Meet the Candidates

Position Statement for Don Peasley for Coroner

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[March 11, 2020]  Service to Logan County and our communities has always been a part of my life and so I am pleased to be running for the position of Logan County Coroner.

Born in Lincoln, I grew up outside of Atlanta on our family farm. In addition to helping my grandfathers farm and raise livestock, I was an active member of Logan County 4-H, the Future Farmers of America and the Logan County Youth Fair Board.

After graduating from Olympia High School, I planned to work in law enforcement and so I studied criminal justice. I then worked for 7 years as a Security Officer at the Clinton Nuclear Power Plant, achieving the rank of Lieutenant and Captain with 25 to 50 people under my supervision. But as is often common, through some very personal experiences along the way, I decided what I really wanted to do was help families who were dealing with loss. I started as an assistant at the Quiram Funeral Home. I attended mortuary college from March 1991 until February 1992. My apprenticeship was completed in May of 1993 and I have now been a licensed funeral director for more than 25 years.



But I started my many years of helping people deal with loss and unexpected situations by first becoming a licensed Emergency Medical Technician A/B. I served as a volunteer with the Atlanta Rescue Squad for 22 years and was Director for 4 years. I worked at scenes ranging from simple accidents and medical emergencies to nature and tragic deaths. The training I received from those years aided me as I became a funeral director. As a first responder, I worked not only with family members of victims, but also with city management, local and area fire departments, and local, county, and state law enforcement agencies on a regular basis.

I became a licensed Illinois Funeral Director in 1993 and I have owned the former Kerrigan Funeral Home in Lincoln since July 2002 and the Quiram Funeral Home in Atlanta since fall 2006. During my years of being a funeral director I have assisted hundreds of families dealing with expected, sudden, and unexpected death.

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My goal has been and is always to serve grieving families with care and dignity, regardless of the situation. Being a Coroner requires being able to gently provide information to families and assist them in understanding the process of the situation, along with keeping them informed.

Nearly half of the coroners in the state of Illinois are licensed directors or funeral home owners. The skills learned in mortuary school and in the daily activities of helping families move through the complexities of dealing with a death make the position of coroner a good fit for someone who is also an experienced funeral director.

Throughout my life I have served in multiple offices -- from general committee member to President -- for various organizations, and volunteered my time in many different ways. I am currently a member and treasurer of the Atlanta Masonic Lodge #165, and also belong to the Ansar Shrine club and Logan County Shrine club. I am a member and past president of the Lincoln Rotary Club, and also serve on the Logan County Paramedic Board (since 2014). I have served on the Lincoln Park District Board since 2005.

All of these skills -- from working with multiple agencies to managing staff to achieve appropriate objectives -- will aid me as Coroner. My goals include evaluating the budget to eliminate any excess spending as appropriate to be sure we are using the money provided the department in the best way possible. I will complete all necessary training as quickly as possible to help ensure a smooth transition in the management of the office.

When it became clear our current coroner, Mr. Bob Thomas, was going to retire, I had numerous Logan County citizens ask me to run for this position. They know that serving people during a difficult time has been my life’s work.

Don Peasley,
Republican Candidate for Logan County Coroner

[Text from file received]

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