'He gave everything he had for this town': Former Sherman Mayor Frank Meredith passes away

Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal- Register
·2 min read
Frank Meredith
Frank Meredith

Frank Meredith, who served as Mayor of the Village of Sherman from 1987 to 2007, died in Sarasota, Florida, Sunday.

He was 82.

Trevor Clatfelter, who defeated Meredith in 2007 after serving as village trustee, called Meredith "a very dedicated and loyal public servant to the village."

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"He put all of his heart and soul into making Sherman a better place and exploring all of the different avenues in terms of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and other different mechanisms within Illinois statute that set the village on a path to prosperity that others and I enjoy today," Clatfelter said Thursday.

Meredith worked for the Illinois Department of Human Rights. He also served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years and will be buried with military honors.

Meredith served as President of the Illinois Municipal League from 2000 to 2001. He had been appointed to the IML board in 1992, the smallest village to be represented at that time, said his daughter, Kristin Fulscher of Sherman.

Fulscher was just three years old when he was elected mayor and was commonly known as "the mayor's daughter."

"I remember going to people's houses and sitting with my dad, while he was talking to them," Fulscher recalled. "My dad would plow the streets of Sherman when it would snow and because I didn't like to be away from him, I would ride in the plow with him.

"He was truly dedicated to making this village great. He gave everything he had for this town."

Clatfelter has ordered the village's flags to be lowered to half-staff. A bench in Village Park will commemorate Meredith and a tree will be planted in his honor.

In addition to his daughter, Meredith is survived by his wife, Deborah; his son, Brian Meredith-Evans; stepsons, Arik and Andrew Smith; 10 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Meredith's visitation is at Staab Funeral Home, 2626 E. Andrew Rd. in Sherman from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

There will be a private funeral service Monday followed by burial at Camp Butler National Cemetery.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788: sspearie@sj-r.com: X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Former Sherman mayor Frank Meredith passes away in Florida