It’s been said that a town is only as good as the people who live there, but location, natural resources, a steady mixture of climate temperatures, rich black soil, and golden sand and gravel have contributed greatly in the early railway and river settlement of our home we call Chillicothe. Each generation since our beginnings has tried collectively and wisely to guide our commerce and society to success. Much of the steady progress made over the years was provided from small groups who refused compensation—the volunteers, who simply love where they live and live where they love and need no special recognition except to see with their own eyes the fruits of their donated labors realized. 

There are none who casts a shadow taller than the many American small town volunteers.

She was born on September 6, 1937 at Methodist Hospital in Peoria, Illinois to Homer and Martha (Kurz) Gill of Chillicothe—they named her Dianne. When Dianne’s mother came to our town from Peoria, she fell in love with the peaceful, quaint and easygoing atmosphere from the start and as her daughter grew, so also did she, with an early reverence and love of a soon-to-be hometown so reminiscent of an early Norman Rockwell era rendition of small town America. As we sat down to visit her early life and times of living in Chillicothe for the last 87 years, I wondered if I had enough ink in my quill or speed in my fingers to script the accounts that would come so fast from a woman who is so enamored with her hometown.

At age five, she recalls Betty Gibbs as her kindergarten teacher, Pearce Grade had no gymnasium, and also, back in the day, a 12-year-old girl who lived in and walked from the last house on North 5th Street to school. She attended Pearce Grade and Chillicothe Township High and later classes at ICC in real estate. 

In 1943, to her delight, her brother Don was born who excelled in athletics and academia and was very well-liked in many circles. He passed in 2022 and was loved by many. 

Dianne says as a kid we could swim at Shore Acres, ice skate on the river slough, sled on the hills west of town, and roller skate at the traveling rinks in City Park. Meantime her dad, Homer, was running The Chillicothe Dairy on 4th Street and business was good because he was generous and fair to his customers which set the best of examples for his daughter. With her parents’ work ethic and grit and determination she started her quest to volunteer and promote her hometown before she was 20 when she joined The Chillicothe Junior Women’s Club and from that point on, brother get out of the way. 

The club pushed for art in our schools, and she served later as president. The following are many stations Dianne has volunteered for over seven decades. She has served on The Planning Commission, Rotary as Club President, the First United Methodist Church Board, the Chillicothe Shade Makers Beautification, and served on The Town Theatre Board. And back in the day she freelanced for The Chillicothe Bulletin as a writer and photographer for 15 years. She joined The Chillicothe Historical Society for 25 years and helped revive the legendary hero, Zorro, created by the prolific author Johnston Mc Cully from the Class of 1901 at CTHS. She was in the Optimist Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor’s Committee, Honorary Chairman of the Get Out to Vote for the new high school, and the Three Sisters Park 1918 Farm Day. She always says, “If you’re bored, join a group and make a difference.”

She learned early how to get ideas turned into accomplishments for the betterment of our community and in all these endeavors she found time to care for and raise her five children of a 25-year marriage and work over 38 years selling real estate part-time. Her daughter, Lorna Berchtold and son Gill say she might possibly be the biggest promoter and cheerleader of our town we have seen in recent memory. 

Dianne often refers to back in the day when in the 40s and 50s all of 4th Street through town was covered with a tunnel of tall trees creating a cool and soothing car ride down a two-lane highway past many old, beautiful, and stately works of architecture and stylish homes on warm summer days and also the numerous gala events and city festivities at Cutwright Park, the riverfront, and City Park in a time that a small girl and her friends would revel in. 

“Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end, we’d sing and dance forever and a day, we’d live the life we choose, we’d fight and never lose, for we were young and sure to have our way.”

— Mary Hopkin

The Lord was good to allow her to have four sons—David, Gill, Rick, and Jeremy—and one daughter, Lorna, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. These accountings of this extraordinary lady only scratch the surface of her varying contributions. 

There is much more she has done and much more she would like to share. She says, “My body is hurting but the ideas keep rolling. I just hope our wonderful new group of volunteers and friends keep making Chillicothe great.” Volunteers are our best asset in Chillicothe—they are the connecting tissue that ties innovation to progress and longevity to community spirit. A town is only as good as its people who fill the buildings, harvest the crops, create the transportation, sell the goods, provide security, worship their creator, and lend their fallen neighbor a helping hand. Dianne knew this very early on in her life.

Somewhere, where kind and loving souls are at rest, Homer, Martha, Don, and Dave smile in approval of Dianne’s service to the best little town on the banks of the Illinois River. There have been and always will be Heroes in Chillicothe of different walks, occupations, and stature and now Dianne Gill Colwell joins those ranks. Thank you, Dianne, for your inspiration and heartfelt contributions throughout the years in a place we all call home. See you at the riverfront.