May 1, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Buss and Fiscus Dable to be inducted into Hall of Fame

John Buss

John Buss was awarded 8 varsity letters over the course of his four years at St. Joseph-Ogden, with two in football, two in basketball, and four in track & field. He was co-captain of both the football and basketball teams during his senior year. 

In football, John received the SJO Outstanding Defensive Back Award his Junior year, as well as the SJO Outstanding Offensive Player and SJO Outstanding Defensive Player during his senior year. He was also named as an All Conference Safety his Junior year. John participated on the Varsity Basketball team and was named the SJO Defensive Player during his senior year. In his final year at St. Joseph-Ogden, John was also named a CoMVP of the Boys Track & Field Team. He served in his senior year as the President of the SJO Student Council. 

After High School, John worked to receive his Electronics Degree from the United Electronics Institute in Louisville, Kentucky. He married his current wife Deanna after graduating, and they lived together in Champaign. John served six months at basic training at Fort Knox in the National Guard, where he completed six years of service. After college, John worked at Radio Doctors in Champaign for 7 years. He then went on to work for Xerox for 36 years and eventually retired in 2015.

John and his wife moved to St. Joseph in 1973, and today they are currently on their 48th year of married. They have two sons, Nathan and Ryan, along with four grandsons, Brady, Tyler, Bastian, and Baron. 

Over the course of his life, John has volunteered many hours to sports. He has been extremely active in coaching at both the youth basketball and youth baseball levels. John also spent 9 years coaching youth football. John extremely enjoyed working with kids and being a part of this growing youth program. Over the course of his volunteer work, John enjoyed watching this organization grow and develop into a winning program. At the high school level, he began assisting with the football program by serving as a spotter for multiple years. John also helped run the clock at home football games for 23 years. He aided the St. Joseph-Ogden High School basketball team by helping keep the scorebook for 23 years.

Congratulations to John Buss on your induction into the SJO Hall of Fame. 

Stephanie Fiscus Dable

Stephanie Fiscus Dable graduated in the St. Joseph-Ogden class of 1990. During her time in high school, she was an Illinoi State Scholar, member of the NHS, and avid addition to the Helenite yearbook team. 

Stephanie was also a 4 year Varsity Letter winner for the SJO Softball Team. She helped her team win the first ever state trophy in softball during her junior year by aiding the team in securing 4th place in the 1989 tournament. During her senior year, Stephanie received a variety of softball accolades, including being named an All Conference Member for her pitching efforts. She also served as the Co-Captain of the softball team over the course of her senior season, and she was named the Most Valuable Player for the SJO team. Stephanie was named the first ever News Gazette All-Area Softball Player of the Year for the 1990 season. 

After high school, Stephanie attended Illinois State University, where she played four years of college softball while working towards her Bachelor’s Degree. Later, she earned her Masters of Public Administration Degree from the University of Illinois at Springfield. Since then, she has worked at the University of Illinois for 22 years. While there, she has served in various prominent positions including as an Analyst, Project Manager, Director, and Senior Director of her department. Currently, she is the Assistant Vice President in the Administrative Information Technology Services Department.

Stephanie moved to Des Moines, Iowa, after college to work for the Principal Financial Group for 3 years, before heading back to St. Joseph to start a family. Currently, she lives in St. Joseph with her husband, Darrell, of 24 years. The two have two children, Brandon and Blake. Brandon is currently 20 and a junior at Illinois State University, while her younger son, Blake, is a senior at St. Joseph-Ogden. 

Today, Stephanie spends her free time walking, shopping, and watching Netflix. She enjoys spending time with her family and watching her boys do what they love, while simultaneously working at her full-time, rewarding career. 

Over the course of her time in St. Joseph, Stephanie has volunteered on various local and community levels. She has served on the board at Prince of Peace Community Early Learning Center, and she has also been on the Church Council at Prince of Peace. Stephanie has coached soccer with the St. Joseph community, and she volunteered on the SJO Post Prom Committee for 5 years. 

Congratulations Stephanie Dable on your induction into the SJO Hall of Fame. 

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