SEPTEMBER 2026
LIVING ILLINOIS VALLEY
Preserving General Wallace’s Legacy
H The services of Bureau County Senior Center H Patients are treated like family at City Center H Communities embrace golf carts
M.R. Holmbeck, D.V.M. B.R. Sondgeroth, D.V.M.
A.M. Adams, D.V.M. K.A. Reed, D.V.M.
Tracy Grimmer Community President
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2 September 2026 | Illinois Valley Living | A Shaw Media Publication
Contents
Illinois Valley Living
426 Second Street La Salle, Illinois 61301 (815) 223-3200 (800) 892-6452 shawlocal.com/illinois-valley-living/
5 INFORMATION, SERVICES, FRIENDSHIPS
Bureau County Senior Center can help seniors with all aspects of their lives.
Regional Market Leader Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com
8 CITY CENTER REHABILITATION WEST, INC.
Niche Editor Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com
Helping patients find relief.
12 GUARDIANS OF THE OAKS
Writers Katlyn Sanden Shannon Serpette
Restoring Ottawa’s iconic General Wallace mansion has been a labor of love.
22 TAKING IT SLOW
Photographers Katlyn Sanden Shannon Serpette
Riding a golf cart fosters community connections.
On the cover: Jay and Kim McCracken bought one of Ottawa’s most historic homes in 2024. Since then, they’ve renovated the home to restore it to its former glory and have welcomed community organizations to use it for meetings and fundraisers.
Designer Liz Klein
Below: A picture of General Wallace sits above the fireplace in the library at the mansion. PHOTOS BY SHANNON SERPETTE
Published by: est. 1851
A Shaw Media Publication | Illinois Valley Living | September 2026 3
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Information, Services,
Friendships Bureau County Senior Center can help seniors with all aspects of their lives
S
for the county’s passionate business owners and volunteers, she said. “We have businesses in town who have gone through Dementia Friends training,” Ihrig said. “You’ll see decals on their
“We go anywhere and everywhere,” Benard said. “Our activities include bingo, chair exercises, plays, casino, dinner, day trips, river boat tours, crafts, and we have different speakers come in and talk
Story & Photos by Katlyn Sanden
ince 1981, the Bureau County Senior Center has been offering information, education, recreation, and support services for older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers. It’s a place to build community, participate in events, find support, and age better. Run by a loyal team of five individuals, the center offers: information and assistance, outreach, benefit access applications, Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) counseling, family caregiver services, transportation services, and congregate meals. “We strive very hard in taking care of the seniors and assisting them in Bureau County,” Denise Ihrig, Bureau County Senior Center director, said. “Bureau County Senior Center is what started Dementia Friends in Princeton.” Dementia Friends is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. Ihrig said Princeton became the 26th community in the state of Illinois to earn that title. It would not have happened if it wasn’t
The team that runs the Bureau County Senior Center includes Tom Long (front row), Celia Kernan (back row from left), Barb Friend, Sam Benard, and Denise Ihrig. storefronts and public transportation. We don’t want caregivers to feel they can’t go out in the community because their loved ones may wander.” The center hosts many special events throughout the year that any senior can take part in. Congregate meal and activity coordinator Sam Benard said these activities can range from fun, social outings to informative, educational workshops addressing age-appropriate challenges.
about their facilities or programs they do. The thing is, they love it. They always want to go somewhere.” Transportation is another service the center can help with. Transportation coordinator Tom Long said most people think he will only provide rides to doctor appointments, but that’s simply not true. “I schedule all the rides for the seniors,” Long said. “We’ll See BCSC, Page 6
A Shaw Media Publication | Illinois Valley Living | September 2026 5
BCSC
FROM PAGE 5
take them just about anywhere. We take them shopping, hair appointments, veterinarian. As soon as you know you have an appointment, schedule the ride. Rides can be canceled, but if you wait a day or two before, I might not be able to accommodate.” All vehicles are handicap accessible as well. If seniors don’t want to leave their homes, outreach coordinator Celia Kernan says they can come to you. “We’re trying to reach seniors in their home who are isolated,” Kernan said. “We just want to encourage them. The police department and the county are really good at reaching out to us about people who need services. I wish we could reach more people.” Kernan said anyone can take advantage of most of the center’s activities via Zoom. In addition, they offer a Caregivers Program and a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program. “We have a loaning closet where caregivers can get equipment for loved ones, or even themselves, that they don’t have to purchase,” Kernan said. “Caregivers need help, so we can do a
referral to alternatives for care.” The same goes for the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program. “Grandparents can come get information they need for referrals,” Kernan said. “If for some reason grandparents can’t get items (that their grandchildren) need, we can work with a local company who can work with them. They’re not going to let a child feel left out.” Information and assistance coordinator Barb Friend said there’s also guidance for people who need help with Medicare and Medicaid applications, and so much more. She can help with the paperwork some people need guidance with, but she really enjoys volunteering with food distribution. “I help with food distribution on Mondays and Wednesdays,” Friend said. “When food is getting packed into bags, we distribute it to people. It’s always fun. I just like to come out and talk to everybody who comes down.” The Bureau County Senior Center is funded 40 percent by state and federal government and 60 percent by local fundraising. For more information on their services, visit their website at bcseniorcenter.com.
