The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Meet Your Neighbor

Meet your neighbor Alice Defenbaugh of rural Biggsville, who has lived in Henderson County for 44 years.

She was born in Streator, the daughter of John and Ardith Norris, both deceased. John was a dairy farmer along with raising grain, pork, and poultry. Ardith taught in a one room school, eventually moving to a consolidated school system where she taught the educational mentally handicapped.

Alice has one brother, Richard, who lives in Streator.

On June 12, 1967 Alice married Raymond E. Defenbaugh of Manville. Raymond is CEO, President, and Chairman of the Board of Big River Resources LLC in West Burlington, IA. He also farms and is Chairman of the Board for Midwest Bank of Western Illinois plus numerous other boards.

The couple has four children: Daniel (Johanna) Adair, of Kirkwood is a farmer. They have two children, Nathaniel and Ella.

Matthew of Biggsville is also a farmer and has three children, Nicholas, Isabel, and Noah.

Jennifer (Mark) Kinneer, of Kirkwood, an RN works in the ER at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington, IA, while her husband works for UPS. They have three children, Luke, Caleb, and Zack.

Deborah (John) Green of Rozetta is head of Human Resources at Big River Resources in West Burlington, IA, while her husband farms. Their children are Dylan, Justin, Carl John (deceased).

Alice went to a one room school near Streator during her first three years of schooling, then attended Woodland Country School for grades 4-12. She continued her education at SIU Vocational Tech Institute in Carbondale earning an Associate Degree.

She held the job of Medical Secretary of the Health Department at SIU and was secretary to the chairman of the Clothing & Textile Department. She was also secretary of the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce.

Since moving to Kirkwood she has been a housewife, mother, farmerette, bookkeeper, belongs to the Pattee Foundation (formed to contribute to good causes in Warren County), secretary and board member of the Home Extension, church treasurer, room mother, 4-H leader, Sunday School teacher, church choir, babysitter, and cook.

Alice attends the Apostolic Christian Church where she enjoys the weekly gatherings on Wednesdays and Sundays.

She enjoys traveling, reading, birthday gatherings, pond parties, deer hunting parties, and family reunions.

Her most memorable vacation was a cruise in Hawaii and she hopes to travel to Switzerland to visit friends in the future.