March 7, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Sweet Home Alabama

Eve Owens knew she wanted to go South.


So when she was trying to decide where to go to college she visited a lot of SEC schools.


But she found her future home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.


“In the end, Alabama was the best school for me,” she said. “The first time I visited the campus I felt I fit in with the people there and the campus was so beautiful.”


Owens, St. Joseph-Ogden High School’s co-valedictorian, is carrying on a family tradition because her older sister, Olivia, also attends the University of Alabama. It was Olivia who called Eve to tell her to check her email to see if she had been accepted to Alabama.


“When I saw that I had, I told my family and we were all super excited,” Eve said.


Eve said her parents, Melissa and Don, were extremely happy because they love the school and the fact that both girls will be attending the same school.


Eve plans on majoring in psychology on the Dental track and hopes to one day own a dental practice in North Carolina.


While she has big plans for her future, Eve said she will take numerous memories and lessons from St. Joseph-Ogden with her into adulthood.


Eve said SJO taught her to try new things.


“Don’t miss out because you don’t want to have any regrets,” she said.


Eve said that while she is looking forward to her graduation trip to Germany and starting school at Alabama in the fall, she will miss the town she grew up in.


“I’ll miss all of my friends and all of the people in my class because I grew up with them,” she said.

in Life
Banner
Related Posts

Friends hope to help Heritage alumni battle illness

February 15, 2019

February 15, 2019

Heritage alumni Anya Knecht makes food for her friends, family and coworkers. She sends cards and handmade gifts to others....

‘I am proud of all of us’ by Kristen Costa

June 16, 2020

June 16, 2020

To the St. Joseph-Ogden High School Class of 2020, when I began writing this speech, I didn’t even know where...

Ogden Rose Library gets a facelift

September 6, 2022

September 6, 2022

The Ogden Rose Library is getting a facelift. The library is undergoing the first part of a remodel.Currently, new flooring...

Krall joins Longview Bank

April 22, 2021

April 22, 2021

Brad Krall is coming home. Krall is now the Loan Officer and Mortgage Lender at Longview Bank in St. Joseph....

SJO football clinches playoff berth with win at BCC

October 10, 2024

October 10, 2024

The St. Joseph-Ogden football team can beat teams in multiple ways. Kodey McKinney can drop back and unleash accurate passes...

10 things you don’t know about me… Sue Esposito

March 13, 2019

March 13, 2019

Every week we ask a community member to share 10 things about themselves. This week it is Ogden Trustee Sue...

‘I will always have memories that I won’t forget’ by Kenly Taylor

June 16, 2020

June 16, 2020

Hello! I’d like to take a few minutes to welcome each and every one of you to the St. Joseph-Ogden...

Ask the Doctor with Dr. Jeanelle Murphy

February 7, 2020

February 7, 2020

Every month we will pose a question to Dr. Jeanelle Murphy of Christie Clinic in St. Joseph. This month we...

10 things you don’t know about me… Vickie Reese

July 3, 2019

July 3, 2019

Every week we ask a village resident to tell us 10 interesting things about themselves. This week we asked Vickie...

Treatment for the common cold

December 23, 2021

December 23, 2021

By Jeanelle Murphy, DO The common cold is caused by a virus. There are over 200 common cold viruses but...

Abbeyfield property for sale

February 8, 2019

February 8, 2019

The former Abbeyfield building in St. Joseph could have a new use soon. “We have several people looking at the...

St. Joseph rallies to find missing dog

September 17, 2020

September 17, 2020

Operation bring Piper home is in full effect in St. Joseph. Piper, a yellow labrador retriever, went missing from the...

Donation could change the face of sports and activities at SJO

February 16, 2021

February 16, 2021

An anonymous donor has made St. Joseph-Ogden High School an offer they couldn’t refuse. And because of it, SJO athletic...

Carle now scheduling appointments for COVID-19 vaccine available to children 6 months and older

June 27, 2022

June 27, 2022

Urbana, Ill. — Carle supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation for children 6 months – 4...

‘ B.J. was one who absolutely stood out’

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021

We asked Matt Davidson, the former Legislative Director for the Illinois Municipal League for his thoughts on B.J. Hackler. Here...

Comments
Leave a Reply