Bill Mathis Express a family affair

The late Bill Mathis, who passed away in January 2009, was all about families and community and doing the right thing.

It's hard to believe it's been five years since his passing.

One of his loves was watching the kids ride the Holiday Lights train in the Exhibition Hall at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.

Everyone remembers what that little train meant to him, so last year it was re-christened the Bill Mathis Holiday Express.

Wanda Rednour of Du Quoin Tourism got the train years ago from Jim Espy of Trogolo Enterprises and since then thousands of children have climbed aboard. In fact, last Saturday the line of children waiting to ride ran all the way back to the north entrance of the Exhibition Hall. Mathis and Ray Kellerman would man the controls of the Holiday Lights train.

And, on the rare occasion when the "little engine that could" would roll to a stop in need of repair they got it going again to the delight of the hundreds of children that climbed aboard.

In every sense, it was the not-for-profit Bill Mathis Railroad Co.

And, this year. to honor his memory Du Quoin Auto Service completely refurbished the train. It went into Scot Vaughn's auto body shop for a complete makeover. Du Quoin art instructor Candace Manning spent two weeks on new graphics for the train. Home Lumber Co. donated new safety glass for the little windows.

The engine and its two cars were delivered to Holiday Lights in new condition. Members of the Mathis family were at the controls again over the weekend and on Monday they came together as a family to remember Bill and all that he was to this community.

Mathis towered over everyone around him and as owner of Mathis & Sons Crane & Excavating Service was at the controls of crane and excavating machines of unimaginable size day-in and day-out he . His good works are all over the community.

In helping those little children climb on board that train every year we saw what quality in a man looks like.

The thoughtfulness is well-placed as hundreds of happy children get on board.

The Holiday Lights trail driving tour is open nightly at 5:30 p.m. and the Exhibition Hall opens at 6 p.m. for the last weekend of entertainment.

Admission is $8 per car for the driving trail and $1 per person on tour buses. Admission is paid at the front gate and access is limited to that gate. On weekends, the admission price at the front gate also gets you into the Exhibition Hall and all of its free entertainment, children's activities, dozens of vendors and the food court.

All of the income from the Du Quoin Tourism holiday project goes back into the Holiday Lights Fair in subsequent years.