Obituaries

Michael Jackiw passed away the evening of July 12, 2021 after 83 years full of life, surrounded by people who love him. He was a smart, incredibly determined man, dedicated to his family, and never without a story. Mike was born to Teodore Jackiw and Pelagia Horin in Bilyavtsi, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine on June 22, 1938. He, along with his brother, sister, and parents, made their way to the United States by way of Germany, eventually reaching Chicago in June 1960. After graduating high school, he joined the army, serving part of his tour in Berlin, and gaining his citizenship in the process. After settling back in Illinois, Mike started Jay Pontiac – some of his favorite stories originated on that car lot.

After retiring, Mike decided to become a crossing guard. His love of children and animals is one of his defining characteristics – he leaves behind two dogs and a cat who will deeply miss his conversation. On the human side, he is survived by his wife, Linda; his children, Lisa (Steve) Stach, Joanne Cavanaugh, Julie Halverson, Michael Jackiw Jr., Suzanne Jackiw (Gregory Wallin), and Pamela (Fred) Griner; his grandchildren Sarah Stach, Tom (Callie) Cavanaugh, Jamie Cavanaugh, Kevin Cavanaugh, Caitlyn (Coty) Cavanaugh, Ashley (John) Yonkonski, Matt Clark, Alex Halverson, Jill Halverson, Ana Jackiw, Nicky Jackiw, Matt Griner, William F. Griner (Diego Xavier), and Jillian (Benjamin) Bouchard; and his great grandchildren Poppy and Parker Cavanaugh, and Opal Bouchard – all of whom will miss his advice, even if it wasn’t always applicable.

The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff at Northwestern Medicine for their kindness during his last days.

Services will be held at St. Mary’s Church in DeKalb on July 17, 2021, with a visitation from 9AM to 10AM and a funeral mass immediately following. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

For information, visit www.AndersonFuneralHomeLtd.com or call 815-756-1022.

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IVT schedules auditions for ‘Dracula the Musical’

Indian Valley Theatre will hold its first live auditions since 2019.

Auditions for the October musical production of “Dracula the Musical,” directed by Kyle Carr, will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 31, and Sunday, Aug. 1, at the Sandwich Opera House, 140 E. Railroad St. in Sandwich. Enter through the side door to the Community Room.

“Dracula the Musical,” written by Rick Abbot, is a delightful spoof of Bram Stoker’s horror classic that will add song, dance and plenty of laughs for the whole family. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Come prepared to sing two songs to show vocal range.

No appointment is necessary and IVT membership is not needed to audition, although it will be required if cast. The cast will include up to 16 teens and adults ranging in age from 14 to 99. Many crew members will also be needed.

Performances of “Dracula the Musical” will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 22, 23 and 24 at the Sandwich Opera House.

For questions or more information about auditions or Indian Valley Theatre, send email to info@indianvalleytheatre.com or Kyle Carr at kmcarr96@gmail.com or visit http:// indianvalleytheatre.com.

Scheffers retires from Federated preschool

After 25 years employed as a teacher and director at the Federated Church of Sycamore Preschool, Jan Scheffers, director for 15 years, has retired as of July 1.

Her dedication and caring for the children and families of the community will long be remembered.

The Federated Church Preschool is known for its loving environment where children’s differences are respected and opportunities to grow by doing and investigating are provided by playing and learning. Healthy and safe peer relationships are modeled where children learn independence, cooperation and positive social manners. Children’s confidence and curiosity is encouraged and kindergarten readiness is developed.

Registration is ongoing for the fall session. Information is available online at www.sycfedpreschool.com or by calling 815-764-9473.

– The MidWeek

BETTER MEDICINE STARTS WITH BETTER LISTENING

Sometimes, life’scircumstances canfeel overwhelming. TheLiving Room, located within Northwestern Medicine BenGordon Center,isacomfortable, calm, nonclinical spacewhereDeKalb County residents age 18 and older can gethelp to resolveorbettermanage crises.Noappointmentisnecessary. You’ll be welcomed by acertified recovery supportspecialistwho will listentounderstand your concerns,and help youfind options.Ifyou need additional support, we canconnectyou with communityresources forservices such as emergencyhousing, health care or food, or make appropriatereferrals to other agenciestoget the help youneed. Youare notalone.Thereisaplacefor youinthe Living Room. For moreinformation including hours, visit nm.org/dekalblivingroom or call 815.756.4875.TTY forthe hearing impaired, 815.748.9459.

