Willie Burford, fourth from the left, was honored by the Kewanee Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Club as the 2026 Outstanding Citizen at a banquet Tuesday night. Asked to reflect on Burford and his contributions to the community were, from left to right, Linnea Gustafson, Russ Hughes, William “Bill” Burford, (Willie Burford), Pat Kelly and Everett Whitcher. In back are Andrew Dwyer, left, and Mike Guess, right. Missing from the photo is Dan Rux who was called away on business after he delivered his remarks. [Photo by Dave Clarke]

Friends, colleagues and his father got to tell Willie Burford just what they thought of him Tuesday night at the 2026 Ambassador Club’s Outstanding Citizen Banquet.

Seventy people attended the annual affair held at the Flemish-American Club to honor Burford, a funeral director with Rux Funeral Homes in Kewanee and Galva.

Following a meal served by Eilers Catering, eight people stepped up to the microphone to tell stories, both humorous and touching, about Burford. All were asked by Burford to speak but were warned that he would have the final turn at the mike.

Speaking were Dan Rux, Pat Kelly, Everett Whitcher, Andy Dwyer, Linnea Gustafson, Russ Hughes, Mike Guens and Buford’s father, William “Bill” Buford.

Many spoke of Buford’s involvement with the Kewanee Kiwanis Club, where he has served twice as president and was recently elected to a third term next year. They also commented about how, even though they worked at competing funeral homes, Buford and the late Brock Tumbleson teamed up to meet and surpass a goal of 100 members in Kiwanis for the club’s 100th anniversary bringing in 35 new members in 14 months.

His hard work and dedication, not only to the community, but also to families he consoled with dignity, compassion and respect in a job he could be called to do no matter the time or day.

Buford was bitten by the “volunteering” bug in high school and never stopped giving back through Kiwanis and other organizations. His driving force was illustrated by Pat Kelly, a friend whose father worked with Gust “Brick” Lundberg at Sandy’s, Inc. Lundberg, the Ambassador’s first Outstanding Citizen in 1976, said “Citizens need to pay their civic rent.”

Kelly said every year when he goes to work at Kiwanis Pancake Day, which Burford and Whitcher co-chair, his father says, “Going to pay your civic rent?.” Kelly added “Willie has more than paid his ‘civic rent.’”

Burford’s father, William Sr., told stories from when his son was growing up and said he never got into “any serious trouble…that he was aware of.” He said he and Willie’s mother were very proud of their son’s accomplishments and know “he tries very hard to please.”

The honoree then took the podium and, after a few humorous responses said, after seeing the names of some of the earlier recipients, was even more honored to receive the award because he hadn’t had the privilege of being born here as many of them were.

Burford was born in Galesburg and while attending Galesburg High School would go to a funeral home across the street and volunteer to help during free periods and after school. He said when he was younger he became interested in the profession when his father, a painter, came home and talked about the funeral homes he had painted that day. His passion continued through high school and drove him on to graduate from the Southern Illinois University School of Mortuary Science and Funeral Service in 1997. He then worked at the G. Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale until he relocated to Kewanee in 2002.

In December of that year he and his wife were visiting family in Galesburg and met Jim and Helen Peck and Jerry and Lu Rux at a dinner. Rux said he had an opening at his funeral home in Kewanee and asked if he would be interested. Rux’s offer sounded tempting and he accepted. He immediately joined Kiwanis which Burford said “gave me a sense of community.”

The guest of honor thanked everyone who came saying “You are all here because you made a difference in my life.”