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 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 in college. 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.
I began 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 as Director for 4 years. I worked at scenes
ranging from simple accidents and medical emergencies, to natural
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 as a funeral director, I have assisted hundreds of families
dealing with expected, sudden, and unexpected death. My goal has
been, and is always, to serve grieving families with care and
dignity, regardless of the situation. [to
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 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 funeral 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
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