BY KIM LUTTRELL
WESTVILLE — This year, the Westville Lions Club has named John Barton as the parade marshal for the Labor Day parade. The club also has named Dee Latoz as honorary parade marshal.
The Lions Club solicits nominations for parade marshal from the community. After the nominations are made, club members vote in a secret ballot for their choice to be parade marshal. The second runner-up is named honorary parade marshal.
Barton was born and raised in Westville. He attended Westville schools and graduated from Westville High School in 1966. Barton was drafted into the Army after graduation and served a tour of duty in Vietnam.
Upon his discharge from the Army, Barton went to work for the Westville–Belgium Sanitary District. He also attended Danville Area Community College and received advanced certificates in wastewater treatment.
Barton then went to work as a coal miner, working at the Ziegler No. 5 mine in Murdock for 12 years. He then worked for ThyssenKrupp for 19 years.
Barton served the residents of Westville for 22 years as a trustee on the Westville Village Council, until April 2009 when he was elected road commissioner for Georgetown Township.
Barton is a member of the Lions Club and the Westville American Legion Post 51. He is a past member of the Knights of Columbus and a volunteer presenter and loan executor for the annual United Way campaign.
Dee Latoz and her family are primarily known for their ownership of Latoz Hardware since 1946. Latoz follows in the foot-steps of other members of her family who have served as parade marshals in the parade. Her father, Tony and her mother, Mollie have served as parade marshals, as well as her brother, Vic.
Latoz was born and raised in Westville. She attended St. Mary’s School and graduated from Westville High School in 1961.
Latoz began her college education at Southern Illinois University but took time out to work in the family hardware store and as an administrative assistant and substitute teacher at Westville High School.
Latoz continued her education at the University of Illinois and went on to graduate from Parsons College in Iowa in 1971.
Latoz has worked continuously at the hardware store since 1976.
This year the Lions Club has initiated a new honor. It is called the Living Legacy Award.
According to Gary Delhaye of the Westville Lions Club, the award will be given to someone who has a long history of giving back to the community.
The first recipient of the Living Legacy Award is Larry Huber.
Huber, while not a native of Westville, has shown he really cares about Westville and the people who live there.
Huber and his family came to Westville in 1969 when he became principal at Westville Junior High School. In 1985, Huber was named superintendent of the Westville school system.
Huber has been a member of the Lions Club for 28 years and served a term as president. He is past secretary and president of the Vermilion County Elementary Principals Association.
Huber also has been a basketball referee for 28 years and a football referee for 20 years of the Illinois High School Association. He also served in many capacities at Trinity United Church of Christ in Westville.
Huber also has served two terms on the Westville Credit Union board.
In 1987, Larry donated a kidney to his brother and was able to give his brother 15 years of life.
After 40 years in Westville, Huber considers Westville to his hometown.
