June 4, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

10 things you don’t know about me with Whitney Setterdahl

My favorite childhood memory is when my youngest brother Jack was born. My brother Ben and I were eating an ice cream sundae at Perkins when our parents called and said Jack was going to be born soon. We ditched our sundaes and ran through the parking lot to the hospital!

I think it’s important to get involved in community service because it teaches you to be empathetic. I always try to keep in mind that others in my community have had different struggles and experiences than I have, and getting involved with their service efforts teaches you to understand the people around you a bit better, and the world a bit better too. My experience with cancer was heartbreaking in so many ways and not always easy to share, but I think spreading the word about your experiences is really important and gives you a sense of control over something you feel like you have no control over sometimes.

The last book I read was “When Genius Failed” by Roger Lowenstein.

The Office is a show I can watch over and over! I’ve probably seen every episode at least 5 times.

I think what I’ll remember most about 2020 is the cheering I would hear from my apartment in Chicago every night during the first few months of the pandemic. I lived near a hospital and when the nurses would get off their shifts and walk home, everyone cheered to show their appreciation!

I’m most looking forward to hopefully getting to take a trip somewhere again in 2021. Between starting my job after graduation and the pandemic, I’m really missing relaxing at the beach.

It’s so hard to pick my favorite part of the holidays because I love the entire season so much. If I had to pick one thing, I’d say the time with my family. My brother goes to college out of state and since I’ve moved out from home, my siblings and i see each other less frequently so I really love catching up and being under one roof again.

My favorite place I’ve traveled to is Verbier, Switzerland. I got to back in March of 2019 for my job, it was so beautiful and I hope to go back one day!

I always carry chapstick, hand sanitizer, and a hair tie.

My first pet was a cat I named Grazy.

in People
Banner
Related Posts

10 things you don’t know about me… Angela O’Brien Page

August 26, 2019

August 26, 2019

Every week we ask an area resident to share 10 facts about themselves. This week we asked Angela O’Brien Page....

She’s Back! Dukeman set to get another shot at softball this summer

June 30, 2020

June 30, 2020

Hannah Dukeman is getting a chance to play softball despite COVID-19 stealing her senior season at St. Joseph-Ogden High School....

10 things you don’t know about me… Allison Wakefield

August 18, 2022

August 18, 2022

What is your favorite place to travel to? Pennsylvania What is a TV show/movie you can watch over and over?...

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...

Benefit to be held for Fisher family

March 18, 2019

March 18, 2019

Next Saturday the St. Joseph IGA and Wagner Signs and Graphics are coming together for a good cause. From 7...

‘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… Brad Krall

February 20, 2019

February 20, 2019

Every week we ask an area resident to share 10 interesting facts about themselves. This week it is Brad Krall,...

Senior Spotlight… Jillian Plotner

January 23, 2020

January 23, 2020

What are your plans after you leave SJO?I plan on studying forensic anthropology. I haven’t decided what school yet! If...

Kids say

July 19, 2019

July 19, 2019

Second graders from PVO South tell us if they would like to be a farmer. This post is sponsored by...

‘The first one to tell you how important you were to him’

September 5, 2022

September 5, 2022

Connor Wienke made sure people knew how he felt about them. Whether it was a smile, a friendly comment or...

St. Joseph Automotive looks to pay it forward with coat drive

December 18, 2019

December 18, 2019

Casey Phillips recognized there was a need in St. Joseph and she wanted to do something about it. The co-owner...

10 things you don’t know about me… Jason Retz

November 7, 2019

November 7, 2019

In honor of SJO Cross Country going to state this week we asked head coach Jason Retz to tell us...

Kids say…

June 17, 2019

June 17, 2019

Every week we ask five St. Joseph area students a question about farming. Today, five students from PVO South tell...

‘We lost a very good man in Jim Cotter’

September 2, 2021

September 2, 2021

Jim Cotter loved to brag about his kids. This past Saturday was no exception. Cotter took time out from covering...

Setterdahl finds perfect fit at Clemson

May 18, 2019

May 18, 2019

Ben Setterdahl thinks he may be annoying people. The St. Joseph-Ogden senior, who is co-valedictorian, can’t stop talking about Clemson...

Comments
Leave a Reply