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Deer Grove, Erie, Fenton, Lyndon, Morrison, Prophetstown, Tampico

P.O. Box 498 Sterling, IL 61081

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SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Quality Interiors can transform your home

Riley’s Lyndon Pub offers familiar small-town feel

Fenton family jumps into adoption s m a l l

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You can’t predict when you will need us. But we’re here when you do.

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FEATURE • STORY Deer Grove, Erie, Fenton, Lyndon, Morrison, Prophetstown, Tampico

SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Editor Jeff Rogers Magazine Editors Breanne Hunter Kacie Klinge Kathleen Schultz Page Design Breanne Hunter Published by

Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600 Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Small Town Living Magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

An’Tweaks ‘Things done a little different’

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Contents 5 Quality Interiors From design to decorating, this shop does it all

11 Lacy’s

5

11

Morrison florist specializes in that very personal touch

14 An’Tweaks Meet a woman who can repurpose antiques with just a tweak

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Fenton adoption

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Young family finds a way to adopt a child, help a widow

19 Riley’s Pub masters fall in love with their new Lyndon location

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Blue Iris Find that unique, handmade treasure in this Morrison gift shop

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St. Anne’s Episcopalian church celebrates 150 years of community

Photos by PHILIP MARRUFFO/Small Town Living | Altering tiles are displayed in the showroom of Quality Interiors Flooring and Gift Boutique in Erie.

Down-home friendly

C

onnie and Larry VanOosten, and their daughter Amy Powell, have teamed up with Jody Heppner to pull together a tiny, but mighty, interior decorating business that sells what you need to re-create your space.

From flooring and paint, carpets and blinds to gifts and accessories to complete the look to advice and installers to get the job done – no matter the scope of the project, there’s someone at Quality Interiors Flooring and Gift Boutique to help you accomplish it.

Jody is an expert in flooring, Amy loves interior design and Connie is at the helm.

“I unload the trucks sometimes, the majority of design, and consultations are done by the gals,” Larry said with a laugh.

Quality Design, originally called The Carpet Center, has been at its 12th Street location about 14 years. It added a gift shop, featuring jewelry, purses, scarves and home décor, to its services to better serve their small community, Connie said.

Continued on page 7

Quality Interiors offers everything you need to transform your home

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Continued from page 5

Design assistance, though, is a bit of a passion for the three women.

“We wanted to offer design services, but none of us are ‘degreed’ designers,” Connie said. “We just love doing it, and it’s a good thing to offer this type of service in our area.”

“It’s my very favorite part of the business,” Amy added. “I love doing consultations on site for my customers. I help them select colors and put a more professional touch on their own ideas.

“When I go on an appointment, I ask a lot of questions before decisions are made. I ask: What’s your style preference? Do you have children or pets in the home? Do you like a traditional, contemporary, or a ‘re-claimed’ look?”

She then goes to the home to measure, samples in hand, and makes suggestions on color and style. All those services are free.

They wanted a store where people could browse a good selection of home improvement or decorating products, at good prices, without feeling overwhelmed, with a personal service and a workmanship guarantee, Connie said. The store also offers the services of “really great installers.”

The gift shop has a nice selection of household décor and other items. Stock is rotated continually, not just seasonally, because “we like to keep things fresh,” Connie said.

Above: Shaw Flooring samples are displayed along with pillows and wall decor at Quality Interiors Flooring and Gift Boutique in Erie.

Left: Quality Interiors offers shades. It also has hand bags, and jewelry for sale.

Below: Amy Powell, Connie VanOosten, and Jody Heppner are the creative minds behind Quality Interiors, 624 12th St. in Erie.

Continued on page 9

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Continued from page 7

QUALITY INTERIORS Above: Flooring samples are displayed in the showroom of Quality Interiors in Erie.

Below: Heppner shows off the Hallmark Hardwoods Quality Interiors offerings.

624 12th St., Erie 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday Call 309-659-2631 or find it on Facebook to learn more.

Ann Russell, a frequent customer, says she comes in so often that her husband told her she couldn’t shop there anymore.

“I was just in there yesterday,” Russell said. “They have crazy-good prices. They are willing to look for and order special pieces.

“I bought window blinds from them and they came out to the house to measure for me, they brought samples, color swatches, and helped match furniture, pillows and paint colors to complete the project.

“They also offer really fun crafting sessions where you can bring a friend and learn to make a wreath or such.

The materials are all included in the price, which is really reasonable, usually around $20-25 for the supplies and instruction. And it’s a lot of fun!”

Russell can’t say enough about the owners, either.

