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Selling antiques is shop owners’ favorite past/time

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Making bread is a labor of loaves for Morrison woman

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Publisher/Ad Director Jennifer Heintzelman Magazine editor & Page design Rusty Schrader For Advertising Contact Jill Reyna at 815-631-8774 or jreyna@saukvalley.com Published by Sauk Valley Media 113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2222 Have a story idea for Small Town Living? E-mail rschrader@saukvalley.com Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Small TownLiving 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.

inside Their favorite past/time

The owners of a Prophetstown shop love the antique business, but they also enjoy something else: meeting people who’ve graced them with their friendship and filled their store with stories.

Their amazing feet On paper, the numbers didn’t add up, but on the asphalt they did. In a track meet where every second counted, Morrison High School runners counted their second state championship in a row.

A labor of loaves

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Les and Ann Wilson, owners of Victorian Grace Antiques and Accents in Prophetstown, turned nearly 50 years of collecting antiques and collectibles into a business that has become known as much for the friendships they’ve built with customers as the treasures displayed throughout their 1898 Victorian home.

“I like meeting people,” Ann said. “We’ve met a lot of people, we’ve made friendships through this store.”

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

For nearly 50 years, Les and Ann Wilson have shared a hobby of collecting antiques and collectibles. Along the way, they discovered something else they enjoyed just as much: meeting fellow collectors and antique-lovers. Those friendships are now as much a part of the business they run, Victorian Grace Antiques and Accents, as the merchandise that fills the shop, which is an antique itself: A two-story vintage Victorian house built in 1898 that welcomes customers in to browse through the couple’s selection. Original woodwork, floral wallpaper and sunlit rooms create a setting where antique furniture, crocks, clocks, vintage dishware and carefully arranged displays are right at home, inviting visitors to wander from one room to the next. Though customers are the ones doing the shopping, they often end up leaving something with the Wilsons: stories sparked by the items they find and conversations with the couple who have spent decades shopping for antiques themselves. The business, next door to the Wilsons’ residence, grew out of a lifetime of collecting rather than a lifelong plan to own a store. After years of filling their home with antiques and selling items on eBay, an empty house next door inspired a new idea. “We had this empty house, and he suggested that we make an antique store,” Ann said. “It’s handy, living next door. I can come over here whenever I want. We can sit on our porch and see people come.” And it all started with an accident and a magic lamp. VICTORIAN cont’d to page 8 A Shaw Media Publication | Small Town Living West | Summer 2026 | 7

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M E DI A .CO M H AW

Antique shoppers will feel right at home at Victorian Grace Antiques and Accents. The two-story 1898 Victorian is arranged so the displays of antique furniture, crocks, clocks, collectibles and vintage dishware are arranged throughout the house to give the shop a CU lived-in look. /C

VICTORIAN cont’d from page 7 The Wilsons’ interest in antiques began with an accident involving an Aladdin kerosene lamp. Introduced in the early 1900s, Aladdin lamps became known for using mantle technology that produced a brighter light than traditional kerosene lamps, making them popular with collectors today. “The Aladdin kerosene lamps kind of got us started in antiques,” Les said. “There was a lamp that her mother had. I broke it when I was cleaning the chimney on it. I went to an auction and there was another one, and I ended up buying that, just to get the shape. That got us started looking for lamps, and that got us started with other antiques.” The Wilsons’ collection steadily expanded through nearly five decades of marriage, eventually becoming large enough to justify opening a business. “We’ve been collecting for years and had oodles of stuff,” Les said. “We needed to get rid of some of this, so we started our own antique store.” The store’s name carries personal meaning as well. It was inspired by both the Victorian home that houses the business and Ann’s longtime nickname for her mother, “Grace.”

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For the young, and young at heart, Victorian Grace has a selection of vintage toys and games.

Y CO D

VICTORIAN cont’d from page 8 Antique furniture, crocks, pottery, clocks, Pyrex, glassware, milk bottles, antique toys, collectibles, seasonal décor and gifts are displayed throughout both floors. Antique dressers, tables and cabinets double as display fixtures, helping the rooms feel more like a home than a retail showroom. Ann also creates faux flower arrangements for seasonal displays, while daughter Andrea helps arrange merchandise throughout the store. Their grandson Buddy lends a hand with the heavy lifting. As the business has grown, the Wilsons have learned that presentation is almost as important as the merchandise itself. Grouping seasonal pieces and related collectibles often encourages customers to purchase an entire display instead of a single item, she said. “We try to display things that go together and look nice together,” Ann said. “We like to have it so that people can view them easily, and that makes it aesthetically look good in here. That’s a big part of it. We get complimented on it.” Keeping displays fresh also means paying attention to changing tastes. Fairy lamps and vintage Pyrex have become increasingly popular with customers. Hens on a nest are another. Often made of milk glass, pressed glass or ceramic, the covered dishes were once common household containers for eggs or candy and have become increasingly sought-after collectibles in recent years.

