4-H House's philanthropy Journey honors the lives of Jennifer and Jackie Esworthy, who were killed in a fatal car accident on June 8, 1997. Jen and Jackie were traveling home from a family gathering with their parents and Jen's fiance when a drunken driver broad sided their car. Jen and Jackie were killed and the others seriously injured.
Journey's purpose is to help ensure the safety of all those who travel the streets and highways of Illinois. Journey's mission is simple: Keep repeat drunken drivers off the road and keep loved ones safe. Journey raises money towards increasing the number of video cameras available in police cars so officers can videotape a driver's reactions.
Jen Esworthy, 22, was a 1997 graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in business. Jen served as president, treasurer, Dad's day chair and countless other offices at 4-H House.Jackie Esworthy was four years younger than Jen and had just been admitted to the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences for the fall 1997 semester. She would have began her pledging semester at 4-H House that same semester.
The women of 4-H House honor the memory of Jen and Jackie Esworthy through an annual Euchre tournament held every spring. In the fall, 4-H House raises awareness of drunk driving through a homecoming float in the Homecoming Parade.
Journey's Fresh Approach
Daily Illini, 1997
Editorials
The termination of drunk driving is a war that must be fought on many fronts. It is not enough to work at only one level and hope the efforts at that level prevail.
It is not enough only to hope that a friend will take away the keys of a potential drunk driver; it is not enough only to hope that a bartender will realize that a customer should not have another drink; it is not enough only to hope that a police officer recognizes the driving habits of a drunk driver. Drunk driving will be terminated when it is discourages by many forces, not one.
A local advocacy group names Journey understands how a drunk driver can slip though any cracks. On June 8, 1997, Jennifer and Jackie Esworthy of nearby Ogden were killed when a drunk driver ran a stop sign on U.S. Route 45 at the Iroquois-Kankakee county line. Jennifer was 22 years old and a recent graduate of the University; Jackie was 18 years old and would have started her first year of studies at the University this semester. The two women and their family were returning home from a christening when the crash occurred.
The driver charged with two counts of reckless homicide is Terry Clark, who has a criminal record if resisting licenses and driving under the influence of alcohol.
The family and friends of the Esworthy sisters were understandably outraged that someone with a history of drunk driving had fallen through the cracks. They formed the group Journey and took actions.
Journey has established yet another safeguard against drunk driving in Champaign County: The group realized that video footage of a driver's sobriety test makes more DUI convictions possible. The group has already raised money for a surveillance camera and training for one police officer using that surveillance camera. The group's long-term goal is to have a camera in every police car in Champaign County.
Journey understands how to end drunk driving: not be viewing drunk driving as a problem that can be ended simply, but understanding it as a complicated problem that must be attacked on many fronts. We congratulate Journey for finding and starting to repair a loophole through which many drunk drivers falls. We extend our condolences to the Esworthy family for the loss of their two daughters.
In Memory of Friends
The Homefront
by Holly (Hinderliter) Spangler, '98
Though some of you may have heard, many probably have not: 4-H House lost a very dear sister and a future member last summer. Jennifer Esworthy, '97 and her sister Jackie, '01, were involved in a fatal car accident on June 8, 1997. Jen and Jackie were traveling home to St. Joseph, Ill., from a family gathering with their parents, Jim and Barb, and Jen's fiancé, Daryl Brauer, when a drunken driver broad sided their car. Jen and Jackie were killed, and Jim, Barb and Daryl are recovering from their serious injuries. Daryl had proposed to Jen during spring break last year, and the two were planning a May 1998 wedding. Jen majored in business administration/marketing and was about to begin her career with Target in Minneapolis.
It's nearly impossible to say how much Jen gave to 4-H House. Before graduating last spring, she had served as president, treasurer, Dad's Day chair and countless other offices. In a Spring '96 newsletter article on being selected as the 4-H House Service Award recipient, Jen wrote that her decision to live at 4-H House was the best she ever made. Considering everything she did across campus that was a pretty significant statement.
