'Dr. Kris' shares rural grief journey in new book inspired by Clinton County
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- Written by: Kelly Jo Ross - Breese Journal News Editor
Dr. Kris Fulkerson Most people in Clinton County know her simply as Dr. Kris.
Whether through her work as founder of Coping 4 Kids, co-founder of Coping 4 Life, or the countless hours she spends in local schools helping children and families navigate grief, trauma and mental health challenges, Dr. Kris Fulkerson has become a familiar face and trusted advocate throughout the community.
Now, she is sharing that passion on a broader stage with the release of her first book, “Grief in the Middle of Nowhere: Special Considerations for Rural Grieving Children.”
For Fulkerson, the book is deeply personal, and is “a work of heart” — especially based on the Clinton County community that she loves so much.
“I love our community,” she said. “Not only did I grow up here, but I came back because I couldn’t imagine a better place to raise my own kids.”
A Breese native, Fulkerson attended All Saints Academy and Central Community High School before moving away for about six years. She eventually returned home, where she and her husband, Jason, are raising their blended family of eight children — five girls and three boys.
Fulkerson founded Coping 4 Kids in 2011 before co-founding Coping 4 Life with Beth Ricciardi and Dr. Brie Overton in 2016.
Along the way, Fulkerson earned master’s degrees in Developmental Psychology and Social Work before returning to graduate school during the pandemic, in 2020. At the age of 46, Fulkerson completed her Doctorate in Social Work.
“Now I’m Dr. Kris to most folks,” she said.
Her mission has always been clear and consistent — ensuring grieving children are seen and heard, especially in underserved and rural areas.
Although Fulkerson praises Clinton County’s strong schools, supportive neighbors and safe communities, she said rural areas face significant challenges that often go unnoticed.
“With all the strengths of our community, we are still very much rural, and we have all the challenges that come with it,” Fulkerson said.
One of the most pressing is access to mental health care.
Clinton County is designated as a mental health provider shortage area, which means there are not enough mental health providers and professionals to meet the current needs of local residents.
“Every county around us is also designated a shortage area,” she said. “To get us where we need to be, there would have to be around 20 more mental health providers just for our county.”
She said the issue extends far beyond Clinton County and southern Illinois, and is in fact, like this across the country.
“Government and corporations have taken advantage of resources in rural areas but left our needs out of policy and funding priorities, and it shows in how rural people die at higher rates from all 10 of the top causes of death,” she said.
Those realities became painfully personal after the death of her first husband, Matt, from cancer, leaving her to navigate grief while raising young children.
A cover of Dr. Kris Fulkerson's book, "Grief in the Middle of Nowhere: Special Considerations for Rural Grieving Children" is now available to order on Amazon.com.“I’m a social worker who specializes in children’s grief and trauma, but I was also a grieving mom,” she said. “Like too many rural grieving kids, there simply are not enough supports in place for kids like my own. That’s unacceptable.”
Fulkerson said too little attention has been given to the unique challenges rural families face after a death.
“Few people are even talking about the lack of resources in our rural communities. Also unacceptable,” she said. “So, I wrote the book to bring attention and begin this desperately needed conversation.”
The book centers the plight of grieving youth in rural areas through a compelling telling of real-life loss and jarring statistics.
“Through true personal stories illustrating the endless challenges of rural grief, the factual backdrop of the crisis facing rural grieving children becomes vividly apparent,” the synopsis of the book reads.
Fulkerson goes “beyond exploring the problem and offers a practical path forward that can transform the lives of bereaved rural youth.”
The idea of the book came unexpectedly in November 2024 while Fulkerson was in New York City presenting a live webinar for the National Alliance for Children’s Grief during Children’s Grief Awareness Day.
“I had been asked to speak for three hours about rural children’s grief,” she said. “It was in the midst of the webinar that someone asked for a book on rural children’s grief, and I realized there wasn’t one ... yet.”
She made a promise that day to write it. She told them she would write a book, and that is what she did the following year — in 2025.
“It took the whole year, but I did it,” she said.
Fulkerson said that the biggest obstacle of writing the book was believing that people would want to actually read what she wrote.