BETT ER

Photos by Katie Finlon – kfinlon@shawmedia.com LEFT: DeKalb police officer Sadie Pristave poses for a photo with Police Chief David Byrd after being presented with an award Thursday for lifesaving efforts in a June 1 shooting incident in North Aurora. Pristave was off-duty during the incident and tended to a person who was shot in the leg. RIGHT: DeKalb police officer Elise Dusek poses for a photo with Byrd after being presented with an award Thursday for lifesaving efforts during a Dec. 15, 2019, shooting in the 900 block of West Hillcrest Drive in DeKalb. Dusek tended to a person who suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and leg during the incident.

LEFT: DeKalb police officer Trevor Burdick shakes hands with Byrd after being presented with an award Thursday for lifesaving efforts during a Dec. 15, 2019, shooting in the 900 block of West Hillcrest Drive in DeKalb. Burdick tended to a person who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and chest during the incident. RIGHT: DeKalb police Detective Aaron Kleinmaier shakes hands with Byrd after being presented with an award Thursday for lifesaving efforts during a Dec. 15, 2019, shooting in the 900 block of West Hillcrest Drive in DeKalb. Kleinmaier tended to a person who suffered a gunshot wound to the chest during the incident.

Four DeKalb officers receive awards for saving lives

By KATIE FINLON

kfinlon@shawmedia.com

DeKALB – Four DeKalb police officers received awards July 15 for lifesaving efforts performed during a Dec. 15, 2019, incident in DeKalb and a June 1, 2021, incident in North Aurora.

DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd said being a police officer sometimes can be a “thankless” job. He said that’s why it’s important to publicly recognize officers who excel at the job.

“We do this job because we love it,” Byrd said. “It’s a calling for us to do, and that’s why we get up every day and do this job.”

DeKalb police officer Sadie Pristave received a lifesaving award related to a June 1 shooting incident in North Aurora. Pristave was off duty during the incident and tended to a person who was shot in the leg in a North Aurora shopping parking lot.

DeKalb police officers Trevor Burdick and Elise Dusek and Detective Aaron Kleinmaier received lifesaving awards related to a Dec. 15, 2019, deadly shooting incident in the 900 block of West Hillcrest Drive in DeKalb.

Kleinmaier tended to a person who suffered a gunshot wound to the chest during the incident. Burdick and Dusek tended to a person who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and chest during the incident.

Despite police work sometimes being a thankless job, Byrd said he does not want to take officers for granted.

“This is an opportunity for not just me as the chief of the department to thank you, but your command, the city of DeKalb and ... your peers that you work with every day,” Byrd said. “I think it’s important they see the professionalism that you display in these two events that occurred. It’s just extremely important that your families get to see the hard work that you do on a regular basis as well. So I didn’t want to let these opportunities go by to give these to you personally.”

Rustic Roots heads to downtown Sycamore

By KELSEY RETTKE

krettke@shawmedia.com

SYCAMORE – On March 1, 2020, Lacey and Devin Goodeill bought the Sycamore branch of Rustic Roots, a local boutique shop on Maple Street birthed from its sister store in Dixon.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Fast forward 498 days and the Goodeills sold their home in Sycamore to so they could buy the building at 341 W. State St., the longtime local retail haven that most recently had been Sweet Earth.

Sweet Earth owners Rich and Roseann Para retired in December, and Goodeill is more than ready to fill the vacancy by laying down roots and building a home for her family of five in Rustic Roots’ soon-to-be new location.

“Oh my goodness, it’s amazing,” said Lacey Goodeill, 28, of the response she’s received since making the relocation announcement Sunday evening on social media.

Rustic Roots features farmhouse and boho-style decor, including textiles, planters and pots, ceramics, pillows, signs and home goods, among others.