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CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

VICTORIAN cont’d from page 9

One man’s trunk is another man’s treasure, and you can find that treasure at Victorian Grace, along with hens, local collectibles, and more.

“It’s interesting to watch how things become popular that weren’t popular a few years ago,” Ann said. “Hens on a nest are a very hot items. They would not have been five years ago. You have to keep up with the trends with antiques and collectibles, and in anything seasonal.” Finding those treasures once meant frequent trips to auctions, where the Wilsons built friendships with fellow collectors as they searched for the next addition to their collection. They haven’t engaged in many traveling hunts since Covid, however. These days, much of the store’s inventory comes from people who contact the Wilsons after downsizing or settling a family member’s estate. Ann enjoys finding pieces she believes someone else will appreciate. “I like meeting people,” Ann said. “We’ve met a lot of people, we’ve made friendships through this store. I’m able to purchase things and not have them accumulate, I can purchase things that I think people will like. We buy mostly from people who come to us now to sell us things from people who’ve passed away, or are just selling Mom’s things, or are downsizing. It’s fun to buy things that you think people will like.” Many visitors arrive simply to browse, but the experience often becomes more personal than expected. Familiar dishes, lamps and household items frequently remind customers of grandparents, childhood homes or earlier chapters of their own lives. Ann enjoys hearing those memories. VICTORIAN cont’d to page 11

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VICTORIAN cont’d from page 10 Whether shoppers leave with a collectible, a seasonal decoration or a piece of local history, the Wilsons hope they also leave with a pleasant memory of their visit. Les, who has played guitar since he was 7 years old and also performs with a group at local nursing homes, is happy to pick up a guitar in the store when visitors ask. “What makes this place unique is that they often get entertained by him singing and playing the guitar,” Ann said. The Wilsons’ antiques may bring people through the front door, but the friendships they’ve built over the years are what keeps them coming back, and those relationships have extended well beyond Prophetstown. Les recalled a couple from Minnesota who visited the store, and ended up renting a trailer in Rock Falls to haul furniture they bought at the store. They later bought their own trailer and returned for another shopping trip, becoming close friends along the way. The Wilsons have also welcomed customers from as far away as Japan, whose travels through the United States included a stop at the Prophetstown shop. Nearly every antique has a story behind it, and even after decades of collecting, buying and selling, the Wilsons are nowhere near hearing them all — which is part of the pleasure of the treasure hunt. They measure the store’s success less by what leaves the shelves than by the relationships that have grown because of it. Every visit offers the possibility of another familiar face, another shared memory or another friendship waiting to begin. “We’ve made friends all over the country,” Les said. “It’s a destination for some people.” n Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

From their house to yours ...

Victorian Grace Antiques and Accents, 215 E. Third St. in Prophetstown, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Find it on Facebook, email vicgrace55@gmail. com or call 815-537-2450 for more information.

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ost competitive high school track and field rosters consist of a team of specialized sprinters, distance runners, jumpers, pole vaulters and throwers, with depth in numbers in each of those specialties. That’s not the case at Morrison High School, where its roster was smaller than the number of competitive events at a typical track meet. Being small in numbers didn’t stop them from creating a unique story among high school state championship teams, and being the best Class 1A track and field squad in Illinois. Twice. One year after just a few Mustangs came together to win the school’s fourth state championship in its history, they did it again during the Illinois High School Association 1A State Meet on May 28-30 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The quartet of seniors Brady Anderson,

Levi Milder and Koltin Swaim, and junior Josh McDearmon combined to win the 400-meter relay in 41.88 seconds and 800-meter relay in 1 minute, 26.53 seconds; and Anderson won the 100-meter dash in 10.52 and 200-meter dash in 20.98. Milder also competed in the 200 and McDearmon ran in the 110and 300-meter hurdles. A state championship is impressive enough, let alone two of them back to back, but when you consider the team that was able to pull it off, it makes the accomplishment even more impressive: They didn’t win sectionals and relied on just a few individuals to achieve top performances and rack up points. Only 10 Mustangs were on the roster come sectionals in early May, while sectional-winning teams brought more than triple that number of competitors to state. MUSTANGS cont’d to page 14

