Obituaries

BY MILLIE LANGE Effingham High School was down by a 9-2 count to start this game against Charleston Tuesday evening in a game heard on 979XFM But the Hearts went […] The post Effingham Beats Charleston 62-35, St. Anthony Downs CHBC 63-28 In Boys H.S. Basketball appeared first on Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3.

The winners of the 2025 City of Altamont Christmas Lighting Contest have been announced. The first place winner will receive a 100% free electric bill for the month of December, […] The post Winners of Altamont Christmas Lighting Contest Announced appeared first on Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3.

Christi Lynn (Gletty) Gibson was born Sunday, July 29th, 1956 to James Jr. and Darlene Carol (LaBolle) Gletty and grew up on a grain farm sixty miles west of Chicago. Christi went home to the Lord Saturday, December 6th, 2025 at the age of 69.She and Larry “Dean” Gibson met in Indianapolis, Indiana and joined their lives in the winter of 1983. They were exceedingly blessed to have two amazing sons that brought them great joy and abundant love, Larry “David” Gibson (Tracy Simons) and Cameron Dean Gibson. They were proud grandparents to Kaitlyn Rose, Madeline Grace, and Ian David.Weekends usually found Dean and Christi either riding the Harley, at the movies or working in the yard. When Dean was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia due to complications from his exposure to Agent Orange, Christi lovingly cared for him until the very end. She lost her “Sweets”, as he was known to his motorcycle club, just earlier this year, in June 2025.Christi and Dean had many pets and loved them like family. They spent all their free time with their beloved dog Jag, as in Mick Jagger, an Akita who had the sweetest soul and should have been a doctor, because he notified them whenever anyone had health issues. He passed in 2021. Gus Gus, their newest Akita, came to them later that same year. Preceding them was Sir Kirby Doubledot (English Springer Spaniel), Nitchka (a cat-who only truly loved Christi and would bite everyone else), Sergeant Pepper (their first Akita – again, a pet that only loved Christi and merely tolerated everyone else, though never bit anyone), and Sam, a cat who in his old age, sealed the deal that Dean and Christi would never again open their home to another cat. They loved Sam, but once he went deaf and partially blind he became very loud at all hours of the day and especially at night. This went on for many, many, many, many years as Sam died of old age at twenty. But as plans change, they adopted an obese, fifteen-year-old cat named Chicago, who spent her remaining days terrorizing Jag and Gus Gus.Christi worked from the time she was thirteen at several different jobs, but felt the most important was raising her two boys to men. Being a stay-at-home mom to David and Cameron was the most gratifying and worthy profession of her life.Technically her first job was gathering eggs for breakfast from the chicken house and hoeing beans, but those weren’t paying gigs, so we must move ahead to her thirteenth year when she de-tasseled corn and proudly made it through the entire season, which if you know of that occupation, takes great strength of character.From the age of twelve, her passion was writing fiction, and is the author of the psychological thriller series, The Devil’s Rules. Under the pen name of CL Gibson she wrote The Urge, Some Girls Kill, and had plans for at least five more books.She could also lose track of all time when she was sketching or painting. Christi was a great cook and could bake award winning pies, cookies and cakes, but would rather go out to dinner if at all possible.She felt extremely blessed to have been a farmer’s daughter where she wore frilly dresses, hats, and gloves while running barefoot through the fields or riding bareback on one of the ponies; and where she learned the full meaning of love, integrity and freedom.She graduated from Waterman High School with thirty-four other people in her class. Christi did go to community college, but never got her bachelor degree, which she regretted for a bit then thought, ‘Why bother, degree or no degree, I’m fricken old and nobody likes hiring old.’ So she wrote books and traveled instead.Christi is survived by her sons, her daughter (in-law), grandchildren, her father, brothers, sister, her sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews. And by her beloved dog, Gus Gus (think Cinderella’s fat brown mouse). Christi is preceded in death by her mother and best friend, Darlene Carol (LaBolle) Gletty.Christi was spiritual, a free spirit, and extremely optimistic. She was a good friend, and a kind and generous person.She found joy in all that she did and was often heard saying, “Isn’t this fun!”And damn, it really was.Charitable Request: In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Somonauk Public Library: https://www.somonauklibrary.org/

SIGEL — Three games were contested Tuesday evening at the National Trail Conference Seventh-Grade Boys Basketball Tournament. Cumberland was a 36-31 winner over Windsor in the opening game of the […] The post NTC Seventh-Grade Tourney, Boys Junior High Basketball Roundup — Dec. 9 Scores appeared first on Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3.

BY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLUMBUS, Ohio – #13 Illinois opened Big Ten play with a hard-fought 88-80 road victory over Ohio State on Tuesday night. Keaton Wagler finished with a career-high 23 […] The post Illinois Opens Big Ten Play With Hard-fought Victory Over Ohio State appeared first on Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3.

September 16, 1951 — November 29, 2025

July 17, 1990 — December 3, 2025

December 4, 2025

November 28, 2025

December 19, 1950 — November 11, 2025