This document printed from the University of Illinois Extension Christian County at http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/christian/
History
The Christian County Home Bureau was organized in July 1936 after 345 homemakers expressed a desire for a countywide home economics program. Mrs. John A. (Myrtle) Donner of Pawnee was elected as the first president and Miss Louise Young was hired as the first Extension Home Adviser. At this time, the Home Bureau office was located upstairs in the M.J. Sewell Building on the west side of the Taylorville Square.
In September 1936, the Home Bureau Board, in cooperation with Miss Young and Miss Mary Louise Chase, University of Illinois Assistant State Leader of Home Economics, began holding organizational meetings for local units throughout Christian County. Over the next three years the following units were formed: Assumption, Buckeye Day, Buckhart Day, Greenwood, King*,Mt. Auburn, Osbernville, Pana Day*, Prairieton, South Fork*, Stonington Day, and Taylorville Day.
The Christian County Home Bureau was reorganized as the Christian County Homemakers Extension Association in April 1962. Mrs. John S. (Elvina) Carr was installed as president that year and Miss Lucille Entsminger was Extension Adviser, Home Economics. The Agriculture and Home Economics Extension Services had moved to the old Farm Bureau building located at 400 W. Market St. in the mid-1940s and continued to be housed there until 1967 when they moved to 313 W. Market St. in Taylorville. In 1979, the Christian County Extension Service and the Christian County Homemakers Extension Association moved to their new building, located at 1120 N. Webster St.
At the 1996 Annual Meeting a vote was taken and the name of the Christian County Homemakers Extension Association was changed to the Christian County Home and Community Education Association (HCEA). Mrs. Ralph (Beth) Sloman was the newly installed president and Linda Smith served as Extension Unit Leader.
Today, the University of Illinois Extension Christian County and the Christian County Home and Community Education Association are still located at 1120 N. Webster St., Taylorville, IL. Linda Smith is County Extension Director and Roberta Gorden currently the HCEA president.