Morrison High School’s boys track team won the Illinois High School Association Class 1A State Championship in May, their second state championship in a row. From left: Josh McDearmon, Levi Milder, Brady Anderson and Koltin Swaim. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOSH MCDEARMON

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MUSTANGS cont’d from page 12 At the meet in May, there were a few alternate competitors who were on standby just in case, but they didn’t need to step in because the quartet stepped up. Of the Mustangs’ 51 points scored (17 ahead of runner-up Pleasant Plains), 40 of them came from the relay wins and Anderson’s two others. On top of state championships, new 1A records also were set by the Mustangs with the winning relay times and Anderson’s result in the 200. A repeat with a roster Morrison’s size was a task that may have once seemed impossible, Mustangs head coach Kevin Kilker said — yet the team made it possible. “Illinois is a big state, and 1A track goes up to [schools with] 450 [enrollment], and there’s a lot of big schools with a lot more resources, a lot more coaches and a lot more kids out for the team,” he said. “With the amount of runners we brought, that’s how many some of these schools brought

just as alternates. It makes a great case study for how a community can support this, and how kids can grow.” A year ago, the Mustangs placed first with winning results in the 400 relay (42.16), 800 relay (1:26.52), Anderson in the 100 (10.74) and Milder in the 200 (21.44). Anderson was runner-up in the 200 (21.67) and Milder was third in the 100 (10.92). The relay teams consisted of Anderson, Milder and his older brother Zach, and Rylan Alvarado. Zach Milder graduated last year and Alvarado transferred to Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling between school years. That left a void in which Swaim was happy to fill in when asked. A baseball player throughout each of his four years at Morrison, he also ran track in addition to helping lead the school’s baseball team to a conference championship this season. “It’s been really fun,” Swaim said. “This is my first year of high school track. I saw their success last year, and they asked me — knowing I was kind of fast — if I wanted to come out and do track this year because I’d have a good chance at doing something great. Turns out we did, and having [my teammates] there to push me along is really great, and the experience was amazing.” McDearmon also became part of reshaping the team, stepping into both sprint relay duty and hurdle work after previously competing primarily in the hurdles. “It really means a lot,” he said. “Having a team that we have helps me make track my favorite sport. It was a really good opportunity these past two years to be able to participate in the postseason, such as state. It was a really cool experience to run with some guys who are very athletic and be able to pull stuff off like that.” Replacing two key contributors from a state championship team is difficult for any program, but for one with only a handful of athletes capable of scoring points at the state meet, it could have derailed any hope of a repeat. Instead, the Mustangs found a way to reload, and the team’s returning stars continued to pick up speed. MUSTANGS cont’d to page 15

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MUSTANGS cont’d from page 14 Throughout the season, the team steadily built confidence that another state championship was possible. “There’s a lot of things you want, and a lot of dreams you have,” Milder said, and this is one dream that’s come true. “We’re such a small school, but we’ve had everything we’ve needed, and guys who put the work in together. It’s been the reality of a dream to have gotten to go and do everything I’ve wanted to do, and win state twice.” For Anderson, the championships are the culmination of years spent competing alongside teammates who continually pushed one another to improve. “I’ve been super grateful to have a great group of guys every single year that I’ve been here, especially for a smaller 1A school,” he said. “It’s been super crazy, we’ve had 4x2 relays, 4x1, 4x4, we’ve had quite a bit of stuff go down. We’ve had great coaches, and I’m super blessed with everything.” Sprint practice had the competitive feel of the state final, with Anderson and Milder zooming down the track at speeds that most sprinters hope for. It was something Milder appreciated about being on the team. “Being on this team has taught me how to be competitive,” Milder said. “Every day I can go compete with my own teammates, like Brady, for instance. A simple practice can turn into a competition, seeing who wins the rep or whatnot. Being on this team has got me Morrison's Brady Anderson sprints toward used to competition, so when I go to state, I’m used to it and the finish line during the IHSA State Track and ready to work.” Field championship on May 30 in Charleston. MUSTANGS cont’d to page 16

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Morrison's Levi Milder competes in the 100 meter dash during the IHSA State Track and Field championship on May 30 in Charleston. SCOTT ANDERSON/SANDERSON@SHAWMEDIA.COM

