ALTON - The Annual Eva A. McDonald Women’s History Coalition 36th Breakfast will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at Best Western Premier, 3559 College Ave., Alton.
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Coffee will be served at 8:30 a.m., followed by the program at 9 a.m. Ticket prices are $15 per person.
This year's national theme is Valiant Women of the Vote. The Alton program will be Mrs. Jean Heil presenting Mrs. Anna Wilkenson, suffragette.
Entertainment will be provided by Ms. Monique Clark and music will be provided during the breakfast by Ms. Gigi Darr.
Jean Heil is a 26-year veteran educator (currently teaching Kindergarten in North St. Louis) who has a passion for all things historical. Some of her heroes include Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Thatcher, Abraham Lincoln and Elie Weisel. She enjoys learning new things and has a special place in her heart for Alton and Godfrey history, particularly when being involved in the Vintage Voices program during October each year at the Alton Cemetery. Vintage Voices gives her an opportunity to combine two of her loves: history and theater, as she gets to learn about and portray famous Altonians of the past who are buried in the cemetery. She said she is honored to get to portray Mrs. Anna Wilkenson.
Jean also enjoys running, reading, playing viola with Alton Symphony Orchestra, occasionally getting to act in community theater productions and collecting all things Wonder Woman-related. She is married to the wonderful and talented Pastor Jeff Heil and has three amazing children, Jamie (23, a graduate student at MSU in Springfield, MO), Jayson (18, who is a freshman at the Conservatory of Theater Arts at Webster University) and Julia (12, a beautiful sixth-grader at Alton Middle School). Jean said her children make her life full and bring great purpose. She added that she is blessed to also have a fantastic mother-in-law, Linda Nevlin, in her life who shares so much of herself, her experience and her wisdom with her regularly.
Monique Clark is a member of Unity Fellowship Church in Godfrey, IL where Rev. Charles K. Burton, Jr. is the pastor. She is a member of the choir and works with young adults as part of the Youth Ministry at the church. She is a member of the Riverbend Community Gospel Choir and the Lewis and Clark Community College Gospel choir.
Monique is the daughter of Ed and Fran Clark, sister of Bryan Clark, proud mother of son Justin Brice, daughter-in-law Gelisa Brice and grandmother of Miss. Kaia Brice.
Monique works as a Project Accountant as SCI Engineering in O’Fallon.
This year the coalition will be buying books for the local schools for kindergarten, first, and second grades. The title of this year’s book is "Miss Paul and the President."
