Our Thanksgiving Table: From Gratitude to Dream Guests

Happy Thanksgiving!! I have some people in Galesburg to share their favorite things about Thanksgiving, as well as their dream guest list. I hope you enjoy their thoughts, and enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Mindi Ritchie- Administrator in District #205

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

I am thankful for opportunity and those that are courageous and passionate.  

What will be your main dish at Thanksgiving?

Spiral ham is  the main dish. 

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

My favorite aide dish is green bean casserole.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

My favorite dessert is apple pie. 

Who are 5 famous guests you would invite? (Must be from out of town, non-family, and living.)

I would invite  Theo Von, Barack Obama, Post Malone, and Dolly Parton.

Ruth Ann Hanlon

Retired Teacher

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

I am thankful for family and friends, good health and that 3 of our 5 grandchildren are spending Thanksgiving with us. 

What will be your main dish for Thanksgiving?

Turkey and Ham

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

Mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing (that Michael is making)…all of the carbs 

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

Apple pie

Who are 5 famous guests you would invite?

Pope Leo XIV, Dick Van Dyke, Kate Middleton, Dolly Parton

(Editor’s Note: Pope Leo will not be happy to find out the Hanlon’s are Cub fans!)

Nick Young

GHS Athletic Director

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

I’m thankful for many things but most importantly my family, friends, health, and ability to do what I love everyday

What will be your main dish for Thanksgiving?

Ham, or anything but Turkey. Not a big fan

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

Sweet Potatoes or my Grandfather’s Deviled Eggs

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

Pumpkin Pie

Who are 5 famous guests you would invite?

Michael Jordan, Adam Sandler,  Julia Roberts, Eddie Vedder

Jay Barshinger

Retired Teacher, President of Sherm Lollar Fan Club

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Thankful for family and friends.

What will be your main dish at T’giving?

Turkey is always the main dish.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

Stuffing using my wife's grandfather's recipe is my favorite side dish.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

Barshinger chocolate chip cookies and my niece's scotcheroos for dessert.

Who are four famous guests you would invite?

Johnny Bench (not Sherm Lollar), Barack Obama, Jerry Seinfeld, Nick Saban

*not from out of town, but I would like to invite Evan Massey over to wash the dishes afterwards.

Lexi Demott

GHS Girls Basketball Coach

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

This year I am thankful for another year of being healthy and having another year surrounded by supportive people. 

What will you main dish be for Thanksgiving?

My main dish for Thanksgiving this year will be Turkey.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

My favorite side dish is my grandma's corn casserole, but really I could put shells & cheese and mashed potatoes on that list!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

Hmmmm... My favorite dessert is French Silk Pie. 

Who are four famous people you would invite for Thanksgiving?

I would invite Caitilin Clark, Geno Auriemma, Kevin Hart, and Kelsea Ballerini

Jay Redfern

WGIL

What are you thankful for this year?  

Besides the obvious ones of family and health, I’d have to say a job that I absolutely love.

What will be your main dish at the T’giving dinner?  

Turkey, of course.

What is your favorite T’giving side dish?  

We call it dressing, you may call it stuffing. Followed very closely by green bean casserole.

What is your favorite T’giving dessert?  

Don’t make me choose between pumpkin and pecan pie. I usually have a small slice of both.

If you could invite 4 famous guests for T’giving, who would you invite? 

- Chaim Bloom (new Cardinals President of Baseball Operations — we’re dissecting the offseason all night)  

- Paul McCartney (seems like the most genuinely nice, fascinating human alive — and he’s got endless incredible stories)  

- Jason Bateman (SmartLess podcast — funniest, most normal celebrity ever and a big sports fan)  

- Rob Lowe (Literally podcast — somehow the nicest guy in Hollywood with great stories)

Taylor Thiel- Galesburg HS Boys Basketball Coach

What are you thankful for this year? 

The love and support received from family and friends for my  transition back to Galesburg to take the Coaching position.

What will be your main dish at the T’giving dinner? 

Turkey

What is your favorite T’giving side dish? 

My secret recipe for mashed potatoes.

What is your favorite T’giving dessert?

Any and All...much to my demise.

If you could invite 4 famous guests for T’giving, who would you invite?

Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Elon Musk, Snoop Dogg

Doug Gibb- Bereavement Coordinator Hospice Compassus

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Thankful for Family, Friends, job & health.

What will be your main dish at Thanksgiving?

Turkey/Ham

What is your favorite T’giving side dish?

Homemade Dressing

If could invite 4 famous quests for T’giving, who would you invite?

GOD, Pope Leo XIV, Taylor Odlozil, Travis Kelce

Steve Cheesman- Retired Teacher, Galesburg City Council, Recording Secretary of White Sox Fan Club- Galesburg Chapter

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Grateful for all the blessings I’ve been given

What will be your main dish for Thanksgiving?

Turkey (white meat for me!)

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

Can’t beat dressing

What’s your favorite T’giving dessert?

Cherry pie 

Who are five famous guests you would invite?

The ones that I’d invite are gone, but for those living it would be:

-Mike Reynolds (would have a blast)

-Eric Doss, Mike Campbell & Scott Kelley & Bill Dwyer, too (they count as one because we all communicate as a group); I know I am cheating here, but they have all been friends forever-we’d need plenty of room and food!!!

-Mike Flater (a great friend from early in my life and for all my life)

Kelsi Thompson- Knox Women’s Basketball Ass’t Coach

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Very thankful for my friends and family! I’m also thankful for my job and getting to coach basketball everyday!

What will be your main dish for T’giving?

Turkey 

What is your favorite T’giving side dish?

Corn and mashed potatoes mixed together 

What is your favorite T’giving dessert?

Pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream 

Who are five famous guests you would like to invite?

Taylor Swift, Steph Curry, Brad Underwood, and Adam Sandler 

Antonia Kisler- Carl Sandburg Student

What are you thankful for this year?

I am thankful for my family, friends, my team and coaches, the opportunity to play basketball in college, and every other blessing in my life.

What will be your main dish at the T’giving dinner? 

My main dish will be homemade ravioli. We hand make the dough, sauce, and cheese for every individual ravioli.

What is your favorite T’giving side dish? 

My favorite side dish is probably the apple snickers salad that I make (green apples, snickers, cool whip, and caramel).  Or the fruit salad that my mom puts together. I love sweets, so I tend to eat a lot of fruit. 

What is your favorite T’giving dessert? 

My favorite dessert is probably whatever dessert my mom makes for me since they tend to sing happy birthday to me on Thanksgiving. Usually, the dessert is chocolate cake with chocolate mousse frosting because I love chocolate too!  

If you could invite 4 famous guest for T’giving?

Caitlin Clark, Geno Auriemma, Paige Bueckers, and Michael Jordan just to talk basketball and get more insight on the game!

Sara Wood- Marine Reserves, Nurse

What are you thankful for this year?

I am thankful that my family is healthy and that we get to spend the holiday together.

What will be your main dish at the T’giving dinner?

I don't eat turkey so probably some hummus and veggies.

What is your favorite T’giving side dish?

My Mom makes a hot fruit dish that is really good.

What is your favorite T’giving dessert?

Pumpkin pie

If you could invite 4 famous guest for T’giving, who would you invite?

“Galesburg Famous”…Ami Sinnott (Pendry), Molly Fordyce (Watson), Jen Staats (Bulkeley), Evan Massey

So we could all tell old Coach Massey stories!

Steph Line- Retired Teacher, President of White Sox Fan Club- Galesburg Chapter

Oh boy! 😊

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

I'm thankful for my health, family and friends. I'm truly blessed. 

What will be your main dish at Thanksgiving?

We are pretty traditional! Turkey and the usual sides.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

I always make a small dish of scalloped oysters. Besides me, only Erin and Cam will eat it. I'm working on my grandkids though.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

Pie is a year round favorite dessert. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a slice of pumpkin.

If you could invite 4 famous guests to Thanksgiving dinner, who would you invite?

Famous guests!! Wow! I'd say...

Barrack Obama (I'd give him a plus one in hopes that Michelle would come too.)

Mark Buehrle...What's better than chatting about the White Sox?

Candace Parker......

Conversation about Illinois High School Basketball, Tennessee Vols/Pat Summitt, and the past and future of WNBA. 

James Taylor and some after dinner tunes!