Alexis Agney, Kassidy Smith; FFA scholarship: Samuel Vonderheide; Derek P. McWhorter Memorial Scholarship: Brianna Hewing and Samuel Vonderheide; Lake Land College Presidential Scholarship: Craig Greuel, Lance Lankow, Natalie Hayes; Lake Land Foundation Scholarship: Jacob Gracey, Craig Greuel, Samuel Vonderheide; Lake Land College Athletic Scholarship (Volleyball): Brianna Hewing; Parent-Teacher-Student Association Scholarship: Jacob Gracey and Hannah Weaver; Matthew Martin Debolt Memorial Band Award: Zacharie Cox; Matthew Martin Debolt Memorial Art Award: Zacharie Cox; Student Council Scholarship: Natalie Hayes; Stewardson-Strasburg Education Association Scholarship: Hannah Weaver; Strasbourg American Legion Post 289 Scholarship: Isabelle Braden; Stewardson American Legion Auxiliary 611 Scholarship: Craig Greuel; Stewardson American Legion Post 611 Scholarship: Samuel Vonderheide; 19th District American Legion Scholarship: Brianna Hewing, Colin Kinkelaar; SCAN Scholarship: Alexis Agney; Harold and Wilma Kessler 4-H Scholarship: Samuel Vonderheide; Carl Bugenhagen Scholarship: Samuel Vonderheide; Jim and Marty Haarman Scholarship: Craig Greuel; Albert H. Miller Scholarship: Lance Lankow; JC and Mary Kessler Scholarship: Brianna Hewing; John T. and Melba Middlesworth Memorial Scholarship: Natalie Hayes, Hannah Weaver; Lloyd Elam Scholarship: Alexis Agney, Broderick Beals; Marvin Dale Debolt Memorial Scholarship: Craig Greuel; Oberlin Scholarship: Broderick Beals and Craig Greuel.
My Town: Clint Walker’s Memories of Coles County From the Archives
Cosmic blue comics
From Nov. 22, 1992, Journal Gazette, this photo from Cosmic Blue Comics in Mattoon; where I spent almost every Saturday afternoon for about two years. This little back room that you see just to the right of the Coca-Cola sign was where they kept the many, and I mean the long boxes of back issues. I still have my bagged copy of “Tales of the Beanworld” issue 1 that I found there. Unfortunately, this place is now just a “green space”.
Mattoon Arcade

Pictured is Bob Murray of Shelbyville from the June 2, 1982 Journal Gazette displaying his dominance over the TRON arcade game at the “Carousel Time” arcade at Cross County Mall, later Aladdin’s Castle, shortly long after to no longer be a thing anymore. I spent pretty much every Saturday in this arcade, maybe with the exact same haircut. No overalls though. I was more of a “Pacific Ocean” type.
of Icenogle

Pictured, November 28, 1988 Journal Gazette, Icenogle’s grocery store. Being from Cooks Mills, we didn’t often shop at Icenogle…but when we did, even as a child, I knew that was how a grocery store was supposed to be in a perfect world, and it wasn’t. isn’t just because they had wooden floors, comic books on the magazine rack, or lots, and I mean lots, of trading cards in wax packets.
Cooks Mills

I had long since left Cooks Mills by the time this Showcase article on Adam’s Groceries was published in the Journal Gazette on June 13, 1998, but there was a time when I very well could have been one of those children on this Photo; because if it was summer, you had a bike and you lived in Cooks Mills, that’s where you ended up. At last report they still had Tab in the Pepsi branded cooler in the back. I am seriously considering asking my fundraiser if I could afford to reopen this place.
Mr Music

Pictured is a July 16, 1987 Journal Gazette advertisement for Mister Music, formerly located in the Cross County Mall. I didn’t buy records at that age, but I would eventually, and that’s where it all happened. If you don’t think it sounds “cool” hanging out in a record store with your buddies on a Friday night, a hot driver’s license in your wallet, you’re right. But it’s the best a geek like me can do. Wherever you Mister Music owners are today, know that a Minutemen album I found in your cheap trash can changed my life.
sound source guitar throw

Portrait of the author as a young man, about to throw a guitar through a target during that year’s Sound Source Music Guitar Throwing Contest, from April 18, 1994, Journal Gazette. Look at my grunge-era hoodie, and yes…look, those are Air Jordans you see at my feet. Addendum: Despite what the cutline says, I didn’t win a guitar.
Pictured, taken from the online archives at JG-TC.com, is an April 18, 1994 photo of Journal Gazette of Sound Source Music Guitar Throwing contest winner, and current JG-TC staff writer Clint Walker.
At Vette’s

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Vette’s Teen Club, June 20, 1991, Journal Gazette. I wasn’t “cool” enough to hang out with Vette in his “golden age”, and by “cool enough” I mean, “not proficient enough at parking lot fights”. If only I could get to it now.
FutureGen

FutureGen: The End of the Beginning, and Finally, the Beginning of the End, December 19, 2007, JG-TC. I wish I had paid more attention back then. I probably should have read the newspaper.