“They are just so trustworthy. They stand behind their products and greet you as soon as you’re in the door.

“They’re just down-home friendly.” s

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Our Contact Information www.bradfordmutual.com 120 W. South Street Franklin Grove 815-456-2334

Photos by PHILIP MARRUFFO/Small Town Living | Lori Lacy, owner of Lacy’s Amazing Vase in Morrison, creates a

Bouquets

with you in mind

Lacy’s Amazing Vase flowers and gifts caters to the person inside

BY LONNIE C. MILLER | SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

N

o stranger to tragedy, florist Lori Lacy feels compelled to provide a personal, and customized touch to some of her very special bouquets.

Lacy, 60, of Erie, opened Lacy’s Amazing Vase, a flower and gift shop, at 104 E. Main St. in October.

“This location is perfect, central to my delivery area, and I like the space,” she said.

Her design assistant for the past 10 years, Nadeen Steel, went to design school right after high school, but Lacy took a more circuitous route to owning a flower and gift shop.

“I was 20 years old, and had a 1-month-old infant when my husband was killed,” she said.

“I was reeling with what to do, and went back to school to earn my

degree in business. It was the ‘responsible’ thing to do,” she said.

“I began bookkeeping for an Erie farmer. The farmer bought a plastics business that ultimately created home décor. He opened a business front in Erie, where I helped with setting up and selling the items in addition to my bookkeeping duties.

“The business eventually added florals, and I’ve always been kind of artsy, so naturally, I gravitated toward floral design and really loved the work.”

Lacy’s Amazing Vase offers fresh and silk floral designs, FTD arrangements, tuxedo rentals, tropical plants and dish gardens, gourmet food and fruit baskets, seasonally designed candy arrangements and greeting cards, as well as an extensive gift line.

Continued on page 13

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Continued from page 11

Her specialty, though, is personalized funeral arrangements. She has created arrangements for sports fans, and job- and hobby-related bouquets.

“That type of arrangement helps people through the healing process after a loss. It’s much more personal than a generic arrangement,” she said.

Her customers are greeted each day by 12-year-old Sassy, a longhaired, people-loving calico, rescued after her former owner had to go

to a retirement home who graciously has accepted her position as store mascot.

While Sassy will greet you at the store’s front door, Lacy’s son, Don, will deliver flowers, gifts and such to your front door, as long as it’s within about 25 miles of the store.

That includes Port Byron, Cordova, Sterling, Rock Falls, Prophetstown, Lyndon, Tampico and Erie. Delivery also can be arranged for larger orders farther away. s

Below: Right: A decorative dish is one example of the many popular gift items at Lacy’s Amazing Vase in Morrison.

LACY’S AMAZING VASE 104 E. Main St., Morrison 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday Call 309-659-7078 or find it on Facebook to learn more.

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An’Tweaks

Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL/ Small Town Living | Terri Villa-Engelkins, of Morrison, is the artist behind Terri’s An-tweaks.

Terri uses found items to sculpt jewelry and other decorative items.

Terri’s An’Tweaks – giving antiques a whole new look

BY LONNIE C. MILLER | SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

T

erri Villa-Engelkens has always had a knack for decorating, and now she is putting her creativity to use by revamping and restoring antique items.

Terri is a Sterling High School graduate and has been married to her husband, David Engelkens, for 22 years. Together they have raised two sons while living in Morrison: Brian, 22, and Jason, 18. She is a credit specialist at D M Services in Clinton, Iowa. Prior to this, she was a decorating consultant for 22 years, which may have influenced her current hobby/business venture.

“I’ve always had a quirky way of expressing my style creatively,” she said. “My motto is: ‘Things done a little different.’ I never want to see something made just like mine and try very hard not to make the same exact thing twice.”

Villa-Engelkens restores antiques of all sorts, giving each piece its own unique appeal.

Since the beginning of her “tweaking” enterprise, she’s wanted to have her own shop, but said she’s lucky to have two shops selling her products: Uniquely Made in the Morrison Specialty Shop on Main Street, and Savanna Marketplace on Route 84. Soon, she will be adding some of her creations to a new shop in Rock Falls called Minor Treasures.

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“

My favorite projects are when someone brings me a family treasure to re-vamp into something they can cherish and pass down to the next generation.

“

TERRI VILLA-ENGELKINS

“One of the best parts of working with antiques is knowing that each piece has a story and I’m just giving it a new chapter instead of it being thrown away or forgotten,” she said.

Villa-Engelkens said her hobby began when she received some of her grandmother’s old costume jewelry and silverware. She quickly realized the potential of these antique pieces to become refurbished, one-of-a-kind creations.