MUSTANGS cont’d from page 15 McDearmon said that same competitiveness helped shape his jump in performance at the state level, especially in the hurdles, where he exceeded expectations. Seeded near the bottom of the field in the 110 hurdles, he ran a personal-best 14.80 in the prelims before climbing into the final and finishing fifth in 14.66 seconds. In the 300 hurdles, he posted a 42.61 in prelims but did not advance to the final after dealing with lingering injuries late in the season. “It was a big underdog [situation] for me,” he said. “I came from not having a great sectional time to turning around and running a couple of PRs in prelims and the finals. For the 110 hurdles, I was seeded 11th or 12th and ended up fifth with a 14.66. For the 300 hurdles, I had a couple of injuries over the season so my endurance wasn’t peaking at the right time; I didn’t make finals, but it was still good.” The 800 relay grouping was unplanned before sectionals. Anderson had dealt with a minor illness and, seeking to lighten his workload, Kilker put him in the relay instead of running the open 400 as planned. The Mustangs finished third in sectionals, but the talent of their state-qualifying individuals still made them a threat to repeat as state champions as Anderson recovered. MUSTANGS cont’d to page 17

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Morrison’s Josh McDearmon clears a hurdle in the 110 meter hurdle race in Erie in May. McDearmon took first, with a time of 15:32. JESSIE OTTEN FOR SHAW MEDIA

MUSTANGS cont’d from page 16 Any doubts about the new relay teams disappeared in Charleston. “I definitely thought our relays showed up and showed out,” Swaim said. “People didn’t think at the beginning of the year that Morrison would even have a 4x1 or 4x2 fast enough to compare to last year. Us going down there and setting state records in both of them just showed everyone what we’re capable of.” The shorter relay was particularly satisfying for Anderson. “The 4x1 I’d say was my proudest because last year we probably should have broke the record, but we didn’t,” Anderson said. “This year in the prelims we didn’t get it, and we ran pretty solid in prelims, so we felt like it was going to be pretty close in the finals, and then we came out and ran way faster somehow and destroyed it. That was my favorite race of the weekend.” For McDearmon, being part of that relay suc-

cess carried its own learning curve, especially as a first-year contributor in the sprint relays after joining the group midseason. “I knew there would be a possibility of being on the relay team,” he said. “It was a little nerve-racking, but I knew if I worked on it with the guys, worked on our handoffs, and improved myself, I would do fine in the group.” Kilker knew they’d do fine too, and all it took was an offhand remark on the TV news to cement his confidence in his team. They had gone back to their room after the preliminary session to watch highlights on the news when a competitor’s comment struck a nerve. MUSTANGS cont’d to page 18

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MUSTANGS cont’d from page 17 “A kid kind of mentioned, ‘I’m going to knock them off,’ and ‘They’ve won enough’ kind of stuff,’” Kilker said.” I visibly watched the change in their faces. This was after prelim day. They went from thinking they were going to do it again to it no longer being a question. I knew they were going to compete and perform. That’s what they did. They didn’t talk about it. It was fun to watch.” “I knew we won at that moment,” he said. Even with one championship under their belt, adding another brought a different kind of pressure. The Mustangs entered the season knowing they were no longer the hunters. They were the defending champions, and every contender in Class 1A measured itself against them. “I don’t think it was more of a challenge, but we were definitely more aware of what we could do this year after last year,” Anderson said. “It was a matter of, are we going to do it again or are we not? We obviously believed and knew that we could do it again, but it’s always a question until after the Saturday of state finals.” “There were teams down there that wanted it

as well and thought they could get it done and beat Morrison,” Swaim said. “Having that target on our back I feel pushed us to do what we did.” Kilker said a team Morrison’s size doesn’t have the luxury of accumulating points through sheer numbers. “For a team this size, if you want to win state you can’t nickel and dime with ten guys getting seventh or eighth,” Kilker said. “We need guys to win, and that’s what they did.” The path to a second straight state title ultimately looked different than what the Mustangs envisioned at the beginning of the season, but they adapted along the way. “Obviously you have a plan, but not everything goes to plan,” Anderson said. “To be able to adapt and change, and accept some of the bad things that happen, that’s the biggest thing — accepting something and changing it for the good. We had goals set out at the beginning of the year, plans of exactly what we wanted to do, and by the end of the year it looked completely different. We still got it done and still got it figured out.” While the 800 relay did its job at state, it did take a toll: Milder hurt one of his hamstrings and decided take it easy in the 200 finals, closing his mission to repeat as state champion in that event. That event was the secondto-last one at the state final, and by that time the Mustangs had already assured themselves through a large point differential of winning the team championship. Milder had been third best in the 200 prelims, running just .03 seconds behind Anderson. MUSTANGS cont’d to page 19