But what's even harder to say is how much she meant to the women she lived with. At the funeral, one of her friends said that they were best friends, but that Jen seemed to have a lot of best friends. That makes sense, because that's just the way Jen was. I'll always remember her bouncing into the room—that's what Jen did, she bounced—and pushing back her wildly curly hair as she asked, "How's it goin' cutie?!" Usually, Jan Croegaert, '97, was not too far away. From day one, Jen and Jan were a nearly inseparable pair in their pledge class, Where one was, the other was not far away. Jen always had time for everyone and she always had time for the house. If you were stressing about getting something done, she said "OK, what can I so?"
One night a couple of years ago, Jen volunteered to make a flaying trip to Menard's with me to buy the ceiling fans that the Dads Association had approves us. We needed those fans so the electrician could put them up the next day. Of course, Menard's was closing at 10 p.m. and we left the house at about 9:45 p.m., but that didn't matter. "We'll make it" she said. We did make it, and to this day I laugh and think of Jen every time I look at those fans.
Jackie Esworthy was four years younger than Jen, and was to being pledging 4-H House this fall. Though most of us hadn't gotten to know Jackie very well yet, we were all looking forward to it. From what I've heard, Jackie was also full of talent and energy, and had "never met a stranger." As captain of the St. Joseph/Ogden softball team, Jackie was involved in plenty of activities and left behind many, many good friends.
It's been several months now, but there are always things that remind us of Jen. Sometimes it's little things such as finding a not in the president's file in Jen's handwriting. Other times, it's at house events like Initiation or Formal Pledging when we know how excited Jen would be about a new addition to her house family. Nearly every time I sit at the house's piano, I'm reminded of playing with Jen and solving plenty of problems together on the piano bench. Or, it's when something exciting happens and I just wish I could tell her about it.
We all miss Jen so much, and we miss the opportunity to have gotten to know Jackie. They were beautiful girls and wonderful people —it's easy to see why God needed them for his angels.
Long Journey
News Gazette, 1997
by Rosemary Garhart
For parents, there can be no greater loss than that of a child.
To lose two at one to a drunken driver who should've been locked up would test the faith of the most devout parents.
Jim and Barb Esworthy of Ogden surely have been tested. And in attempting to make sense of the deaths of their two daughters, the Esworthys have gathered friends and family together in a group called "Journey." The group's aim is simple: Keep repeat drunken drivers off the road and spare other families grief the Esworthys have suffered.
Journey's double J logo stands for Jennifer and Jackie Esworthy, two young women just reaching adulthood, full of promise. By all accounts, they were the kind of girls who would make any parent proud. They were killed on U.S. 45 near the Iroquois-Kankakee county line when the car they were riding in was struck by a car driven by Terry Clark, 35, of Kankakee. Clark's drunken-driving record dates back to 1984. At the time of the accident, his license had been revoked. His wife told police he had consumed two cases of beer that day and refused to let her drive.
Journey is working with state Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Sidney, and Champaign County State's Attorney John Piland to craft legislation that would target repeat offenders of the state's DUI law. Proposals include providing the authority to seize the car driven by a drunken driver, including cars lent to them by friends of family.
Another proposal would permanently revoke the driver's license of someone convicted of drunken driving four times.
The issue of periodic sentencing also will examined. At the time of the accident, Clark had been sentenced to serving alternate weekends in jail. He had shown up drunk the previous weekend, which violated the terms of his sentence. That should have meant Clark would start serving straight time rather than just the weekends. But a court order never arrived in time to lock Clark up.
Journey also hopes to establish a statewide network to monitor how drunken driving laws are enforced, community be community. Enforcement of drunken driving laws varies widely across the state. Is the group can determine which counties need stricter enforcement of the laws, resources can be targeted for those areas.
Journey would also like to help increase the number of video cameras available in police cars so offenders can tape a driver's actions. Actions may be more telling in court than an officer's description of what happened.
The group's undertaking will not be an easy one. There is much ground to cover. Journey could use more help.
Often it takes a great tragedy to provoke change.
The Esworthys know about great tragedy. Perhaps their story will move others to make changes.