“Looking for just the right object to start or finish a piece is half the fun,” she said. “Finding just the right rusty skeleton key, old lady’s watch, or silverware pattern I have never seen before is very exciting to me!

“My favorite projects are when someone brings me a family treasure to revamp into something they can cherish and pass down to the next generation.”

Prices tend to range between $15 and $55, based on the pieces being used.

“I don’t have what you’d call a studio,” she said.

“I work on a table or a TV tray at home and do my cutting, drilling, stamping, and other such things at my family’s race car garage in Garden Plain, Illinois.”

She said her ideal afternoon involves her polishing silver pieces for hours while indulging herself with a good horror movie.

Terri said she feels extremely happy whenever she sees someone wearing something that she knows she created. s

TERRI’S AN’TWEAKS

Spoons,

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Mark Marinangeli Outside Sales

BY JERMAINE PIGEE | SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

Jumping into adoption with Nonprofit agency helped raise $20,000 to bring Chinese toddler to her new home

C

hris and Amy Von Holten believe strongly in the Bible, and they took one verse in the Book of James especially to heart.

“It says to look after orphans and widows in their distress,” Chris Von Holten said.

In July, Chris, 34, Amy, 31, and their children Noah, 6, Owen, 4, and Hannah, 3, will add a toddler to their ranks – a 2-year-old Chinese girl named, for now, Xiang Yuan.

“We always planned on having four children,” Chris said. “We have three healthy kids, and we thought it would be worthwhile to give a child who doesn’t have parents the chance to have a home and an opportunity to live.”

They turned to the nonprofit agency Both Hands, which helps families raise adoption money by helping widows, and All Gods Children, an adoption, orphan care and missions ministry.

On May 26, 2014, after spending a few weeks

BOTH HANDS

looking into adoption requirements and kicking the idea around, they decided to go for it.

“The requirements clearly state that the parents have to be 30 years old or older,” Amy said. “I had just celebrated my 30th birthday a little over a month earlier. It also states that the youngest in the house has to be at least a 1-year-old, and Hannah had just turned 1 a couple months earlier.”

The couple, who will celebrate 10 years of marriage this summer, went through a lengthy application process. They were asked if they were willing to take on a special needs child.

For them, it was a no-brainer.

“Not only do we feel called to do this, we feel like it’s our duty,” Chris said. “There are millions of children that probably die every year because they don’t get proper care. We just want to make a difference for at least one child that probably would not have survived otherwise.”

Last month, they were notified of little Xiang Yuan, who had been born prematurely and was living in an orphanage.

“She had a lot of premature conditions, and there were concerns about her heart and brain development,” Chris said. “The mother couldn’t afford to put her in a hospital, so the mom put her up for adoption.

“She was physically falling apart until she

was able to get in a hospital and get back on the right track.”

They had hoped for, but not specified, a girl, because they already have two boys. Mom and Dad will make a 2-week journey to Fujian, China, in July to pick up their new daughter.

Xiang Yuan is the name given to her at the orphanage, and the plan is to give her a name of her own, as soon as they learn more about her.

“When she was left in the orphanage drop box in China, there was a note that the mother left,” Chris said. “We won’t be able to see that note until we close on the adoption. Hopefully, that note will give us more about her name, because we want to know more.”

As part of their fundraising efforts, the Von Holtens gathered a team of volunteers and joined forces with Both Hands. The process is similar to raising pledges and sponsorship for a 5K race, but instead of running, the team helps a widow.

Last spring, they helped renovate the home of Janice Maxson of Lyndon. Maxson’s husband, Judd, had died of a heart attack in 1985, when he was 44, and she had not remarried.

They insulated Maxson’s attic, did some landscaping, fixed her lighting, laid a concrete slab in front of her house, and did some electrical work. They also installed a hand rail for the 75-year-old.

Along the way, they raised more than $20,000, which was used for agency fees and traveling expenses.

“The group was a team of family and friends that we asked to help us by sending out fundraising letters and volunteering their time,” Amy said.

“That fundraiser was a calling from God. We were able to pair that with what we needed for our adoption, and it’s nice to do both.” s

Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL/Small Town Living | Above: Amy and Chris Von Holten with their kids, Hannah, 3, Owen, 4, and Noah 6,, will soon be adding another to their Fenton home. The family will be adopting a little girl from China. Right: Hannah, Noah, and Owen, point to a map of where their soon-to-be little sister is coming from.

