Board of DirectorsPresident

Larry Manning - Belle RiveVice President

Phil Carson - OakdaleSecretary/TreasurerSam Phillips - SalemTom Beyers - Odin

Doug Knolhoff - HoyletonDonnie Laird - Waltonville

Rick Russell - RichviewGreg Vieira - Salem

Kathy Withers - Mt. Vernon

P.O. Box 309, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 618.244.5151 - Toll Free 800.244.5151 - Fax: 618.244.1496 - Pay by Phone: 855.385.9902

Office Hours7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Monday through Friday(Salem Office closed from noon-1:00 p.m. each day)

by Marcia Scott General Manager

Hi-LitesHi-LitesYour Touchstone Energy® Partner

YOUR TOUCHSTONE ENERGY PARTNER�

Cooperative, Inc.Tri-County Electric

Mission Statement To safely provide our member-

owners with reliable electric service, superior customer service, and practical energy solutions, all

at reasonable prices.

TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

www.tricountycoop.com

Hi-Lites is a monthly newsletter published for the members of Tri-

County Electric Cooperative.

TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Tri-County Electric Cooperative’s 80th Anniversary

January 2018January 2018

Kerosene lamps, candles, and oil heaters were standard fixtures in rural southern Illinois homes in the 1930’s. Although their city counterparts had elec-tricity (bringing the basics of lighting and refrigeration), many farmers and rural dwellers in the southern Illinois counties of Jef-ferson, Marion, and Washington, were unsure if they would ever have the same advantages. They were often told by existing utilities that it was just too ex-pensive to extend the power lines into the rural areas.

Some progressive indi-viduals believed that the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) would provide the means to bring electricity to the dark countryside. Some 20 Illinois electric cooperatives preceded the organization of Tri-County Electric, so the cooperative roadmap had been drawn.

Ben Tuttle of Woodlawn, A.E. Drennan of Ina, and C. Glenn Jones of Salem, were among the early promoters of the organization. The cooper-ative was organized at a meeting in Mt. Vernon on October 6, 1938. During that meeting the incorporating Board of Di-rectors was elected. Members included: Tuttle, Drennan, Jones, G.W. Clark of Bluford, Roger Young and Loren Cope of Salem, Martin Schaeffer of Hoyleton, Phillip Heggemeier of Nashville and G.C. Webb of Ewing. Ben Tuttle was selected as the first manager of the coop-erative.

The organization and sign-up period progressed rapidly and the cooperative’s first loan of $507,000 from the REA was granted on December 10, 1938. The construction of Tri-County’s “A” section of lines - Continued Page 2

www.tricountycoop.com

Punchbowl Cake Ingredients1 yellow cake mix1 (5.5 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding1 (20 oz.) can cherry pie filling1 (20 oz.) can fruit cocktail, drained1 (20 oz.) can chunk pineapple1 (16 oz.) pkg. shredded coconut1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen nondiary whipped topping, thawed1 c. pecans, coarsely chopped

DirectionsPrepare cake mix according to box directions. Place one layer of cake on bottom of a 1-gallon or larger punch bowl. On top of cake layer half of each: pudding, pie filling, fruit cocktail, pineapple, coconut, and whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts. Place remaining layer on top and repeat layering with remaining in-gredients in same order. Refrigerate overnight. Yield: 25 servings.

High school students* have a great oppor-tunity to win a FREE, well-chaperoned, educa-tional trip to Washington, D.C. Three students will be selected to attend the Youth to Wash-ington program June 8 through June 15 of this year. Requirements to earn the trip are very simple. A test, consisting of true-false and mul-tiple choice questions on material contained in a rural electrification booklet, will be administered at local high schools. The study booklets will be available at the cooperative or any of the area high schools by February 1, 2018.

Testing will be held at each participating high school, or special arrangements can be made for a home-schooled student.

*Qualifications: Student must be a high school Sophomore, Junior or Senior. Student must reside in a home served by Tri-County. Students previously participating in the tour are not eligible.

2018 Youth to Washington Tour

This decadent dessert recipe was submitted by Betty Stern and featured in the 1995 Tri-County Electric Cooperative cookbook, “Sharing Our Best”.

80th Anniversary Continued 605 miles serving 1,124 members - began almost immediately. Seven months later, on July 29, 1939, the system energized its first electric lines. The power supply needs of the cooperative have continually grown since inception in the 1930’s. We are proud to serve the traditional rural constituents as well as new, growing busi-nesses. We are able to do this successfully be-cause we haven’t forgotten the cooperatives prin-ciples that have made cooperatives successful. Now, nearly 80 years later, Tri-County Electric Cooperative has 3,397 miles of line serving 16,130 services for members. Times, indeed, have changed. People who live in rural areas are assured to have electric power. However, the core principles of our Cooperative still exist and we continue to uphold them, remembering our past and striving for a better future for all coop-erative members.

1 9 3 8 - 2 0 1 8

Featured in The Ashley News, 1961

Miss Tri-County Electric Cooperative 1958, Carol Ann Freeman, Salem

Annual Meeting Entertainment, 1958

Remembering the past....

As we embark on our 80th Anniversary, we will be featuring a glimpse back through the years of cooperative history, memories, photos, and taking a moment to appreciate our grassroots. We hope you enjoy this year’s Hi-Lites series of telling the story of Tri-County Electric Coop-erative.

Youth to Washington Tour, 1964 (from left) Director of Member Services Andy Bird, Leta Ball, Salem; Phyllis Maschoff, Nashville; and

Karol J. Hahn, Woodlawn

Classroom Empowerment Grants

Winners of Touchstone Energy Classroom Empowerment Grants for schools in Tri-County Electric Cooperative’s service area have been announced. The grants fund innovative, unfunded

projects or materials in area schools.

2017 Touchstone Energy Classroom Empowerment Grant Winners Teacher School

Mark Drennan Mt. Vernon Township High SchoolLynette Baity Alternative Learning CenterKevin McGreer Casey Middle SchoolApril Hertenstein J.L. Buford Luke Freeman Salem Community High SchoolSheri Peradotti Odin SchoolsLinda Klingenberg Nashville District 49Dustin Foster Mt. Vernon Township High School

Patronage Credit - EstatesThe Tri-County Electric Cooperative has a policy allowing early payment of patronage

credits to a deceased member’s estate. The early payment option is available for estates of members who passed away after De-

cember 31, 2014 and is paid as a discounted lump sum. The process would start upon written request of the heirs, beneficiaries or legal representative of the deceased member’s estate. The written request for early discounted payment of patronage credits must contain enough infor-mation to allow the Cooperative to make the determination that the representative is legally entitled to the deceased member’s patronage, which may include documents such as a death certificate, will, small estate affidavit, or letters of office.

Requests for early retirements will be considered in the order in which they are received by the Cooperative, and the early retirement of patronage credits to estates will be capped at $100,000 per year. The policy does not apply to corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, cooperatives, limited liability partnerships or other legal entities.

Complete details on this policy can be obtained by contacting the Cooperative.

Membership Minute