April 21, 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

Appl can hear the good news, and that’s a good thing

May 8, 2019

May 8, 2019

Ten years ago, Candi Appl was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. Meniere’s disease is an inner ear disease that usually affects...

SJO makes graduation plans for June

May 1, 2020

May 1, 2020

St. Joseph-Ogden High School is making plans for graduation to honor the Class of 2020. In a letter sent to...

‘Julie has been the backbone of this village for a long time’

December 28, 2021

December 28, 2021

Julie Hendrickson loves St. Joseph. And a piece of the small town’s footprint will soon step away from a long-time...

Get to know to know SJO Senior Marching Band member Maya Hewkin

October 21, 2022

October 21, 2022

My favorite thing about marching band is the connection between the students. Being in band is like being a part...

Leemon to be honored Sunday

September 3, 2020

September 3, 2020

St. Joseph will honor one of its heroes on Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. Sgt. Dustin Leemon of the United...

Always Looking to Give Back: Short honored for volunteerism

June 7, 2022

June 7, 2022

Tim Short wants to inspire the younger generations. Short, who was honored with the SJO Friend of Education Award this...

Rides available to fish fry

August 8, 2019

August 8, 2019

The mayor and some local residents are hoping more seniors can attend the St. Joseph Community Festival held Thursday, Friday...

Local Girl Scouts reflect on trip to Georgia

January 16, 2020

January 16, 2020

The road to Georgia was long and winding, but worth it. Recently scouts in Troops 2077, 2116 and 2134 presented...

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....

‘We are here to stay’

September 19, 2019

September 19, 2019

AJ’s Station is here to stay. Owner Anthony Laubscher said he wanted to let the St. Joseph community know, that...

‘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...

‘Helping them reach their potential is humbling and rewarding at the same time’

January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023

A performance today will culminate one of the most powerful artistic and personal experiences Justin Lee has had in his...

10 things you don’t know about me… Dina Fox

June 5, 2019

June 5, 2019

My husband, Kerry, and I met when I was 18 years old in the middle of a snow storm.  We’ve...

Sewing it all together: Hartman taking part in Project Run and Play

March 31, 2022

March 31, 2022

Growing up, St. Joseph resident Emily Hartman used to watch her mother and grandmother sew.They would create one-of-a-kind, custom-made clothes...

Senior spotlight Eric Poe

February 7, 2020

February 7, 2020

Every week we ask a St. Joseph-Ogden senior five questions. This week we talked to Eric Poe. Thank you to...

Comments
Leave a Reply