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6 September 2026 | Illinois Valley Living | A Shaw Media Publication
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City Center Rehabilitation West, Inc., is located in Peru.
City Center helping patients find relief Story & Photos by Shannon Serpette
S
ince City Center Rehabilitation West, Inc., first opened its doors, its owners have wanted to provide individualized attention and treat patients like family. Gina Martin, who co-owns City Center with Mida Dittmar, Steve Korsan, and Timothy Semlow, believes the emphasis on building relationships and providing personalized care is what sets City Center apart. “I feel the family atmosphere
and one-on-one care makes City Center unique. Every patient that walks through the door is treated as if they are one of our own family members,” said Martin, who has been at City Center since 2005 and is also the head athletic trainer for LaSalle-Peru High School. “We love to remind the Illinois Valley that you have a choice when it comes to physical therapy. City Center’s mission has always been to provide
8 September 2026 | Illinois Valley Living | A Shaw Media Publication
the best one-on-one care, and that is what we do,” she said. City Center offers a wide range of rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, athletic training, balance/vestibular training, aquatic therapy, and more. “We treat a wide variety of conditions. Some of the most common are total joints, shoulder, ankle, knee, and See CENTER, Page 10
City Center Rehabilitation West, Inc., has a lot of equipment to help patients with a variety of issues.
A Shaw Media Publication | Illinois Valley Living | September 2026 9
Bridget Potthoff (left), who is an office staff member at City Center, and Mida Dittmar (right), co-owner and physical therapist at City Center, stand next to the center’s indoor pool.
Center FROM PAGE 8
back injuries, as well as those struggling with fall and balance issues,” Martin said. “The patients really appreciate the compassionate care that they receive, from our youth to our seniors. The seniors want to maintain their independence as long as they can, and our goal is to help them achieve just that,” she said. The staff members at City Center are experienced, caring professionals who are dedicated to their patients. Mida Dittmar, for instance, has spent more than 30 years as a physical therapist. Decades ago, after receiving her bachelor’s degree,
Dittmar knew she wanted to be in the health field. “I didn’t want to be in a lab,” she said. “I stumbled into physical therapy.” Physical therapy is a field she never tires of, and she can combine her love of science, movement, and working with patients into a single profession. “I love doing my work,” she said. “We all like what we do. Our patients make it special for us too.” Dittmar said that when people have their first physical therapy appointment, they sometimes mistakenly believe it will be painful. “They’re surprised when they come that they actually feel better,” she said. “You leave here feeling better than when
10 September 2026 | Illinois Valley Living | A Shaw Media Publication
you came in.” The staff at City Center encourages patients to keep moving, which can help with many issues that arise with aging. “Motion is lotion,” Dittmar said. Dittmar said the practice sees many young athletes dealing with shoulder or ACL issues. “We also have a lot of seniors,” she said, adding that they come in for a variety of reasons such as falls, balance, and weakness. Dittmar said City Center’s indoor pool, which has a chair lift, is a big attraction and can greatly help certain patients, such as those suffering from arthritis, injuries, and fibromyalgia. “It’s soothing for achy joints,” she said.
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Jay and Kim McCracken, who are standing in the library at The Oaks, consider themselves stewards of the mansion and want to help preserve General Wallace’s legacy.
Guardians of The Oaks Restoring Ottawa’s iconic General Wallace mansion has been a labor of love Story & Photos by Shannon Serpette Every day, Jay and Kim McCracken share their Ottawa home, known as The Oaks, with a legend. The house was built by William Hervey Lamme Wallace, better known as General W.H.L. Wallace, with construction beginning in 1858. Wallace wouldn’t get to live in the house long with his wife and young daughter before his promising career and happy home life were cut short when he was tragically wounded in the Civil War and died days later as a war hero. While the McCrackens are the current owners of The Oaks, in the community and in spirit, the
12 September 2026 | Illinois Valley Living | A Shaw Media Publication
house remains as much General Wallace’s home as it is theirs – a fact the McCrackens welcome with open arms. They’re honored to be the stewards of The Oaks and want to continue to share his story with others. A REMARKABLE MAN Wallace has become one of Ottawa’s biggest heroes, but originally, he had no plans to live there. “He was supposed to study law with Abraham Lincoln,” Jay said. Along the way on his journey to work with Lincoln, Wallace met T. Lyle Dickey, a lawyer who was a close friend of Lincoln’s, and he decided to study with him in Ottawa instead. “They (Wallace and Dickey) met in the stagecoach as the story has it,” Jay said. Dickey was the father of a young girl, Martha See THE OAKS, Page 14
This outdoor seating area at The Oaks is a favorite spot of the McCrackens.
