DU QUOIN -- One of this city's iconic figures -- Gene Gallmeister -- died at 11:22 a.m. Sunday at the age of 91.
For more than 70 years, Gallmeister shot photographs and ran the press for the Du Quoin Evening Call.
His photographs were often described as "works of art" by his admirers and he created the covers of many special sections that were inserted into the newspaper.
"Gene was a very creative person and good at what he did," said Devan Vaughn, regional advertising manager for the Southern Illinois LOCAL Media Group, which includes the Du Quoin Call.
Vaughn, herself a Du Quoin native, said she worked with Gallmeister for about 15 years when she was just starting out in the ad sales business.
"Gene put together a lot of the front-page collages for our State Fair books. He took great pride in the paper," she said. "It broke my heart when he left a few years ago. For a man in his 90s, his mind was sharp as a tack. We're going to miss having him around here in Du Quoin."
Former co-worker Peggy Caldwell ran the composition department at the newspaper for years before retiring not long ago.
"I worked with Gene for close to 30 years and really liked him," she said. "He was very helpful to me, and really to all of us at the newspaper. He was a really nice guy and a very good photographer, too."
In recent years, Gallmeister became quite the wood carver, working primarily with duck and goose calls.
In an article written by Marta Prudent in a July 2018 edition of The Du Quoin Call, Gallmeister spoke of his hobby turned obsession.
"Once you get started, it becomes an addiction," he said.
Gallmeister, who said he views woodcarving as a way of life, used locally grown wild cherry, apple, maple, and pecan wood for his masterpieces. As a testament to his benevolence, he donated some of his work to local charities for fundraising events.
Fred Huff and Gallmeister graduated together from Du Quoin High School in 1944.
"He started working part-time at The Call just a few months before I did," Huff said. "He never worked anywhere else. He knew every piece of that press. I remember the old days when we pinted 100,000 copies of the Fair Herald. We had an old flat-bed press, which ran a lot slower than a rotary press, and it didn't stop running for about 48 hours except to change the paper rolls when we printed that magazine." Huff described Gallmeister as an "extraordinary" friend and co-worker.
"I never heard anyone say anything bad about Gene," he said. "He liked everyone."
Huff said the two had remained close friends since their school days.
"We fished together some and I just saw him not too long ago. I'm so sorry to hear this news,"
Du Quoin Mayor Guy Alongi said he has known the Gallmeister family practically his whole life.
"Gene was quite a guy -- a classy man who went about life capturing the events and history of Du Quoin through a lens. Many of his photos are priceless to our town.
"Whether it was the Du Quoin State Fair, a new business opening, a fire, football game, or other community event, Gene was there with his camera, snapping just the right photo for the newspaper's front page."
Alongi said that Gene and his late wife, Dorothy, dedicated many years alongside Managing Editor John Croessman providing the best possible news coverage for the Du Quoin community.
"Our thoughts and prayers are extended to the Gallmeister family during this difficult time," the mayor added.
Funeral services for Gallmeister are set for this Saturday, Oct. 26. Visitation is from 9-11 a.m. at Searby Funeral Home in Du Quoin with the service beginning at 11.
A full obituary may be viewed inside today's paper.
