After tragic wreck, friends remember Chillicothe couple's generosity and spirit

In 2020, Teri Sebesta was delivering flowers to Northwest United Methodist Church in Peoria when she struck up a conversation with two of its loyal congregants, Norma and Victor "Vic" Snodgrass.

Little did she know that over two years later, on Nov. 12, 2022, the Snodgrasses would accompany her down the aisle for her wedding to her husband, Bob. Teri's parents had long since passed and Norma and Vic, a Chillicothe couple, stepped into that role with ease. Teri said that over that period of time and since, they had become more than just friends.

"When they took you in and became your friend, you were family," Sebesta said. "Anybody that you talk to would tell you that. They just embodied the word comfort."

That relationship was still blossoming when the Snodgrasses were returning home March 2 from working a memorial service for a fellow congregant at Northwest United. Sebesta was watching her grandchildren when a fellow member of the church called her that evening for what she thought was a conversation about a church directory, but ended up being something much worse.

"She said that Vic and Norma had been killed," Sebesta said.

According to Illinois State Police, the Snodgrasses had been driving on Illinois 6 and began to turn on to Illinois 29 to return to their home in Chillicothe. At that moment, a Ford van ran a red light on Illinois 29 and slammed into a Chevrolet pickup truck – and the Snodgrasses' Honda SUV.

The driver of the van, Charles Mundy, 97, was sent to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, as were the Snodgrasses. The Peoria County Coroner's Office said that Mundy was pronounced dead at 3:24 p.m., with Norma passing six minutes later. Vic died at 4:23 p.m.

Vic, 72, and Norma, 71, left behind their four children, a daughter-in-law, 18 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They left behind friends and co-workers who remembered them as kind, giving and providing a servant's attitude in everything they did.

"They were very caring, always willing to help out in any situation," said Rev. Ted A. Hartley, pastor at Northwest United. "They were especially good at visiting shut-ins – they checked on them, visited them, took things to them, helped out with things they needed. Norma herself was very close with children – I know my grandson was very upset because he would see her every Sunday."

Hartley has been pastor at Northwest United for the past two years and saw Norma and Vic on a regular basis, particularly Norma as she served as an administrative assistant alongside Sebesta. He felt that they always put the needs of others over their own.

"They were very selfless in their care and concern for other people," Hartley said. "We have a lot of people in our church that are very caring, concerned people, but they would go that extra mile."

Sebesta had been living in Peoria for four years prior to her first meeting with the Snodgrasses, having moved from Indiana following a rough divorce with her first husband. She had a large contingent of biracial grandchildren and was looking for a place that would accept them.

The Snodgrasses and Northwest United proved to be perfect for Sebesta and her family, with Norma and Vic embracing their grandchildren as if they were their own.

"It proved that they didn't just talk about loving people, they proved it with their actions," Sebesta said.

Before long, Sebesta felt that she could rely on Norma for a lot of things, enough that it was difficult for her to truly put together all of the things that she had helped her with over the years.

"I don't know how to explain the comfort they give you just by being who they are," Sebesta said. "I don't know how to explain how that relationship blossomed and that you immediately know that you can trust her with anything —never any judgement, just good love."

As for Vic, Sebesta enjoyed his sense of humor and wit, along with his skills as a harmonica player and singer, bringing forth an Irish tenor that she was fond of. The relationship got close enough that she even called them "Mom" and "Pops."

"(Norma) was only 10 years older than me, but she just had that motherly (feeling)," Sebesta said. "When I would go and visit my son in Indiana, she would say, 'Text me when you get there.' If I didn't, I'd hear about it."

Mike Krost's relationship with the Snodgrasses goes back two years earlier than Sebesta's. He proved himself to be useful very quickly, helping the them move into their Chillicothe home. Simple, everyday interactions helped to build the relationship, as he got the chance to get a close-up look at their willingness to serve the community.

"Both of them had a servant's heart and would do anything for anybody," Krost said.

Lisa Rogers served as music director at Northwest United and got the chance to build a relationship with them through their service over a seven-year period beginning in 2017. While her friendship with Norma developed quicker due to proximity in their part-time jobs, their husbands found time to build a friendship through the Great Banquet Community in Peoria.

"We got to know each other very closely as a result of that," Rogers said.

Lisa and Norma were in regular contact throughout their friendship, talking or seeing each other around their community in Chillicothe most days. They were supportive friends when Rogers' husband died two-and-a-half years ago. They enjoyed the company of each other's pets and also let their hair down a bit when it came to having a drink or traveling together.

"They're just very loving people," Rogers said. "In their heart of hearts, they felt that people in general were their family. They were very dedicated to their (regular) family, but humanity was a big deal to them. They're the most non-judgemental people I've ever had the chance to know."

All of those memories and feelings made it difficult the evening of March 2 when people found out that the Snodgrasses had died. Both Sebesta and Rogers couldn't believe what they had heard that night.

"I couldn't wrap my mind around it," Sebesta said through tears. "I looked at my children and my husband and my grandchildren and they were all looking at me and starting to cry."

She broke down and began to cry shortly afterward, still in a sense of shock that two people who she felt were just like family were gone.

"It left a huge hole for so many people," Sebesta said. "Every single person in our church could give you a story about their love, their kindness and the things that they did behind the scenes for anyone that they cared about."

Reflecting back on the sort of people that they were, plenty of words came to mind for Rogers – loving, open-hearted, service-oriented, kind and musical, Vic in particular. The giving spirit and the openness in their hearts, however, were the biggest things that stuck with Rogers about her friends.

"They volunteered many hours at the church and other places," Rogers said. "Vic tutored children and they both read to children. (They) were just loving, open-hearted individuals and not judgmental."

Ahead of the funeral, Hartley thought about words that his daughter-in-law said regarding the couple's legacy.

"She said, 'They were uniquely good people,'" Hartley said. "'As good as people could get, really. They left a hole in the world and in our hearts.'"

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Chillicothe couple left a legacy of generosity before deadly crash