PEORIA MAGAZINE September 2023

But her morning walk was almost always a solo adventure, mostly quiet and entirely peaceful. Each weekday’s walk ended at the 7 a.m. Mass at St. Philomena Catholic Church. She didn’t get there Aug. 11. That morning, amid steady rain, she walked near a shopping area where she’d often found coins. As she crossed University Street, she was hit by a car, likely dying instantly, according to the coroner. Stunned by the news, I looked back at some of her emails from this year. A few involved a story she’d help with regarding a cousin, a World War II hero, who died months ago at Buehler Home at age 101. After the story ran, she was kind enough to email me this: “I truly appreciate you and what you do.” Right back at you, Shirley, in spades.

Shirley Meagher paused to pick up a penny outside the drive-through window at the Burger King in the 3100 block of North University Street

Mostly, though, she kept her eyes peeled for treasure: lost coins. Some days, she’d find just a penny or two. Other days, she’d pick up nickels, dimes or quarters. Her biggest haul: a $5 bill. It all added up, in a jar she kept in her apartment. Plus, residents at Buehler and elsewhere knew about her daily search for coins. So, they’d donate to her jar as well. She kept no running total over the years. But for the last telethon, she raised about $600 for St. Jude. “I like what they do, how they don’t charge (for medical care),” she said. “It isn’t the only charity I like or even

contribute to. But it’s the only one I really walk for.” Her comments made me think about all those remarkable runners who cover long distances once a year to raise money for St. Jude, an effort as commendable as it is impressive. But whereas they often do their work amid a police escort and TV cameras, Shirley Meagher hustled along, all by herself, in obscurity. And she smiled all the way. Not that she wasn’t social. At Buehler, she’d make little hanging decorations for holidays — bunnies at Easter, Santas at Christmas — to hand out to neighbors.

Phil Luciano is a senior writer/columnist for Peoria Magazine and content contributor to public television station WTVP. He can be reached at phil.luciano@wtvp.org

SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 99