August 1, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

10 Things You Don’t Know about me Nikki Setterdahl

For years, Nikki Setterdahl and her daughter Whitney have been bringing joy to teens at Barnes-Jewish Hospital through their project Stocking for Strength. Read more about Nikki in our 10 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature. Then read about their project here. Thanks to the St. Joseph Dairy Queen for sponsoring this post!

You can also still donate- contact Nikki on Facebook.

My favorite childhood memories are from family vacations, whether it was my first visit to Disneyland in California or one of the many trips to DisneyWorld or a roadtrip to upstate New York to visit family..from the the anticipation to the hours on the road or to the time in the final destination, I loved get aways with my parents and brother!

When we were faced with Whit’s diagnosis so many people reached out and brought meals, sent cards, gave hugs, etc and that made such a huge impact on me. I never really understood how such a small act can mean so much until I was on the receiving end and I just want to be sure to pay it forward.

I am in the middle of a very cheesy, yet cute series Love in Holiday Junction on my kindle. It has been a sweet distraction from the chaos lately.

Seinfeld is my weakness, I can’t turn the channel, no matter how many times I’ve seen an episode.

I think I will remember the “extra’s” I got in 2020. While I missed a lot of things, I gained some too…things I probably never would have had without Covid. I got so much extra time with my kids, with college shut down and sports on hold and working remotely becoming an option we made some pretty good memories around here. We all learned to slow down a little and appreciate our time together.

I am looking forward to so many small things in 2020. Things like visiting my grandma who turned 99 this August and hugging her, sitting in the bleachers watching my kiddo play sports, visiting Ben down in Clemson,going out to dinner with friends…just the regular things we used to do without even thinking about it.

I love all of the traditions that come with the holidays. Things like using the same plate for Santa’s cookies that we have used since Whit was born, watching the same holiday movies we always watch, the taste of Christmas cookies, all those things that stir up the feelings that you get this time of year.

I have to say Disney World is my favorite place to travel to. I just love the mix of the old from my childhood and the excitement of all of the new.

To be honest I never seem to have much with consistently, but my phone and hand sanitizer have become common staples now.

I had the sweetest dalmatian ever named Bugsy as my first ever pet.

in Life, People
Banner
Related Posts

‘Once a spartan, always a spartan’ by Katelyn Berry

June 16, 2020

June 16, 2020

When I pictured giving a speech at my high school graduation, this isn’t exactly what came to mind. I imagined...

St. Joseph Automotive looks to pay it forward with coat drive

December 18, 2019

December 18, 2019

Casey Phillips recognized there was a need in St. Joseph and she wanted to do something about it. The co-owner...

Senior spotlight… Luke Cohen

October 22, 2019

October 22, 2019

Every week we ask a senior five questions. This week we talked to Luke Cohen. What do you want to...

Doctor’s love of medicine started at early age

February 18, 2019

February 18, 2019

St. Joseph resident Dr. Jeanelle Murphy fell in love with medicine in the oncology wing at the Children’s Hospital of...

Spirit of giving: SJO graduate Whitney Setterdahl continues to help out teens with cancer

December 4, 2019

December 4, 2019

Whitney Setterdahl knows what it is like to be in the hospital during the holidays. Setterdahl is a recent graduate...

SJO student creates program to help the food insecure

December 23, 2021

December 23, 2021

Kirsten Schaefer wants to help feed her neighbors. Schaefer, a junior at St. Joseph-Ogden High School, created the Feeding Your...

How I get it done… Todd Jacob

September 30, 2022

September 30, 2022

We are asking business owners to tell us about their daily routine and how they accomplish goals for their businesses....

Senior spotlight… Emily Bigger

July 26, 2019

July 26, 2019

Every week we ask a St. Joseph-Ogden senior five questions. This week we talked to Emily Bigger. This post is...

Franzen finds freedom in music

October 4, 2019

October 4, 2019

Dakota Franzen is an inspiration. Marching Band Director Chuck Hess said Franzen’s efforts to be the best he can be...

Beth’s 15 Safety Tips for the International Traveler

July 1, 2019

July 1, 2019

Considering traveling out of the country? Congratulations! It’s a big, wide world out there and who doesn’t want to explore...

‘Having a trip on the books gives us something to look forward to’

June 4, 2020

June 4, 2020

It’s a crazy time in the travel industry, that’s for sure. While some news tends to lean towards the doom...

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… Jeff Van Buskirk

October 7, 2020

October 7, 2020

What is your favorite childhood memory?I took guitar lessons when I was in 4th or 5th grade and did not...

Novak hopes butterfly garden benefits community

October 14, 2019

October 14, 2019

Heidi Novak isn’t a gardner. However, that didn’t stop the 2019 St. Joseph-Ogden High School graduate from creating a butterfly...

Girl Scouts discuss their favorite cookies

February 15, 2019

February 15, 2019

It’s cookie time. St. Joseph Girl Scout Troops were out last weekend in full force to sell delicious and tasty...

Comments
Leave a Reply