“Self-doubt is a beast! But I did it. I wrote a book. I wrote a book and people are reading it. Even saying those words seems surreal,” she said.
The book also became an extension of conversations she has been having online for years through Coping’s social media platforms.
Board to consider proclamation making Clinton County a purple heart county
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- Written by: Matt Wilson - Breese Journal Reporter
Clinton County Board member Greg Riechman asked the board to consider making a proclamation designating Clinton County as a purple heart county during the board meeting on Monday, July 20.
Riechman said Carl Huels and Larissa Monken at the Standin' Proud Veterans Tribute Museum in Bartelso have gone to great measures to recognize local veterans.
"On behalf of Carl Huels, the founder and owner of the museum, and Larissa Monken, who is the museum administrator, and myself, an active museum volunteer, we would like to respectfully request the board's consideration of a proclamation designating Clinton County as a purple heart county," Riechman said.
The designation would provide a meaningful opportunity to publicly recognize and honor the many courageous men and women who were wounded or made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
By adopting the proclamation, Clinton County would join St. Clair County as one of only two counties south of Springfield and nine other counties in Illinois designed as purple heart counties.
Should the proclamation be adopted, they are requesting the county's support in installing purple heart county signs at the major entry points into Clinton County. Recommended sign locations would be at about 12 primary entrances into Clinton County along state and county highways. Final locations would be determined in coordination with the Clinton County Highway Department and the Illinois Department of Transportation.
August is Purple Heart Month, and Riechman said he would like to see the board make the proclamation effective at the Aug. 17 board meeting.
Clinton County Board chairman Brad Knolhoff said they are requesting some funding possibly from the tourism board. Knolhoff asked the tourism committee to review the request and make a decision on the tourism funding for the proposed proclamation.
During the zoning and subdivision portion of the meeting, the board approved a special use family split for Neal and Reed Timmermann in Wheatfield Township. The property is on Spring Road and is zoned agricultural. The Timmermanns own almost 100 acres, and Neal would like to allow Reed to build a shed and eventually a house on three acres.
The board approved the Kluemke-Timmermann First Subdivision. The subdivision was prepared by Netemeyer Engineering and is a one-lot subdivision in Wade Township, west of Carlyle on Varel Road. The property is zoned agricultural and consists of about 130 acres. They want to split 4.51 acres with the vineyard from the house and farm ground.
The board approved Huels Hills Subdivision as a one-lot subdivision in Carlyle Township. The property is on Sand Ridge Road southeast of Carlyle. The one lot subdivision for a family split was approved by the zoning board in May. The city of Carlyle reviewed and approved the plat on July 14.
During the insurance portion of the meeting, Nelson Heinz-mann said some bigger claims have come in and they are currently, without the reimbursements, about 20% over budget. They listened to some concerns from department heads during the executive committee meeting, and there was a meeting to address some of those concerns on Friday, July 24, at the Clinton County Courthouse.
During the road and bridge portion of the meeting, county engineer Dan Behrens updated the board on some projects. They spent $116,700 for hot mix asphalt to level some roads with hot mix. They spent $128,600 on oil and chipping the roads. The Highway Department spent $40,000 on striping roads. They also repaired a couple of bridge railings.
The board approved a resolution regarding public defender and sheriff's compensation.
Health Department administrator Chris Liedel said the Health Department had a back-to-school clinic on July 23 and will have another on July 30.
The department sent in ticks to be tested after two were found around the Carlyle Lake area. They were both Lone Star ticks.
Danielle Solis was approved as a trustee of the Germantown Rural Fire Protection District.
A motion for the adjournment of the Board of Review or the 2025 tax year was approved. Tax bills should be going out in mid August.
The next board meeting is 7 p.m. on Aug. 17.
Express claims second State Championship
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- Written by: Jeremy Chawgo - Breese Journal Sports Editor
Aviston Post 1239 Express team photo with 2026 State Championship trophy For the second time in program history, the Aviston Post 1239 Express sits atop the State of Illinois as the best senior legion team.
The Express went 4-0 last weekend to claim the 2026 State Championship, much as they did back in 2022.