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RILEY’S LYNDON PUB The pub may be under new ownership, but it has sustained many of its familiar features

BY LONNIE C. MILLER | SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

R

on and Mary Riley of Silvis took over what was formerly known as the Lyndon Pub on July 1 of last year, renaming it Riley’s Lyndon Pub. Despite owning two other restaurants, they couldn’t resist the brown cedar-sided building just down the road from Mary’s parents’ house.

Ron, 47, said he and his wife love the smalltown atmosphere in Lyndon.

“Since Mary grew up here, there are a lot of people we already know in the area,” Ron said.

Ron said they kept the pub’s management and haven’t made many changes to the menu.

“If it works, why change it?” Ron said.

They did, however, add pizzas, angus burgers and specialty salads to the menu. They also tweaked a few items on the menu, but Ron said it was already a successful business that the regulars loved.

The pub’s cook, Randy, has been there for the past 15 years and their second cook, Dee, has been there for 7 to 8 years.

The cooks offer a weekly home-style meal on Fridays that is a favorite among locals. It’s usually a family dinner type of meal, such as meatloaf.

Continued on page 21

SMALL-TOWN FEEL

Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL /Small Town Living | The full handles, bottled and canned drinks and cocktail mixers.

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MORRISON

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Call Mike Farrell 815-622-3371 or 309-781-3110

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Continued from page 19

The pub features three video gambling machines.

RILEY’S LYNDON PUB

The kitchen serves from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

407 First Ave., Lyndon, IL (815) 778-1007 Find it on Facebook by searching for “Riley’s Lyndon Pub.”

Manager, Aurelie Francis, 32, has managed the pub for 11 years.

“The pub can seat over 60 people for meetings, parties, luncheons and such,” Francis said. “We are glad to reserve space for a special gathering.”

Along with its already popular monthly activities, including band performances and their February birthday bash, Riley’s will offer some special activities over the summer as well.

Riley’s menu items include classic bar food such as onion rings and french fries as well as specialty pizzas.

They also offer a children’s menu full of kid-friendly meal choices from crustless grilled cheeses to chicken chunks. On Mondays, kids ages 10 and under eat for free as long as an adult purchases a meal.

Riley’s has a full bar that offers cocktail mixers and specialty beers along with old favorites on draft such as Blue Moon and Miller Lite.

The bar is open from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. except for Sundays when it closes at 10 p.m. The kitchen serves food from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

The Rileys said they love seeing new customers and always welcome their regulars. s

RILEY’S LYNDON PUB

Ron Riley, who owns two other restaurants, recently bought the Lyndon Pub, just down the street from his wife Mary’s parents’ home. Aurelie Francis, 32, has managed the place for 11 years.

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BOGOTT

BPI

Plumbing, Inc.

Sewer & Drain

15273 Bishop Rd. Morrison, IL 61270 815-772-4024

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Sandrock Insurance Agency

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Morrison Tire Center

•1985-2015• 318 E. Main, Morrison | 815-772-4211

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FDIC

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EQUAL HOUSING

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A TREASURE ALL YOUR OWN Blue Iris offers unique, handmade crafts

BY LONNIE C. MILLER | SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

W

alk in, and you might mistake Treasures of the Blue Iris for a thrift shop.

Take a closer look, though, and you’ll realize the store is a repository of unique and beautiful hand-crafted items, all one-of-akind and exquisitely detailed.

For instance, down the center aisle is a display of baby dolls in cradles that look and feel like real infants.

They’re hand-colored, with individual lashes and tufts of baby-fine hair. They weigh about 5 pounds, and are so realistic they are also used as therapy dolls for patients with Alzheimer’s disease or suffering from dementia, and in high school family-living classes.

Research online lists similar dolls for $1,500 to $12,000 each, but the Blue Iris’ “reborn dolls,” crafted by artist and owner Leslie Landheer, sell for $300, complete with a set of clothes.

Continued on page 25

Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL/Small Town Living | Treasures of the Blue Iris in downtown Morrison is owned and operated by Dan Scott (right), his mother, Marilyn Scott (left), Scott’s wife, Landheer, and his sister, Debbie Scott.

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Spring into Savings with our Certificate of Deposit Specials from 1st Gateway Credit Union

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TREASURES OF THE BLUE IRIS 100 W. Main St., Morrison 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday Call 815-400-9044 or find it on Facebook to learn more.

Blue Iris is owned and operated by the multitalented Scott family: Dan Scott, his wife, Landheer, his sister, Debbie Scott, and his mother, Marilyn Scott, all contribute their individual skills.

