Catherine Edmiston
December 6, 1929 ~ August 6, 2017
Catherine Edmiston: Reasons to Believe
By Jeff Biggers
“To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards out of men.”
–Ella Wheeler Wilcox, American poet
“I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”
–Wendell Berry, American poet
Catherine “Cathy” Edmiston, friend, writer, farmer, teacher, community advocate, quilter of communities:
In the heartland, she brought grace to the world, and a clear voice to our dirt roads, fields of corn and dreams, town centers, school rooms and state houses;
The last remaining petitioner fighting for justice regarding the revision of permits for the massive and toxic Deer Run coal slurry impoundment, taking the stand to testify against the phalanx of coal company legal teams and sycophantic state officials in the summer of 2015;
A relentless whistleblower who forewarned the Hillsboro community and central Illinois region about the safety of the Deer Run Mine longwall mine–which has remained idle for two years, as fires raged below and carbon monoxide levels triggered alarms;
A muckraker who exposed the corruption of the regulatory mining processes that legally allowed for violation-ridden mining practices, including violations of the Clean Water War, violations of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, and untold violations of state regulations and laws;
A justice seeker who forewarned against reckless absentee corporate policies that resulted in violations of Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, engagement in sexual and gender discrimination, and violations of safety precautions for miners and surrounding communities;
In an interview with the Illinois Times in 2015, Cathy nailed the dilemma of our times, living in a state of constant violations: “Citizens shouldn’t have to hire a lawyer,” Edmiston said, “to make the corporations follow the law.”
Catherine Edmiston gave us a reason to believe in the still small possibility of justice for our communities.
Jeff Biggers is a noted and accomplished author of several publications including “Reckoning at Eagle Creek” and most recent, “The Trials of a Scold.”