The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Decatur, Illinois . For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Decatur, Illinois .
Authors and academics [ edit ] Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference
Karl August Folkers Sep 1, 1906 Dec 7, 1991 Biochemist known for work on the structure of coenzyme Q10 Born in Decatur [ 1] Charles J. Givens Feb 5, 1941 Jul 12, 1998 Financial lecturer and author Born in Decatur [ 2] Nathan H. Lents Sep 22, 1978 Biologist, professor, and author Born in Decatur James W. Loewen Feb 6, 1942 Aug 19, 2021 Author, historian, and sociology professor Born in Decatur [ 3] Richard Peck Apr 10, 1934 May 24, 2018 Children's author; 2001 Newbery Medal winner Born in Decatur Marvin A. Sweeney Jul 4, 1953 Author, biblical scholar, and professor Grew up in Decatur Alice S. Tyler Apr 27, 1859 Apr 18, 1944 Librarian, president American Library Association 1920-1921 Born in Decatur Buried in Decatur (Greenwood Cemetery)
Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference Charles E. Boles (a.k.a. Black Bart)
1829 1888 Western outlaw Lived in Decatur
Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference Chris Berry (broadcaster) Aug 11, 1960 Broadcasting journalist and management Born in Decatur Jenny Lou Carson Jan 13, 1915 Dec 16, 1978 Country singer-songwriter inducted in Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Born in Decatur June Christy Nov 20, 1925 Jun 21, 1990 Jazz singer Grew up in Decatur Loren Coleman Jul 12, 1947 Author, cryptozoologist, radio and television personality Grew up in Decatur Dale Connelly Oct 4, 1955 Host of Minnesota Public Radio 's Radio Heartland [ 4] Brian Culbertson Jan 12, 1973 Jazz musician Born in Decatur Annamary Dickey Apr 11, 1911 June 1, 1999 Soprano at the Metropolitan Opera and star of Broadway musicals Born in Decatur John Doe Feb 25, 1954 Founder of L.A. punk band X Born in Decatur Thelma Given Mar 9, 1896 Dec 25, 1977 Concert pianist Raised in Decatur Chad Gray Oct 16, 1971 Singer of alternative metal band Mudvayne Born in Latham Jonathan Hammond Filmmaker Grew up in Decatur [ 5] Steve Hunter Jun 14, 1948 Guitarist with Mitch Ryder, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, and Peter Gabriel Born in Decatur [ 6] Alison Krauss Jul 23, 1971 Country/Bluegrass singer and songwriter; most-awarded singer in history of Grammy Awards [ 7] Born in Decatur RonReaco Lee Aug 27, 1977 Actor (The Good Guys ; Let's Stay Together ) Born in Decatur Judy Martin Jul 23, 1917 Nov 17, 1951 Country and gospel singer; wife of Red Foley Born in Decatur Nan Martin Jul 15, 1927 Mar 4, 2010 Actress (Mr. Sunshine , The Thorn Birds , Santa Barbara , The Drew Carey Show ) Born in Decatur Stephen Mason Jul 8, 1975 Guitar player for Jars of Clay Grew up in Decatur Boots Randolph Jun 3, 1927 Jul 3, 2007 Jazz saxophonist; composer of Yakety Sax Played with Dink Welch's Kopy Kats in Decatur (1948 to 1954) Emitt Rhodes Feb 25, 1950 Jul 19, 2020 Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and recording engineer Born in Decatur Herbert Ryman Jun 28, 1910 Feb 10, 1989 Artist and Disney Imagineer Grew up in Decatur Jackie Spinner Author, journalist, college professor; Fulbright Scholar Grew up in Decatur Edwin B. Willis Jan 28, 1893 Nov 26, 1963 Academy Award winning motion picture set designer & decorator Born in Decatur
Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference Loren D. Hagen Feb 25, 1946 Aug 7, 1971 United States Army first lieutenant - awarded Medal of Honor 1964 Graduate of MacArthur High School [ 8] Lemuel F. Holland Jul 28, 1840 Jan 13, 1914 Union Army sergeant – awarded Medal of Honor Buried in Decatur (Greenwood Cemetery) Hermann Lieb May 24, 1826 Mar 5, 1908 Union Army officer Lived in Decatur Isaac C. Pugh Nov 23, 1805 Nov 19, 1874 Union Army general Buried in Decatur (Greenwood Cemetery) James H. Rupp May 17, 1918 Sep 30, 1998 United States Navy lieutenant commander Lived in Decatur Benjamin W. Schenck Aug 12, 1837 Feb 19, 1916 Union Army private – awarded Medal of Honor Buried in Decatur (Greenwood Cemetery)
Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference Walter "Boom-Boom" Beck Oct 16, 1904 May 7, 1987 Pitcher for six Major League Baseball teams Born in Decatur Chuck Dressen Sep 20, 1894 Aug 10, 1966 Manager and coach for six Major League Baseball teams, 2-time World Series champion Born in Decatur Harry East 1862 1905 Infielder for Baltimore Orioles Born in Decatur Jeff Innis Jul 5, 1962 Jan 30, 2022 Pitcher for New York Mets Born in Decatur Kevin Koslofski Sep 24, 1966 Outfielder for Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers Born in Decatur Hobie Landrith Mar 16, 1930 Apr 6, 2023 Catcher and coach for seven Major League Baseball teams Born in Decatur Fred T. Long Jan 22, 1896 Mar 23, 1966 Baseball player in Negro leagues ; college football coach Born in Decatur Bill Madlock Jan 12, 1951 Third baseman for Texas Rangers , Chicago Cubs , San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates , Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers , 4-time NL batting champion Grew up in Decatur Joe McGinnity Mar 20, 1871 Nov 14, 1929 MLB pitcher from 1899-1908, won 246 games, inducted 1946 in Baseball Hall of Fame Grew up in Decatur Dan Porter Oct 17, 1931 Jan 7, 2017 Outfielder for Washington Senators Born in Decatur Kevin Roberson Jan 29, 1968 Outfielder for Chicago Cubs and New York Mets Born in Decatur Art Scharein Jun 30, 1905 Jul 2, 1969 Infielder for St Louis Browns Born in Decatur George Scharein Nov 21, 1914 Dec 23, 1981 Shortstop for Philadelphia Phillies Born in Decatur Jack Sheridan 1862 Nov 2, 1914 Umpire (1890–1914), worked at four World Series including Cubs' victory of 1908 Born in Decatur Roe Skidmore Oct 30, 1945 Pinch-hitter for Chicago Cubs , rare MLB player with batting average of 1.000 Born in Decatur Brian Snitker Oct 17, 1955 Manager of Atlanta Braves (2016-Present) Born in Decatur Del Unser Dec 9, 1944 Center fielder for Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians , New York Mets , Montreal Expos and Philadelphia Phillies Born in Decatur
Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference Jason Avant Apr 20, 1983 Wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs Attended MacArthur High School in Decatur Steve Fairchild Jun 21, 1958 Head football coach at Colorado State University Born in Decatur George Halas Feb 2, 1895 Oct 31, 1983 Founder of the Decatur Staleys , which became the Chicago Bears Lived in Decatur Harry Long Dec 28, 1897 Dec 8, 1945 College football coach and Wiley College biology professor Born in Decatur Brit Miller Sep 15, 1986 Fullback for the St. Louis Rams Born in Decatur Dante Ridgeway Apr 18, 1984 Wide receiver for the New York Jets , St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints Grew up in Decatur, MacArthur High School graduate
Name Image Birth Death Known for Association Reference Guy Carlton Jan 16, 1954 May 11, 2001 weightlifter Olympic medal winner Went to High School in Decatur Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls Apr 23, 1968 IFBB bodybuilder Grew up in Decatur Penny Hammel Mar 24, 1962 Golfer on the LPGA Tour Born in Decatur
^ Olson, R E (September 1, 2001). "Karl August Folkers (1906–1997)" . Journal of Nutrition . 131 (9): 2227–30. doi :10.1093/jn/131.9.2227 . PMID 11533258 . ^ "Get-Rich Guru Charles J. Givens Dies" . The Washington Post . Fred Ryan. July 1998. Retrieved 13 October 2021 . ^ McFadden, Robert (20 August 2021). "James W. Loewen, Who Challenged How History Is Taught, Dies at 79" . The New York Times . Retrieved 31 January 2022 . ^ Health Science Librarians of Illinois News Letter, Vol. 22, Issue ¾, page 6 [1] ^ Evans, Julia Dixon (2020-06-09). " 'Expect A Miracle': A Pandemic And A Boiling Point" . KPBS Public Media . Retrieved 2022-11-28 . ^ Greene, Andy (11 November 2020). "Guitarist Steve Hunter on His Journey From 'Berlin' to 'Billion Dollar Babies' " . Rolling Stone . Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 14 October 2021 . ^ Todd Leopold (2009-02-09). "Plant, Krauss rise with 'Raising Sand' at Grammys" . CNN . Retrieved 2022-06-10 . ^ Fallstrom, Bob (November 8, 2010). "Honoring 'a natural born leader' " . Herald & Review . Retrieved December 11, 2016 .