“Debbie works mostly behind the scenes helping with paper-shuffling, like bookwork and legal things,” Marilyn said. “We couldn’t do this without her expertise.

“All the other family members are creating, displaying and running the front end of the store. Every one does what they can to make the shop a success.”

Dan refinishes antique furniture, builds furniture and cabinetry, and designs custom pieces from start to finish. He has someone on board who can repair computers, too.

He also teams up with friends to offer live music at the shop in the summer, weather permitting. His rock ‘n’ roll band, The Roachez, plays frequently, at the store and other venues.

In addition to her baby dolls, Leslie makes jewelry and felt creations, sells scrapbooking materials and gives lessons, frames art and photographs, and much more.

Marilyn crochets christening gowns using soft-as-down threads, and also makes christening outfits for little boys.

A look around the premises also reveals her other handiwork.

Goods from several other local artisans also are represented at Blue Iris.

In addition, original art by French painter Leonid Afremonv, as well as Palette Knife Landscape Contemporary art, and other oil paintings are available. s

Top left: Leslie Landheer, wife of owner Dan Scott, hand paints these life-like dolls. Top right: bench, which is for sale at the store. Dan does most of the wood work for sale. Middle: Crocheted christening gowns can be found at Treasures of the Blue Iris in Morrison. Bottom: Local wood artist Rob Fulton has a display of pens for sale at the store.

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CELEBRATING THE PAST Historic church observes 150 years of worship

BY SHELBY KUEPKER | SPECIAL TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

E

piscopal Church of St. Anne recently celebrated its 150th year, but the church’s roots in the community are decades older than that.

Marc Adami, 63, of Morrison, is St. Anne’s historian. He particularly enjoys reminiscing about its charming and celebrated past.

The railroad arrived in town in the 1850s, and with it came “a lot of people from the East and Canada,” bringing “an Episcopalian influx,” Adami said.

In 1865, the year the Civil War ended, a group of worshipers began to meet in homes for morning and evening prayers. As their number grew, they rented quarters, but as late as 1880, the Diocesan Journal still listed Morrison as an unorganized mission.

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Mechanical repairs on all types of vehicles (engines, transmissions, oil changes, etc.)

13700 Garden Plain Morrison, IL 61270 815-772-2993 26

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Then, in 1883, a community member donated what was then a whopping sum – $120 – for the group to buy a lot at the corner of Cherry and Knox streets to build a formal meeting place.

This lot is where St. Anne’s still sits today.

About $1,800 was raised to build the church, which was finished just in time for a Thanksgiving service that year. St. Anne’s was officially dedicated on March 16, 1884.

It was consecrated by an Episcopalian bishop on Nov. 22, 1988, and at the same time he baptized Minnie E. Vroom, who had been the first child born in Morrison, in 1865.

In the beginning years, priests from Sterling would come to town to do the church services, and St. Anne’s maintained its mission status for more than a century.

Then, on Jan. 12, 1986, “we became a parish and hired our own priest,” Adami said.

To this day, St. Anne’s continues to hold Sunday morning and Wednesday evening

services, as well as morning prayers every weekday.

The building “has been modified two or three times,” Adami said, but “it’s still got 1883 wood on it.”

St. Anne’s also is known for its sculptures, created by David Seagraves of Elizabeth.

They are a 1981 statue of St. Anne, with her daughter, St. Mary; the crucifix above the altar, completed in 1983; four archangels that make up the altar railing; a sculpture of Christ in the church’s garden; and the top of the baptismal font.

A beautiful aspect of St. Anne’s, in Adami’s opinion, is the variety of people who attend.

About half of its people come from Morrison, but the church also has members from Mount Carroll, Fulton, Thomson, and many other area towns – “all just a big family,” he said. s Photos SUBMITTED | St. Anne’s features sculptures created by David Seagraves of Elizabeth.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. ANNE 401 N. Cherry St., Morrison

Mass is celebrated at 9 a.m. Sunday and 6 p.m. Wednesday, and morning prayers begin at 7:30 Monday through Friday. Call 815-772-2818 or go tochurchofstannemorrison.org to learn more.

Dr. John A. Miller

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1007 4th St. Fulton, IL (815) 589-3000

15273 Bishop Rd. Morrison, IL (815) 772-7874

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G et more out of life.

Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapy | Senior Housing with Services Respite Care To learn more about our community in Prophetstown, visit good-sam.com/prophetstown.

The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society provides housing and services to qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, disability, familial status, national origin or other protected statuses according to applicable federal, state or local laws. Some services may be provided by a third party. All faiths or beliefs are welcome. Š 2016 The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. All rights reserved.