Aviston never trailed after the first half inning of the first game en route to moving their record to 24-2-1 on the season and stamping a ticket to the Midwest Regional in Lexington, Kentucky, starting on Wednesday, Aug. 5 against the host Post 8 Saints out of Lexington.
Miles Browne and Clayton Gaetti were selected the Tournament’s Co-Most Valuable Players for their efforts in four games.
Browne caught all four games of the tournament while hitting .571 with seven RBI and also getting a closing opportunity.
Gaetti hit .667 with 10 hits in 15 at bats with four RBI and seven runs scored while playing flawless defense in right field.
“This was the epitome of a complete-team effort to win four games against four great baseball teams,” said first year head coach Alex Elsing. “We got hits from up and down the lineup and our defense was great all week. Our pitching did an amazing job against some great lineups.”
Aviston 16, Rock Island 11: The Express had their hitting shoes on in their State Championship win over Post 200 on Sunday at “The Hill.”
The up-and-down contest featured Aviston out hitting Rock Island 21-8. But Aviston committed four fielding errors, walking six batters and hitting four more batters to keep Post 200 alive.
On a blistering 95-degree afternoon, the Express never trailed after a scoreless first inning before they put up six runs in the top of the second inning.
After the first out was retired, Bryce Wieter and Drake Curry each singled before Max Albers dropped in an RBI single into left field for a 1-0 lead. Craig Schroeder followed with an RBI single of his own while Benny Lehman walked to load the bases.
Catalyst — Miles Browne looks a pitch in during the Aviston Express’ State Championship run last week at “The Hill”. Browne caught all four games and was the Co-MVP of the Tournament with a .571 average.Clayton Gaetti singled to make it 3-0 before Rowdy Sussenbach blooped a ball over first for another RBI single and a 5-0 lead. Miles Brown followed with an RBI single up the middle for a 6-0 lead for starting pitcher Wieter.
Rock Island received three walks and three singles and an Aviston error as they got right back into the game at 6-5 after two innings of play.
Wieter started a rally again with a double to left before scoring on a single from Curry for a 7-5 lead.
Aviston went back to work in the fourth inning when Gaetti led off with a single and Browne was hit by a pitch with one out.
Conlan Haar singled in Gaetti before Curry plated two with a double to the gap for a 10-5 lead.
Rock Island got an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to get within 10-6 entering the fifth inning.
Aviston changed the number again when Gaetti doubled and later scored on a two-out single from Browne. Haar added an RBI triple with Aviston in control at 12-6.
Rock Island plated two runs and got within 12-8 entering the sixth inning.
Aviston answered once again when Curry doubled, Schroeder singled and Lehman cashed in a sacrifice fly for a 13-8 cushion.
Post 1239 got three more in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly from Curry and a two run single from Albers for a 16-8 lead.
Rock Island got three runs off Curry in relief before the lefty got a fly out to end the contest and set the fireworks off for a trip to Lexington.
“It was a tough day to pitch and Drake and Bryce got the job done against a Rock Island team that can flat out hit,” added Elsing.
Gaetti led the 21-hit attack with three singles, a double, an RBI, three runs scored and two stolen bases. Curry was 4-for-5 with two doubles, two singles, four batted in and one run scored.
“I’m new to this team and I’m on top of the world right now,” said Gaetti. “Couldn’t ask for better teammates and more from this group of guys. We all competed today and the entire tournament. It was hot, but we fought through and stayed together as a team and got the win.”
Browne and Haar each had three hits with Haar having two runs scored and both chasing two runners in. Haar pilfered a pair of bases. Schroeder, Albers and Wieter each had two hits in the win.
“This is unbelievable,” said Browne. “I remember coming out here in eighth grade and watching those guys play and wanting to be a part of it. It’s truly unexplainable how great of a feeling this is.”
Wieter was the winning pitcher as he allowed seven earned runs on six hits, four walks and one strikeout. Curry allowed three earned runs on two hits and two walks while retiring the final seven outs of the contest.
“They both had already pitched in the tournament and to come back and pitch the way they did today, was just awesome,” concluded Gaetti.
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