MR. CENTRALIA: JOHN STUEHMEIER REMEMBERED
Whether you knew him as a former mayor, a city councilman, co-owner of the Shopper’s Weekly Newspaper, a member of various boards and commissions, an animal activist, a theater performer, a balloon enthusiast, the town historian, or just a warm and caring man – John Wesley Stuehmeier was every one of these things and so much more.
John Stuehmeier was Mr. Centralia.
Serving his community in almost every way imaginable throughout his 74 years, John did so with a kind and selfless heart and has left an everlasting mark on the community he cherished and the people he knew.
Born May 4, 1951, the son of Wesley and Maxine Stuehmeier, John was an alumnus of Centralia Township High School and the University of Illinois. He began working with his father at Raines Furniture following graduation and later worked at WILY/WRXX Radio, beginning a career in media that would span four decades.
It was at the radio station that John met Cathy Stuehmeier, formerly Poninski, his future partner in both marriage and in business. Together they would create The Shoppers Weekly, which went on to become a 36-year staple of the community and become one of the largest weekly newspapers in Southern Illinois.
“We saw so many positive things that were happening in Centralia, and we thought ‘Why not do a positive newspaper?’ It was all positive news, and It wasn’t just a community paper, either. We eventually covered the bulk of Southern Illinois. It was a very big passion for us. We started it together, and we worked at it every day together.”
“He lived and breathed Centralia Illinois,” Cathy said of her husband. “Centralia really lost a phenomenal man, and I did, too. I don’t know anyone who didn’t just like him but love him. And he loved everybody. He was Mr. Centralia.”
In the late 1990s, John’s enormous passion for Centralia led him to politics. He served on the Centralia City Council from 1999 until 2003 and was later elected mayor, serving from 2003 until 2007.
“Centralia was his heart,” said present Centralia mayor, Bryan Kuder. “John wanted Centralia to prosper, and he was adamant about that. I called him a couple of times during my mayorship with ideas that I had, and he offered me advice as the elder statesman.”
“When I heard that he had passed, my first call was to the American Legion Post #446 to ask if we could lower the flags at the city to half-mast until the burial. That’s what John meant to me. The amount of knowledge he possessed on our city was just unmatched.”
Kuder said one of the last community projects in which John contributed were the Downtown Historical Plaques, for which he served as a historical advisor. The mayor said the city is actively working to complete the project in homage to John Stuehmeier.
Another recent project John assisted with was the moving and preservation of the stained-glass Orphans basketball mural from Trout Gymnasium to the current Centralia High School gym.
“I always tell everyone that if it hadn’t been for me running into John Stuehmeier and telling him that I was trying to find a stained-glass company to do the work, it may not have happened,” explained project head, Jan Monken. “He was always such a good resource. He knew the community inside and out, and he wrote up the history of those stained-glass windows that will be going in the foyer [of the gymnasium].”
“He was someone in the community you could always count on,” Monken added. “They didn’t call him Mr. Centralia for no reason.”
John’s commitment to Centralia would also lead him to seats on various boards and commissions throughout his adult life, including the Downtown Redevelopment Committee, Historic Preservation Commission, and Housing and Code Enforcement Advisory Board.
“With the historic preservation group, he was always such a wealth of knowledge. With that group we had different place in Centralia that we would mark as historic. John was always the go-to person to get any information,” said Gayla Harting, director of the Community and Zoning and Planning Committee for the City of Centralia. “His heart was in preservation. I can’t say that enough. He was a huge asset to that group.”
“When a potential buyer would want to know about the history of a building, John always welcomed visiting with them,” Harting continued. “He would sit down with people or meet with them over at the museum. The time he would give people was just amazing. He was such a good, good guy. People like John are just few and far between.”
Harting said John also lent his time and knowledge to the annual Locust Street Fair, where he would offer downtown walking tours and host presentations on Centralia history.
Among John’s expansive resume of civic duty, he was also a devout animal activist as well as a contributor to several volunteer and charity initiatives.
“John was one of the most amazing men I ever met in my life,” said Mimi Hawkins, code enforcement officer for the City of Centralia. “I have done a lot of charity work, and any time I needed help, John would get involved. I would put something on Facebook, and he would immediately get ahold of me instead of me having to reach out.”
“He just had that kind of heart. He cared about his community, and [his absence] is going to leave a big hole to fill.”
A great supporter of the Centralia Chamber of Commerce, John was one of the original champions of the Centralia Balloon Fest, becoming the first Centralian to own his own balloon in 1994.
“John asked [Balloon Fest pilot] Joe Ritchie, ‘If I bought a balloon would you fly it?’ Joe said yes, he would,” recalled longtime pilot, former Balloon Fest Chair and current Steering Committee member, Patty Willaims. “The Shopper’s Weekly owned that Balloon, and it was called the Orphan in the Sky. John bought the van and everything,”
The ultimate Balloon Fest supporter, John, along with Cathy and the Shopper’s Weekly, were instrumental in creating the High Fly Cup, awarded to exceptional pilots, and the Tip of the Hat Award, which recognizes outstanding community contributions.
“John was very instrumental in the balloon community here for a long time,” Willaims continued. “He made great friendships with a lot of pilots.”
In more recent years, John’s lifelong passion for Centralia history found a new avenue – the arts.
John both performed in Elmwood Speaks and served as a primary member of its committee from 2017 until 2023. The former mayor would portray previous town mayors each year, playing the likes of mayors Robert Ruhl, Joseph Hefter, James Benson, Jason Jasper, John McNeil, Samual Storer, and Berthold Haussler.
“His knowledge of Centralia and the people that lived here and the buildings in the community was just phenomenal,” said Lana Shaw, director of Elmwood Speaks. “He gave so much to this, especially early on when I’m working the development of who I’m going to pick [as characters for the program.] I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody that loved a community like he did.”
“When it came to discussing the history of the people we chose, he never had books in front of him or anything. He was just able to share all of these stories about Centralia in its early development and explain who people were, what they did, and where buildings were,” Shaw continued. “When we would have new actors join Elmwood, he would kind of pull them in under his wing. He was just so generous with his time and with his talent. He was an amazing man.”
Shaw said this year’s Elmwood Speaks program will be dedicated to John’s memory.
As Centralia moves on without one of its favorite sons, those who knew him will no doubt remember John Wesley Stuehmeier as all of the many great things he was. Be it through his decades in the media, his time in politics, his service on numerous boards and commissions, his work with local events, his activism, his art, his offerings as a historian, or just the genuine goodness he possessed and passed along.
Though above all else, those who knew him, learned from him, and were touched by his never-ending knowledge and kindness will always remember him as Mr. Centralia.
John is survived by his wife, Cathy; two stepsons; Aaron and Andrew Wilson; six grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.
The Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce would like to thank John for his commitment to Centralia, to progress, and to always doing the right thing for the right reasons.
He will be missed.
