The Macomb Feminist Network recognizes several local women every year for making the community a better place.
This year’s recipients of the Writing Women into History Award were honored during a reception at the Wesley Village Community Center in Macomb.
They are all retired from Western Illinois University and continue to serve the community.
Sandra Nelson
Sandra Nelson said she’s honored to receive the recognition.
“It gives you an opportunity to look back and reflect on what you’ve done since you’ve lived in Macomb,” she said.
Nelson grew up in Litchfield. She came to Macomb in 1964 when her husband took a job in the Geography Department at Western Illinois University.
She joined the faculty a few years later in teacher education.
In addition to teaching and raising a family, Nelson helped establish the McDonough County Mental Health Center. She also helped found the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.
“I’m interested in something, and there are things to be done, and I get involved because I want to help. I enjoy it, but I also see the need,” Nelson said.
She now helps out with the Loaves and Fishes food pantry in Macomb.
“I’ve enjoyed living in Macomb,” she said. “I’m glad I can continue to work on many of those things.”
Bonnie Smith-Skripps
Bonnie Smith-Skripps pours her heart and soul into the Humane Society of McDonough County, where she’s been board president for the past ten years.
“I’ve been called a dog pusher by friends. I’m always searching for the right individual to match up with the right dog at the shelter, or cat,” she said
“So, I guess, watch out, because if I know that you’ve lost a dog or maybe thinking about it, I’m picking him out for you.”
Smith-Skripps finds it rewarding work, and she spends a great deal of time at the shelter.
“Every day I’m at the shelter walking dogs and constantly worrying about finding Forever Homes for both the cats and the dogs,” she said.
Smith-Skripps owns three cats and two dogs. They’re all from the shelter. She said pets bring great value to a person’s or family’s life.
She is currently helping lead the charge for a new animal shelter in the county. She believes they can start moving forward on the project, and they’re looking at possible locations.
Smith-Skripps was Dean of the College of Education at WIU when she retired in 2009.
Kathy Veroni
Kathy Veroni was the softball coach at WIU for more than three decades.
“Macomb has always been my home plate. I’ve cherished it and I just think it’s a grand community with the people and the women that support this Macomb Feminist Network,” she said.
Veroni also formed a women’s amateur team, the Macomb Magic, that traveled the country playing other teams for seven years.
During her softball coaching career at WIU, Veroni grew to love the kids more than the game.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to work with young people. They come in as young girls and leave as women. And we support each other,” she said.
In retirement, Veroni has been active as a master gardener. She works with 10 others to grow thousands of pounds of produce that’s donated to food pantries.
Whether she’s working with softball players or master gardeners, Veroni considers it a team.
“If you’re collaborating and cooperating, you’re a team. A team is a group of people with a common bond wanting to succeed,” she said.
Veroni said you don’t have to win to be successful. You just have to give your best.
Marla Vizdal
Marla Vizdal worked at WIU’s archives and special collections for 33 years, even though she had no interest in history growing up.
“It was on the bottom of my list of things that I wanted to learn. It was working at the university, where I started learning about the local history,” she said.
Vizdal developed a passion for hunting for and finding items in the archives. She said it was heartwarming to share information because she saw how excited people were to learn about their family history or find out about local landmarks such as Vishnu Springs.
Vizdal said she got as much joy from it as they did.
“You’d find these things and it was like, wow, nobody’s seen this actual picture before. This is an original. We have to share that,” she said.
Since retiring, Vizdal stays involved with local history through the Western Illinois Museum in Macomb and other organizations.
She said many newspapers from the past have been digitized, making it easier for people to learn about local history.
“You can sit at home in bed in your pajamas and read the newspapers from the 1880s and find out information about your family,” Vizdal said.
She said many are publicly available through sites such as the Illinois Digital Newspapers Collection.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.
