Conway wins first place in Patriot's Pen contest

VFW Post 3553 and Auxiliary in Chester has announced that Shealyn Conway has won first place in the VFW Department of Illinois Patriot's Pen Contest.

Conway is a seventh grader at Steeleville Grade School. She wrote a 300 to 400 word essay on "What Freedom Means to Me."

Conway placed third at the Post level, first at the District level and first at the Department level. Her essay has been forwarded to the national contest for judging.

Conway received her department award at the Voice of Democracy/Patriot's Pen Banquet held at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield on Feb. 13.

The weekend started with a pizza party on Friday evening for the students. Then they toured Springfield on Saturday and attended the Voice of Democracy/Patriot's Pen Banquet on Saturday evening.

The students then ended the weekend with an ice cream social Saturday night.

Those attending the banquet with Shealyn were her parents, Terry and Misty Conway; her brothers Trenton and Gavin; her teacher, Cheryl Kuhlman and Kuhlman's husband, Marc; VFW Post 3553 Quartermaster Ed Pierce and his wife Mary; VFW Post 3553 Auxiliary President Joan Dotson and her husband Dave and District 14 Patriot's Pen chairman Dale Anderson.