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MUSTANGS cont’d from page 18 only brings them together during those moments they’re cheering him, but it puts him “I took a smart decision not to go out there and run it,” Milder said. “I went and in front as a unifier just through his efforts.” jogged it just to give us the point and to show people that I wanted to finish the With only a handful of athletes carryrace, but I didn’t want to go and tear my hamstring because I still have six years of ing the scoring load and a roster dwarfed track in college.” by most of their competitors, Morrison’s Milder will take his running talents next year to Indian Hills Community College repeat championship run defied conin Ottumwa, Iowa. Anderson will run at Northern Iowa next year, and Swaim is conventional track and field wisdom. Kilker sidering attending either Benedictine University in Lisle or Sauk Valley Community believes the accomplishment College and running track for either program. was possible because the Whatever the Mustangs will accomplish next year, they’ll do so success extended beyond with a new head coach. Kilker recently resigned from his teachthe four athletes at state Go to athletic.net/team/16528/tracking and coaching position in Morrison, and will return to his and reflected the investand-field-outdoor/2026 to view the high school alma mater to take over as athletic director of the ment of an entire program Morrison Mustangs' boys track and Calamus-Wheatland school district in Calamus, Iowa. and community. field team's 2026 season results. While the relay quartet gets plenty of attention for their acco“The community of Morrilades, others on the team have done their part to put the pieces son is a big part of it,” Kilker said. together to help the team succeed. Sophomore shot put thrower “They want to win, and wanting to win is Noah Stout had focused solely on wrestling, but put in some work to be a late addiprobably 70 percent of it. The parent suption to the track team, Kilker said, and he placed in the Top 10 during the sectional port is huge. If the community’s involved, meet. Another sophomore, Bryar Kuehl, is the team’s distance runner. the kids want to do it, and the parents Kilker enjoyed seeing the team’s camaraderie. support it, it’s easy to coach. Going back “There are other guys who put the effort forward,” Kilker said. “We have one true to back makes it even more special.” n distance runner. Every time he’d take a lap, or be running because you sprint several Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter laps, our entire team would stop and cheer for Bryar when they were between exercan be reached at 815-632-2532 cises. Those little moments play a big factor. Seeing a kid like Bryar give his effort at or ccutter@shawmedia.com. all times, just for that little bit of recognition from the more renowned kids, that not

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7833 Tampico Rd., Rock Falls, IL • 815.438.4402 A Shaw Media Publication | Small Town Living West | Summer 2026 | 19

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Think the aroma of freshly baked bread is heaven scent? Then meet an Angel in Morrison who set her mind to mastering the art of making it, finding something she loves to do, and that let’s her proudly proclaim ...

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ANGEL RICHMON

he aroma of freshly baked bread may be what first captures her customers’ attention, but for Angel Richmond, the process begins long before a loaf ever reaches the oven. What emerges from the heat is the culmination of days spent nurturing something that’s equal parts chemistry, craftsmanship and patience. Richmond combines precision, persistence and a little faith that a simple mixture of flour and water will come alive. Through careful timing and a baker’s touch, yeast and beneficial bacteria transform the ingredients into sourdough, making it as much a science as it is an art. Every loaf follows the same basic process, yet no two are exactly alike, presenting a new challenge each time she bakes. Richmond owns Made That Myself, an at-home cottage kitchen business that makes varieties of sourdough breads and other baked goods that she brings to local farmers markets and pop-up events. What began as a way to create a flexible schedule for her family has grown into more than a business. Between shaping dough by hand and watching each loaf rise, Richmond has found a creative outlet that continually challenges, teaches and rewards her. MADE THAT cont’d to page 22 A Shaw Media Publication | Small Town Living West | Summer 2026 | 21

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ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

