Life on the Illinois Prairie

Anna Herschberger grew up a few miles down the road from where her thriving business is in Arthur, Illinois. She is not just geographically close to her roots. She finds many ways to keep her mother's memory alive at Yoder's Kitchen. We discuss the struggles Anna and her family have had to face and the faith that has helped her stay strong.

Timmy Valentine is an accomplished artist, who is also has been a costumer for The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan, Illinois. He can now add published author to his resume with the publication of his new book, The Agency Of Dust And Power.

Martha Menser grew up in Oilfield, Illinois and moved away for many years. When she returned and the opportunity presented itself to open up a cafe in a building that had belonged to her father, Martha jumped in with both feet. Martha shares that is "take a village" of helping family and friends to keep the local landmark up and running. What a great place for lunch, supper, live music and...

Ann shares stories from journals that her Aunt Annie wrote fornover 35 years. She also has letters written by her grandmother from her time in nursing school.

Marsha shares her difficult struggles to find acceptable health care facilities for her husband who suffered from dementia. If you have ever had a loved one in a nursing home or care facility, you will want to hear this eye-opening episode.

Austin Keating is co-owner of the Alamo Restaurant and Saloon in Mattoon, Illinois

Virgil enlightens listeners about the shortage and need for volunteers in our local area as well as towns across the country. He explains the many ways that individuals can serve besides directly fighting a fire. We also discuss a well-known fundraiser, the 40th annual Pork Chop Dinner

Jamie shares the interesting history of the orphan trains that ran for an incredible 75 years in the US. There are several surprises in this episode.

Carolyn and Bob share much history about the Old York Trail that ran from Crawford County to Macon County in central Illinois. There are fascinating elements of history, genealogy, and archeology woven into this episode!

Shelby tells how the careless behavior of a driver changed the lives of many in her family, as we come to the 3rd anniversary of the loss of her mother and stepdad.

Stacy returns and we tie up some loose ends from his April 10 episode discussing his long journey in music.

Marcy tells about how her fond memories of Ted's Warehouse (including meeting her husband) inspired her to start a Facebook group called I Used to go to Ted's Warehouse. Marcy, Stacy and I share our memories of a place that holds a special place for many who used to frequent Ted's.

Kyle started the Dietrich Prayer Page at the age of 15. After meeting so many on his community paper route who needed prayers, Kyle decided to help. His page now reaches over 20,000.

Becca returns to the podcast to give updates about Regenerative Life Farm. She shares new ideas and plans that she and partner, Jarrod have for the farm.

Heather Mumma has been passionate about animal rescue for years. Hear about her devotion for rescuing animals, and how a very special person in her life helped her accomplish some lofty goals. And she is not done yet!

Stacy tells how he followed in his parent's footsteps to be musically inclined. He tells how a decision made early on in his career, had lasting repercussions and how he never regretted his choice.

Seth shares how he became interested in weather and how others at WCIA became his mentors. We also discuss his new daughter and how her arrival has blessed him and his wife, Callie.

Matt Metcalf, who currently is seen on WCIA, Channel 3 in Champaign hosting the popular "From The Vault" series, is now a professor in Pennsylvania, teaching historic preservation. Matt shares his connections to Illinois and his passions concerning historic preservation. That passion extends not to just well-known historic sites, but to the preservation of film used for his "From the V...

Wilmer gives updates about the popular Sheep to Clothing to Quilts event happening April 26. He also tells about the groundbreaking event on April 25 for the new museum on site.

Setting boundaries and developing an armadillo skin

Wendy delves into new found documents that explain more family history on her maternal side. History about her mother, Lucile, grandmother, Grace, and great-grandmother, Martha are shared.

Allie Easter was raised on a farm near Windsor, Illinois. She shares her story of living and working on the East Coast for 10 years before returning to her roots in central Illinois. As the current owner of Allie's Gift and Garden, in Sullivan, Illinois, Allie tells of the perils and rewards of owning her own business. Allie credits a positive attitude, her faith in God, the enduring love of f...

Wendy shares her thoughts on how the invention of computers and cell phones have made our lives so much easier in many ways. However, the creation of social media has caused a loss of civility and what steps she is taking to relieve the stress caused by some social media users.

Carolyn wears many hats and has many passions. Her enthusiasm for history is infectious. On this episode, Carolyn returns to the show and shares the riveting story of Captain Charles B. Hall, a Tuskegee Airman who attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois in 1938. She is partnering with EIU to make a documentary about the legacy of Captain Hall.

John shares many wonderful stories about the history and future of The Little Theatre. His stories about the many actors and performances at The Little Theatre are fascinating!