“We were keeping the idea kind of quiet,” Goodeill said. “Sweet Earth had a name of itself. The Paras had been there for 25 years, so a lot of people knew them and had a relationship with them and can’t wait now that we are going to take over the space.”

The Goodeills will be the fifth business owner to call the historic building home. In 1909, G.H. Lindberg and Oscar Johnson opened the Economy Variety Store at the downtown space. Twenty years later, the store was remodeled and rebranded The Ben Franklin Store. In 1936, the neighboring building to the west was added as an expansion, with an archway cut through the middle to connect the two stores, which were at that point operated by the children of the original founders.

Another remodeling occurred in 1957, according to records from the DeKalb County History Center, with Gerry and Carol McLain the next couple to take over operations of the Ben Franklin store, where they remained for nearly three decades. In April 1996, after 28 years, the McLains sold the business to the Paras.

The store remained the Ben Franklin store until 2009, when it was rebranded as Sweet Earth until the Paras closed it to retire on Dec. 31, 2020, after nearly 25 years.

Just a few months later, enter the Goodeill family. Lacey and Devin, who works with his family’s pest control business, and their three children: Myles, 7, Lainey, 5, and Aniston, 2.

“Lacey and Devin will be able to pursue their business dreams and achieve their goals just as we did 25 years ago,” Rich Para said.

The Goodeills will undertake this new adventure together, as they plan to renovate the top floor above Rustic Roots’ new home, where they’ll live.

“I don’t remember the exact date we made an offer to the Paras, but they accepted right away and that was awesome,” Goodeill said. “Within a week, we had our house on the market. It took us about three weeks to sell it. It’s just one of those things. We knew we couldn’t do both, so we just decided to go all in.”

Goodeill a former massage therapist, runs Rustic Roots at 120 S. Maple St., which her sister, Amy Nicklaus, opened in April 2018. Nicklaus founded the Rustic Roots brand and opened its first location in Dixon, then sold the Sycamore side of the business to her younger sister, Lacey, in March 2020.

“My sister and I are very close,” Goodeill said of Amy, who’s six years her senior. “She’s one of my biggest supporters, and has helped me through all this with packing, my kids, my sale of my home. She’s just there and cheering me on, so that’s been a huge help for me. She’s an extremely hard worker and very much a go-getter, and I’m more laid back, so she motivates me,”

When asked what her younger self would think of her current goals – the official open date for Rustic Roots’ new move downtown is set for Sept. 1 – Goodeill paused. Then laughed.

“I think that I would be surprised,” she said. “My husband is the adventurous one. I don’t see myself doing new things or trying new things, but he kind of brings it out in me. So I love that he is completely on board with this. Whereas some husbands might be like, ‘You’re completely crazy,’ he’s like, ‘No, let’s do this.’ We make a great team.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced nonessential retailers to shutter their doors for in-person shopping for months, Goodeill went into planning mode, taking advantage of the pandemic era’s reliance on technology to keep life going.

She and her team of two – Carly Herman, who was the only one employed during the height of the pandemic, and Tessa Pfortmiller – revamped their online presence through social media and began posting regularly, publishing videos of the store’s inventory, delivering orders and holding sales.

“Our customers are so loyal to us that we got through it,” Goodeill said. “I got my website up and running right away, did curbside pickup even with my kids in the car. I would schedule some appointments as well and then as soon as we were able to open back up, we did.”

Until Sept. 1, Goodeill said there’s “quite a bit that needs to be done.” The 3,000-square-foot storefront will be open for business in September, with new signage to go with the new brand. She hopes to get the ceilings redone and the HVAC system for their 2,800-square-foot home upstairs.

Goodeill said she’s ready for what comes next. ”It’s just awesome,” she said. “We love the people of Sycamore, they’re extremely loyal. I just feel super grateful and thankful.”

Find Rustic Roots online at www. sycamorerusticroots.com, email at rusticrootssyc@hotmail.com or call 815-991-5761.

Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com Rustic Roots sales associate Carly Herman helps customer Julie Mikec of Geneva pick out some scented candles on July 12 at the store in Sycamore. In September, Rusted Roots will move from its location on Maple Street to the space formerly occupied by Sweet Earth on State Street in downtown Sycamore.