MADE THAT cont’d from page 21 “It’s just about making bread,” Richmond said. “I like to make bread. It’s a science experiment. Every loaf, every time, I get excited. Making a loaf of sourdough is not that hard, but making a hundred loaves of sourdough at once becomes a little more difficult.” Richmond began her business in 2024 after realizing she needed work that offered flexibility. She had been laid off from John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline, and with her husband, Brent, undergoing treatment for stage 4 melanoma, she needed to be available for doctor appointments that could consume an entire day. On top of that, Richmond also underwent her Making own health challenge after doctors discovered sourdrough chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, a rare form bread is a bit like a of kidney cancer. It was detected early and removed last year. “science experiment,” says Richmond doesn’t do it alone. Her teenage daughter, Amelia, often bakes alongside her, Richmond, and that experiment while her mother, Cyndi Starr, helps occasionally. begins with the sourdough starter. “To have that flexibility, be able to stay home and still make some money so that we’re It starts simply enough — with flour not completely broke — that was the goal in this,” Richmond said. “It snowballed a little and water — but the dough is slow bigger than that, but the goal was for me to be able to be here and have that flexibility, and and it takes time and patience we’ve used it. I got [Amelia] certified [in food sanitation] because in the event that something to get that starter to end happened and I had to walk away, I wanted her to be able to cover me so that we don’t lose up as a loaf. product. We do this so that we have our own schedule.” MADE THAT cont’d to page 23

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MADE THAT cont’d from page 22 Richmond’s fascination with sourdough goes beyond just the process of making and baking it. A sourdough starter begins simply enough, with flour and water. But over time, things get a little more complex. Naturally occurring wild yeast and beneficial bacteria create the fermentation that gives sourdough its rise and signature tang. Creating a healthy starter tested her patience. “It took me a long time, almost two months, to get the dough to bake with,” Richmond said. “It kept going flat and I couldn’t get it to strengthen. Partly because I started in the winter months, and my house was old and cold and there wasn’t enough warmth to get it going.” Success, she said, comes down to timing. “Anybody can make sourdough,” Richmond said — it’s just a matter of timing, and “most people give up on it.” “Mixing takes four hours,” but waiting for the dough to be ready for baking “literally

takes three days.” Richmond has worked it out so that her loaves live up to the term “freshbaked. “They’re never more than 24 hours old when they reach the markets.” She also likes to keep the emphasis on the “home” part of homemade, making an effort to buy produce and ingredients close to home, shopping at nearby farms whenever possible. She works with such suppliers as Schell Farms in Chadwick, Straddle Creek Gardens in Lanark, Polsgrove Hill Farm near Mount Carroll and Avanti Foods in Walnut. One conversation with Straddle Creek Gardens, which is known locally for growing garlic, led to one of her favorite creations. “Straddle Creek, [owner] Darrin Eubanks came to me and said, ‘Hey, I have a ton of garlic scapes and they’re going to go to waste — got an idea for them?’” Richmond said. “I didn’t know if they could work in bread, so I did a little research on it and didn’t think it would because it would inhibit the yeast and bacterial growth. However, I thought about doing it [with focaccia], and I made him one and he was like, ‘This is amazing!’ That’s probably one of our favorite things we’ve ever made.” Richmond offers 11 sourdough bread flavors, with customer favorites varying from town to town. Among them, The Crusader — made with garlic, Parmesan and rosemary — has become especially popular at farmers markets in Mount Carroll and Lanark, while jalapeño cheddar often tops sales at the Morrison market at Tractor Supply. The cranberry pecan sourdough is great for chicken salad sandwiches, she said. MADE THAT cont’d to page 25

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“I like to make bread ... Every loaf, every time, I get excited,”

says Richmond, seen at left kneading a loaf of sourdough bread Aug. 23, 2025, at the Art in the Park sculpture walk in Rock Falls. She’s also tried her hand at baking other goodies, too, like garlic focaccia (top right) and cookies (bottom right).

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MADE THAT cont’d from page 23 Angel also has her own signature flavor — Angel’s herb and cheese — which reaped Judges Choice and Best Sourdough awards at the 2025 Whiteside County Fair. In other baking categories, her Crusader sourdough took home a first place award, and her jalapeño took second and cranberry pecan took third. She also offers homemade focaccia, pizza crusts, buns, cookies and scones, along with seasonal creations. Richmond said garlic focaccia has become one of her best sellers. At most markets, it’s the mother-and-daughter team of Angel and Amelia, but Amelia operates the family’s booth solo at Tractor Supply. “I like the flexibility and the hours,” Amelia said. “It’s pretty fun. The jalapeño cheddar is my favorite. I like the spiciness.” If weather or slow markets leave extra bread at the end of the day, Richmond sets it on a giving table outside her Morrison home on South Base Street. Visitors can leave three food pantry items or make a cash donation, with every $5 creating another loaf for the Morrison Food Pantry. “I don’t want to see waste,” Richmond said. “We work way too hard for this.” Although the business has grown far beyond what she expected, Richmond says her greatest reward isn’t simply pulling another loaf from the oven — it’s what happens while she’s making and selling it. “I love going to markets,” Angel said. “It’s my one outlet. We’re usually at doctor’s offices, and this gives me something to focus on. I love making it. I can be shaping loaves for two, three hours and be looking out the window and the dogs will be in the backyard. It helps me kind of relax. Sometimes it can get a little chaotic and we’re not forgetting about the world, but if it’s a consistent market that I’m going to and I have my routine down, then it’s a little better.” n Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Your Comfort Is Our Calling

