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August 5, 2025

Cloyce and Barbara Johnson Education Fund established with SICF for Jasper County schools

(NEWTON, Illinois – August 4, 2025) Grant applications for the Cloyce and Barbara Johnson Education Fund are now available from the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation. The application is open to teachers of Jasper County Unit 1 School District who may apply for a classroom grant for the 2025/26 school year.  The grant is in honor of Cloyce and Barbara Johnson.

Cloyce Johnson was born and raised on a farm a few miles southwest of Newton. He was one of ten children of Dee and Viola Johnson. Barbara “Bobbie” Weber grew up in Newton as one of three children of Ed and Zella Weber. Cloyce and Bobbie met at Newton high school and were married in 1948. The family moved to Lawrenceville where Cloyce worked as an electric lineman. Bobbie obtained a degree in elementary education from Eastern Illinois University and spent many wonderful years as a teacher.

After retirement, even though Cloyce and Bobbie had developed many friendships and activities in Lawrenceville, they realized that they were “Eagles for Life” and moved back to Newton where they lived most of the rest of their lives. Since both were passionate believers in education, those who loved them have established the Cloyce and Barbara Johnson Education Endowment fund to help schools and students in Newton and Jasper county.

The application is available online at southeasternillinois.org. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on September 16, 2025. For more information, contact Kristen Bertrand, Program Officer, at 217-342-5413 or kristen@southeasternillinois.org.

Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation manages more than 250 affiliated funds for the immediate and long-term benefit of communities in southeastern Illinois.

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