Jackie Whitworth, Heald Home docent, gives tour to then Mayor Paul Renaud and his wife, Mary Beth.
The mission of the O’Fallon Community Foundation is to assist in making O’Fallon one of the most livable communities in the region by developing private funding for cultural activities such as art, music, and historical preservation.
The Foundation was formed in 1998 and raises money through donations, Bank of America credit card royalties, fundraisers, and the Friends of the Foundation program. Behind every great foundation are patrons whose helping hands and donations enrich the community.
There are many ways for you to be part of the Foundation’s work. You can……
- volunteer to be a docent at Heald House and other special events
- send in a personal or corporate donation
- become a Friend of the Foundation
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Current Foundation Board Members |
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Read more...
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 Raleigh
Jessup, Board Member and pre-eminent citizen of the City of O'Fallon,
passed away on January 9, 2009 at the age of eighty-six. Known as both
"Mr. O'Fallon" and "Mr. History," Raleigh will long be remembered for
his service to the community he adopted when he and his wife, Betty,
moved to O'Fallon in 1947.
Raleigh's passion for the preservation of O'Fallon's history began
with his involvement in the city's Centennial celebration in 1956. In
1974, he was principal in the founding of the O'Fallon Historical
Society and for the next few years worked side by side with Bill
Westhoff in moving a log home located at the corner of Hwy K and
Veteran's Memorial Parkway to a new location in Civic Park to become
the organization's headquarters.
In 1973 Raleigh was elected to the Board of Alderman and served a total
of ten years, though he will most often be remembered for his continued
efforts toward the reconstruction of Jacob Zumwalt's homestead fort. In
the late 1980s, Raleigh used a portion of the last remaining log to
construct a scale model of the Fort and hundreds of area school
children were introduced to their community's history as Raleigh
visited classrooms and scout groups. His passion for the fort stems in
part from his dedication to his church. Cornerstone United Methodist
Church is the fourth generation congregation of the Mount Zion Society
that started in Jacob's log home.
Everyone who was blessed to work with Raleigh had a deep
appreciation for his conciliatory nature, his earnest desire for people
to work--and disagree--respectfully, his ability to preserve history
while keeping an eye on the city's future. Even in adversity, he
remained grateful for the blessings and opportunities offered by his
country and city. We will miss him greatly.
He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Betty, and we at the
Foundation wish to extend our heartfelt sympathies to their three
children; sons Ken and David, and daughter, Shirley and their families.
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