Get a loaf for yourself Made That Myself sells its sourdough bread and other baked goods regularly at the following farmers markets: • Mount Carroll: 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday late May to late October downtown along Market Street • Lanark: 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday late May to late October downtown at Broad and Franklin streets • Morrison: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday from late May to September at Tractor Supply, 15700 Lincolnway Find it on Facebook or email madethatmyself2024@gmail. com for ordering information and appearances at local events.

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Maes Auto Body and Custom Restorations brings almost 100 years of combined experience to their trade. From left: Kamden Holldorf, Tom Barnum, Luke Heavener and owners Deb and Drew Maes. “I’ve always liked cars,” said Drew. ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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very family has something it passes from one generation to the next. Sometimes it’s a recipe carefully guarded for decades. Or it’s a trade learned through years of watching and doing. Sometimes it’s simply a way of looking at the world — seeing not what something is, but what it could become with enough patience, hard work and determination. The Maes family’s inheritance came with four wheels. Drew Maes and his wife Deb own Maes Auto Body and Custom Restorations in Prophetstown, where collision repair, classic car restorations and family have become equally important parts of the business. Since returning to his hometown in 2015 after almost 30 years in Kansas, Drew has combined his nearly 50 years of experience, which started before he was even old enough to drive, with a lifelong dream of operating an auto body shop in his hometown. Deb manages the office and her son, Luke Heavener, has followed Drew into the trade. “I’ve always liked cars” Drew said. When he was 12, he took on a totaled Chevy Nova, and he hasn’t stopped working on cars since. “The first I built was a totaled-out Nova. I built that, put it all together, painted it. I had it in high school, and had a few others, actually. I’d keep buying them, fixing them up, and became addicted to it.” That first Nova has long since disappeared, but another one now sits inside his shop — itself waiting to be restored one day — a reminder of where it all began. “My dad got it, picked it up, and it was totaled out,” Drew said of his first project. “They had hit somebody and the whole front end was smashed. They had went through the windshield on it, so it was pretty bad. I fixed it all up, and that was the first one.” MAES cont’d to page 28

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MAES cont’d from p. 27 Long before Drew ever owned an auto body shop, before he restored award-winning classic cars or repaired vehicles for customers, he was a little boy standing beside his parents while they cruised the streets of Prophetstown in their white 1965 Chevrolet. When his father Richard crawled underneath a vehicle to make repairs, Drew crawled underneath, too, eager to see what was broken and how it could be fixed. Looking back, Drew’s parents aren’t surprised by where life eventually led him. “When we had the white ‘65, Drew — probably when he was a couple of years old — would stand right in the middle of the seat when we’d

Drew Maes with his parents, Richard and Donna Maes, and their ’72 Buick. As a child, Drew loved riding in the car with his parents, and helping Dad work on cars — those early memories were like the spark plugs that fired his imagination and set him on the road to turning his passion into a profession. go riding around,” his mother Donna recalled. Richard remembers another scene just as vividly with a hard-top Chevy they bought from Kittrell Chevy in Geneseo. “I was having shift problems with the transmission,” Richard said. “It was cold, and there was snow on the ground. We had it jacked up at my dad’s farm, and we’re out in the weather, and Drew — about 4 or 5 years old — there he was, underneath there watching what I was doing.” MAES cont’d to page 29

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ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

From classics to customs to crashed cars that need body work, there’s always a variety of vehicles at Maes. “With the straightening and the putty work, it’s like doing art,” Drew said. “I like the collision part of it ... [and] I love doing the old cars, and seeing when they are done. A finished product is always good to see.”

