Our Resource Guide is dedicated to the following very special people.

Our office experienced heartbreak from the deaths of several of the parents of our staff. We could not help others as effectively as we do if not for the love, respect, and advice given to us by our parents. In their memory, we honor them by dedicating this Resource Guide which we hope will help many others.

Also, we honor these:

To those individuals who helped blaze the trail for services to senior adults. Many individuals have come before us to plan, develop, coordinate, and advocate for services to senior adults. These services help senior adults maintain their independence and remain in their own homes in the community. We thank them for their hard work, foresight, and continuing assistance and support.

Louie Stratemeyer worked as an accountant before his retirement. He served as an assistant pastor and Sunday school superintendent and was the secretary of a businessperson’s organization. He served two full terms as a member of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging. When he completed his second, and final term, he volunteered to serve on the agency’s advisory council.

Gene Cross served on the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging for many years. Mr. Cross served in Germany during World War II, earned degrees from two colleges, including his masters degree, taught school, and coached young men to play basketball. On and off the basketball court he taught faith, courage, leadership, teamwork, and respect for others. In his retirement years, he served on an endless list of boards and committees, and he enjoyed watching basketball games as a fan.

William Daters, a member of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging. Mr. Daters retired from a successful career in private education and was working in real estate in Du Quoin, IL. He fulfilled one term of office on the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Area Agency and had just started his second term in 2001 when he passed away unexpectedly.

Cleveland Forbes, a long-time member of the Board of Directors and Advisory Council of the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging. After retiring from a long and successful career in public education, Mr. Forbes fulfilled two terms of office on the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Area Agency, serving from November 1989 until January 1998. Because of his continuing dedication to senior adult services in southern Illinois, Mr. Forbes subsequently requested and was granted a position on the agency’s Advisory Council for another 17 months, from April 1998 until August 1999. Mr. Forbes was living in retirement in Louisiana at the time of his death.

George Reed served on the Advisory Council of the Egyptian AAA for 12 years. He was a public school teacher and administrator for 45 years. He continued his role as an educator as he warned seniors of scams, schemes, shady deals, and deals too good to be true and requested that seniors write letters and make telephone calls to appropriate government officials to protest rules and regulations which hurt the welfare of older people. He told any young person who would listen to invest their money and not depend solely on Social Security for their retirement income. He often spoke of dependence on one’s self and determining one’s own fate. He was very active in community affairs and he continued to teach people long after he retired as a public educator. Mr. Reed was 92 years old.

William Kaegi served on the Board of Directors of the Egyptian AAA for 8 years. He contributed to the smooth operation of the agency and was interested in helping older people in Southern Illinois. He retired from Southeastern Illinois Electric Cooperative and spent much of his retirement playing pool with his buddies at the Pope County Senior Citizens Center in Golconda.

Dr. William Westberg was a member of the Advisory Council of the Egyptian AAA for 8 years. He was a retired professor of Psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was very active in community organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of America, American Association of Retired People, and Service Corps of Retired Executives. He was the recipient of numerous service and community awards.

Dorothy Housewright was in Carterville, IL attending a public hearing on December 16, 1993 when, unexpectedly, she became ill and later passed away. The public hearing at which she was attending was sponsored by the Illinois Department on Aging and Mrs. Housewright was demonstrating her support for funding for senior adult services in the southern part of the State with her peers from Ullin, Illinois.

Andrew Eichbaum Barton was a member of the Advisory Council of the Egyptian AAA for 8 years. He was the founder of the American Association of Retired Persons in Massac County, was a member of the Happy Hearts Advisory Council, a member of the Masonic Lodge #9 for 74 years, a former Right Eminent Grand Commander of the State of Illinois Masonic Lodge #9, and friend to all senior adults with whom he came into contact. Mr. Barton was 96 years old.

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