Lula Belle Clara (Conrady) Barry, 91, of Emden, joined her husband in heaven Friday, November 21, 2025, on their 71st wedding anniversary.

She was born on May 5, 1934, in Hartsburg to Seide & Anna (Rademaker) Conrady. She married Allen Barry on November 21, 195,4 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Emden. She was happily married for over 57 years until Allen passed in June of 2012. Lula Belle & Allen were blessed with 3 children, 4 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.

She is survived by children Roberta (Ron) Gray of Byrnes Mill, MO, and Ronald (Vanessa) Barry of Emden; grandchildren Rebekah (Jason) Long of High Ridge, MO, Robert (Jessie Seipp) Gray of O’Fallon, IL, Alexis Barry of Charleston, SC and Lillian Barry of Emden; great-grandchildren Jace and Grayson Long of High Ridge, MO; sister-in-law Darline Becker of Emden; and several nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband Allen Barry, son Russell Barry, parents Seide & Anna (Rademaker) Conrady, parents-in-law William & Lillian Barry, sisters Annalina Coers and Ruth Guill, brothers Earl and Robert Conrady, sister-in-law Ramona Groves, nephew Barry Becker, and brothers-in-law Dean Becker, Edgar Coers, William Guill, and James Groves.

Lula Belle was baptised on June 17, 1934 and confirmed on March 30, 1947, at St. John’s Lutheran church of Hartsburg, officiated by Rev. August Rettberg. She lived on and farmed a Scully lease from 1961 to 2021, working alongside Allen and her son, Ron. She went to eight grades at Hopewell Country School, and she was a graduate of Hartsburg-Emden High School in 1951. She was employed at B.B. Milling Co, Stetson China Factory, Emden Farmers Grain for 32 years, and drove a school bus for Hartsburg-Emden School District for 41 years. She started driving in Sept 1976 and retired on May 5, 2017, her 83rd birthday. She loved the children she drove to school each day and missed them dearly when she retired.

Belle was very proud to serve as Grand Marshall of the Emden Homecoming parade in 2015. She received the “Service to the District” award during her tenure as a bus driver and was selected for the Hartem Wall of Fame in 2014. She adored her family, visiting and playing cards, going to girls’ day out, and eating with her Friday night “Golden Girls”. Her true passion, as everyone knew, was taking pictures and sharing them with everyone. She enjoyed working outside, helping others, and loved being a farm wife, mother, and homemaker. She travelled throughout the Midwest to watch her “peaches” participate in everything, countless volleyball, basketball, and hockey games and many music performances. Her compassion and generosity made everyone around her feel loved. She lived to be the proudest grandma in the crowd.

She was a faithful member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Emden, the Emden American Legion Auxiliary, and the Logan County Farm Bureau.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Emden Rescue Squad, Emden Sons of the American Legion Post 0506, or St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

A visitation will be held on Friday, November 28, 2025, from 3:00 pm-6:00 pm at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Emden, where Lula Belle’s great-grandfather was a founding member and where many of her family members were baptised, confirmed, and married. The funeral will be held on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 10:00 am. Burial will follow the service at Hartsburg Union Cemetery. Arrangements have been entrusted to Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Lincoln.

Tremont School District 702 confirmed that a student was taken into custody Monday morning after school officials discovered an unloaded firearm inside a backpack stored in a Tremont Middle School locker.

Superintendent Sean Berry said the incident occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m. and was swiftly addressed by school administration, the district’s resource officer, and the Tremont Police Department.

According to Berry, the firearm and backpack were immediately secured in the middle school office before the student became aware the items had been confiscated. The student was then taken into custody without incident.

“At no time were threats made toward other students or staff,” Berry emphasized in a statement sent to families. “Please know that the safety and security of our students and staff is always our top priority, and we are taking this matter with the utmost seriousness.”

The district will not be releasing the student’s name due to privacy concerns. Berry expressed gratitude to the Tremont Police Department for their quick response and cooperation in handling the situation.

Parents and guardians were notified of the incident on Monday morning. While Berry acknowledged the news may be alarming, he reassured families that the district is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment.

As the winter chill sets in and the holiday season approaches, the Delavan community is once again rallying to support neighbors in need through a beloved local tradition: Meet the Panthers night. Held annually to tip off the basketball season, the event doubles as a charitable effort, with admission “paid” in the form of canned or non-perishable food items or cash donations. These donations are then distributed through local food drives to help ensure no family goes hungry during the holidays.

This year’s Meet the Panthers event took place on November 21 and featured both an Alumni Game and a Varsity Team Basketball scrimmage. The Delavan Chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) members were on hand to greet attendees and collect food and cash donations at the door.

But the giving spirit doesn’t end there. The initiative is expanding beyond the gymnasium and into the heart of the community with two new efforts: a school-wide class competition and the launch of Doorstep Donation Kits.

Class Competitions: K–12 Students Step Up

Throughout November, students from kindergarten through 12th grade are participating in a friendly competition to see which class can collect the most food donations. Every Monday, volunteers tally the contributions, and the results are shared to keep the momentum going. Families are encouraged to send canned goods and pantry staples with their students to support this cause—and maybe even help their class claim the top spot.

Doorstep Donation Kits: Giving Made Easy

For those who couldn’t attend Meet the Panthers night or who want to contribute further, Doorstep Donation Kits offer a simple way to help. On November 24, kits will be distributed to homes across Delavan. Residents are asked to fill the provided bags with canned goods and leave them on their front porch or curb by 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 8. Volunteer teams will collect donations between 8:00 and 11:00 a.m.

In partnership with the Delavan Ministerial Alliance, these donations will be assembled into meal baskets and distributed to local families in time for the holidays. While all non-perishable items are welcome, organizers have shared a list of most-needed goods to help round out the baskets:

Suggested Donation Items

• Box/bag stuffing mix
• Gravy mix
• Instant mashed potatoes
• Scalloped or au-gratin potatoes
• Macaroni and cheese
• Cans of corn and/or green beans
• Cranberry sauce
• Boxed desserts (cakes, cookies, brownies, etc.)
• Spaghetti and spaghetti sauce
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Rice mixes
• Microwave popcorn
• Nuts
• Dried fruit (raisins, apricots, banana chips, etc.)
• Canned fruit
• Soups and chili

How to Help

For more information or to make a direct donation, contact Theodore Allen at (217) 737-6962 or via email at allent@delavanschools.org.

Whether through a classroom collection or a doorstep donation, every can counts. Thanks to the leadership of the Delavan FFA and the generosity of our community, Panther pride continues to shine—on and off the court.