A Shaw Media Publication | Illinois Valley Living | September 2026 13
Jay and Kim McCracken have decorated General Wallace’s mansion, known as The Oaks, with period-appropriate pieces.
Martha Ann Wallace, who was General Wallace’s wife, and their daughter Isabel pose for a photograph in 1870.
The Oaks FROM PAGE 12
Ann, who grew up thinking of Wallace as a family friend. A romance began to blossom between Martha Ann and General Wallace when she was in her later teen years. The couple married and decided to build a mansion, known as The Oaks because of the oak trees located there. The home was just a short walk from Dickey’s mansion. Work on the house began in 1858, and it was completed in 1860. They lived there with their young adopted daughter, Isabel, and Wallace continued to practice law. The house has hosted some notable guests, including Abraham Lincoln, who was rumored to have visited the house, Jay said.
When the Civil War began, Wallace, who had fought in the Mexican-American War and was friends with Lincoln, volunteered and left Ottawa to fight for the Union. Wallace and Martha Ann wrote letters to each other while he was away serving in the war. “Their love letters back and forth are amazing,” Jay said. In 1862, Martha Ann had a premonition and decided she had to go to see Wallace. “She believed something was going to happen to her husband,” Jay said. Despite her family’s warnings not to go to him, she left Ottawa in April 1862 to head to her husband. She crossed into Confederate territory and was told her husband had been shot and killed in the Battle of Shiloh.
14 September 2026 | Illinois Valley Living | A Shaw Media Publication
This toy horse has been owned by Kim McCracken since she was a young girl. After moving into the Wallace mansion and learning about General Wallace’s horse, Prince, Kim decided to paint her childhood horse black to look like Prince. She has placed the horse below the picture of Wallace that hangs above the fireplace in the mansion’s library.
Despite her heartbreak, she began helping survivors by tending to the wounded soldiers, Jay said. Twenty-four hours later, they found General Wallace badly injured but still alive. “He’d been shot in the head,” Jay said.
The gravely wounded Wallace and his wife were reunited at Cherry Mansion, Ulysses S. Grant’s headquarters in Savannah, Tennessee. Despite his severe head wound, the couple was able to share a meaningful See THE OAKS, Page 16
The dining room at the Wallace mansion.
A Shaw Media Publication | Illinois Valley Living | September 2026 15
A former owner installed an in-ground pool at The Oaks, blending its historical charm with modern luxury.
The Oaks
A NEW ERA FOR THE OAKS Since the deaths of Martha Ann and Isabel, who was a FROM PAGE 14 lifelong resident of The Oaks and died in 1933, the Wallace final moment together. During mansion has undergone variher vigil at his bedside, when ous evolutions. The house was Martha Ann was holding the a museum at one point, mainGeneral’s hand, he reached for tained by the state, beginning her wedding band. around 1940 and closing someIn a low voice shortly before time in 1950, Jay said. he died, Wallace was able to When Jay and Kim, who had convey his everlasting love for his wife and his belief that they lived for many years in Henry and Hennepin, were looking would once again be together. to buy a house after deciding “His last words were, ‘We meet in Heaven,’” Jay said. “It’s to relocate to Ottawa, they toured several homes. But from one of the most amazing love the first moment they walked stories of the Civil War.” through the Wallace mansion, After an agonizing three and a half days, Wallace succumbed Kim, in particular, knew there was something special about to his injuries at the age of 40. the residence. The tale of the couple’s brief “There was something about reunion is still told at Shiloh National Military Park, Jay said. this house that just grabbed my heart from the moment I stood Martha Ann, who was only in the foyer,” Kim said. 29 when her husband passed away, never remarried and died “I’m a history lover more in 1889 at The Oaks. than she is, but she was capti-
16 September 2026 | Illinois Valley Living | A Shaw Media Publication
vated right away,” Jay said. Jay and Kim bought The Oaks on January 19, 2024. They knew they had a lot of work to do on the house to realize their vision for it. “It had been remodeled into six apartments,” Jay said. The former owners had done some great work on the home, Jay said, including putting on a steel roof and adding an in-ground outdoor pool. The former owners saved the house by stabilizing it, while the McCrackens have restored it to its former glory. “We always give them credit,” Jay said. The McCrackens extensively renovated The Oaks, hiring contractors to convert the home back into a single cohesive living space instead of apartments. The lengthy renovation process wasn’t an easy time for them, but they continued to focus on the big picture
and not the day-to-day issues that arose. “We didn’t have one argument,” Jay said. Kim designed the kitchen herself, wanting it to show reverence for the house’s history. “Thank goodness I’ve watched a lot of HGTV,” she said. “Designing that kitchen was definitely a challenge, but it turned out pretty much like I wanted it to.” The windows throughout the house are original, except for the ones in the kitchen. The knobs on the windows appear to be original to the house as well, Jay said. The McCrackens have opted to find period-appropriate pieces to use for furnishings and decorations. While modern touches have been added to The Oaks over the years, the overall vibe still feels uniquely historic. See THE OAKS, Page 18
Kim McCracken designed the kitchen at The Oaks, blending modern conveniences with a farmhouse style.