MAES cont’d from page 28 Drew’s fascination only grew. Go-karts and minibikes became some of his earliest projects before graduating to cars. As a teen, he spent countless hours in his parents’ garage, where friends often gathered to work on hot rods before cruising around town. Richard still owns the air compressor Drew used while learning to paint vehicles as a teenager. He also remembers plenty of evenings spent answering his son’s calls for help. “Every time I’d come home from work — ‘Dad! Dad! I need help,’” Richard recalled with a laugh. “’I can’t get the headers on,’ or ‘I can’t get’ this. I’d tell him to calm down and keep cool.” Those lessons went beyond turning wrenches. “He taught me to work hard and always kept me thinking positive while working on the cars and getting them done,” Drew said. Drew continued building those skills during his junior and senior years of high school at Whiteside Area Vocational Center in Sterling, where he studied auto body

repair under instructor Roger “Swede” Eshelman. A scholarship earned there took him to an auto body school in Wichita, Kansas, where he worked at a repair shop before eventually opening his own business there. Even while building a successful career in Kansas for more than 30 years, Prophetstown was never far from his mind. Drew relocated to Prophetstown in the fall of 2015, first renting space inside the former Penberthy factory before purchasing his current building on Grove Street two years later. MAES cont’d to page 30 Checkout our nightly specials Tuesday thru Saturday!

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MAES cont’d from page 29 “I used to ride by this shop all of the time when I was a little kid on my bike,” Drew said. The shop carries decades of history, originally opening in 1952 as Buck’s Body Shop under Ernie and Max Buck. In 1977, Bill Sharer and Larry Stewart continued the tradition as Prophetstown Auto Body. Drew married Deb in 2016, and they became invested heavily in renovating the aging building. Electrical service and utilities were upgraded, walls and ceilings were enclosed with metal sheeting, and a modern paint booth was installed. Last year, the shop added dustless blasting equipment that helps strip paint and rust from vehicles with greater efficiency. The shop’s staff of five combines more than 90 years of experience. Along with Drew, Deb and Luke, veteran technician Tom Barnum brings four decades of experience, while Kamden Holldorf joined the team last fall. Luke has enjoyed spending the past decade learning the car craft under his stepfather. MAES cont’d to page 31 Residential • Commercial • Agricultural • EV Chargers • Battery Backup

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“It was like winning the Super Bowl” Drew has made quite a name for himself in the auto restoration trade. His work has appeared on vehicles sold through Barrett-Jackson and Mecum auctions. Among his proudest accomplishments was restoring a 1955 Chevrolet from individual parts in 1990. He built is as a show car, and the painstaking restoration earned several awards at car shows as well as national attention in Super Chevy, Car Craft and Hot Rod magazines before eventually being sold to a collector. “It was like winning the Super Bowl,” he said. “The frame on the thing was unbelievable,” Drew said. “When I painted that, I buffed and buffed on the frame and on the bottom side of the car. When most of the judges looked at that, they [said] the bottom was better than the tops of most cars. I spent months on the undercarriage of the car. It was quite the accomplishment.”

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MAES cont’d from page 30 greeted not only by Deb, but by Polly, the shop’s blue-fronted Amazon parrot. Drew “Drew has taught me restored a collection of vintage Polly Gas everything that I’ve known equipment years ago, inspiring the family to about body work and repair,” give the shop mascot the same name. Heavener said. “I like workWorking alongside family has become one ing on different things all of of the best parts of the business, Deb said. the time. There’s different “Every day is different,” she said. “It’s alcars, gas pumps, and we’ve Maes Auto Body and Custom Restorations, 605 ways nice knowing that you’re not going into done old sewing machines Grove St. in Prophetstown, is open from 8 a.m. to the same thing every day. You don’t know and refrigerators. There’s 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Find it on Facewhat your day is going to be. You might be always something different.” book, go to maescollision.com or call 815-537running 45 minutes to get parts. I enjoy it.” While collision repair 2866 to schedule work or for more information. Watching Luke embrace the same trade keeps the shop busy, has made it even more meaningful. restoration projects remain “He was interested in what Drew was doing,” Deb said. “Drew kind of some of Drew’s favorites. Over the years, Drew showed him the ropes, and it’s nice that we showed him as much as we has restored Ford Model Ts and Model As from the have, and it also gives us time when we can get away, too, occasionally.” 1920s, vintage gas pumps, Coca-Cola machines, Nearly 50 years have passed since Drew rebuilt that first wrecked children’s pedal tractors and countless classic cars. Nova in his parents’ garage, and even longer since he crawled under“It’s an art,” Drew said of auto body work. “With neath a car beside his father on a snowy day. The projects have become the straightening and the putty work, it’s like doing art. I like the collision part of it and the drive to more complicated, the equipment more advanced and the shop much do that all of the time and staying real busy. I love larger, but the satisfaction remains much the same. doing the old cars, and seeing when they are done. “I always like the challenges,” Drew said. n A finished product is always good to see.” Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at Behind the front desk, customers are often 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

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