|
 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. [to
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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] |