A Shaw Media Publication | Illinois Valley Living | September 2026 17
The Wallace-Dickey Cemetery, where General Wallace, his wife, and daughter are buried, used to be a part of the Wallace family’s property. Although the McCrackens don’t own the land the cemetery sits on, it’s a very short walk from their home.
The Oaks FROM PAGE 16
PRESERVING WALLACE’S LEGACY Jay and Kim have been generous in opening their home to visitors so people can learn more about Wallace. A large, prominent picture of Wallace sits above the fireplace in the library of the mansion. When construction was underway on the home, Jay and Kim invited the workers in for tours. Many of those workers did their own research and reading about Wallace after their workday and expressed excitement about working on the mansion. Not-for-profit organizations have the opportunity to use the house at no charge to hold fundraisers and occasional meetings. So far, several organizations have done so. Jay and Kim are used to people calling and asking if they can tour the home. They have even contemplated allowing small weddings to take place at The Oaks. “The Wallace story is one that’s worth preserving,” Jay said. Martha Ann used to open the house to people in the community and Isabel was so devoted to her father’s memory that she wrote a book about him and did her best to keep his memory alive. “We’re trying to keep that legacy going,” Jay said. “We believe in giving back to the community.” The McCrackens are appreciative of all the community support they’ve been given in Ottawa. “They have embraced this project wholeheartedly,” Jay said. Jay and Kim feel fortunate to have the opportunity to watch over the home and Wallace’s legacy.
18 September 2026 | Illinois Valley Living | A Shaw Media Publication
This Ottawa Historic Preservation League marker is located at the General Wallace mansion. “Sometimes, we’re like, how did we end up here?” Jay said. “And it sounds silly, but we’re here because we’re supposed to be. We have the privilege of living where these incredible people lived. We feel their presence here.” “I feel like we are stewards of this house,” Kim said. “We have become part of its history, and it is now part of our history.”
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Rhonda Peach and her brother Lou enjoy quality time together in their golf cart.
22 September 2026 | Illinois Valley Living | A Shaw Media Publication
Taking It Slow Riding a golf cart fosters community connections Story & Photo by Katlyn Sanden
W
hile driving through any small town in the Illinois Valley, you may notice an increase in golf cart traffic. That mode of transportation has been on the rise for the past few years. “It’s really boomed since COVID because people were using them to get around their town when they were stuck at home,” said Sammie Valadez, location manager at Beaver Creek Golf Carts. Beaver Creek Golf Carts has locations in Joliet, Braidwood, and
Peru and offers new and used golf carts as well as parts to the general public. They specialize in EZ-GO and Club Car Golf Carts, which are fully equipped and ready to go with features you’ll need for everyday use. For local residents looking to hop on the trend of riding a golf cart around, Valadez recommends buying from a local dealer, who can work on the vehicle if the need arises. From a city/village perspective, Ryan Rosenthal, mayor of Walnut, said he’s seen the popularity of golf carts rise over the course of the last 10 years. Since golf carts are considered motor vehicles, Rosenthal says the operators must be licensed drivers and follow all the rules of the road. They must also have proper insurance and obtain a permit each year, which is also common in other
communities across the area. Rosenthal believes it’s the novelty of a golf cart that has been driving its popularity over the last few years. He said there’s just something about being outside and getting fresh air on a golf cart. “I think it fosters a community feeling as well to see other people on their golf carts around town,” Rosenthal said. Walnut resident Rhonda Peach and her brother Lou feel that sense of community while riding on their golf cart. “We have a route around town we take every night after supper,” Peach said. “It’s a chance to see people, wave at our friends and neighbors. It’s very enjoyable. It’s much cheaper than driving a car and gives us one-on-one time.”
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