Meet your neighbor Jennie Castlebury.The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Jenna Clayton, Quill Reporter
Meet your neighbor Jennie Castlebury.
She is the daughter of Charles and Grace Ater, born and raised in Morgan County near Arenzville. She has four siblings and grew up on a farm.
She remembers growing up without television and keeping herself entertained by playing outside. She lived in the middle of nowhere it seemed, her closest neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.
Castlebury graduated from Triopia High School in 1967. After high school she attended Illinois College and graduated in 1972.
Castlebury is the Biology 1 and General Science teacher at Illini West High School. She absolutely loves her job as well as the kids she teaches. And her students love her too. They affectionately call her "Mrs. C'bury."
She has three children of her own, two sons and one daughter. She finds joy in setting an example to her own children and kids in general. She, for one year taught at West Prairie, for five years at Nauvoo-Colusa, and for three years she worked at Hancock County's Mental Health Center.
She loves gardening, needlework, reading, and pestering kids.
A memorable moment in Castlebury's life was when she received an excellent educator award. She remarked that she was shocked and very happy to receive it. Another memory was when she was teaching at Nauvoo-Colusa her second semester class of 7th and 8th graders plastered and painted a wall with an elaborate landscape of the Lewis and Clark trail. Moments with the kids are what stand out most to Castlebury. She mentioned that the joy of working with kids daily influences her life.