This year’s Monroe County Fair was marked early on with the tragic loss  of Emma Schultheis, a 14-year-old farm girl who was active in FFA and 4-H and was a much-loved presence at the fair each year.

From Prairie du Rocher, Schultheis was a member of St. John United Church of Christ in Maeystown, attended Red Bud High School – where she participated in FFA – and was part of the Maeystown Clovers 4-H Club all on top of participating in several sports.

Her passing was announced last Monday, and the impact was felt throughout fair week and beyond.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, joined by Monroe County EMS, responded to 5925 Route 3 in Waterloo for a medical emergency shortly after 1:30 p.m., arriving within minutes and immediately engaging in life-saving measures, including CPR.

The juvenile who was injured in the incident – later reported to be Schultheis – was transported to a St. Louis-area hospital where, despite continued efforts, she was ultimately pronounced deceased.

The MCSD investigation revealed Schultheis died as a result of a gunshot wound. A firearm was located and secured at the scene, police said. The Illinois State Police Crime Scene Unit responded to assist with processing the scene.

Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing said the shooting was not self-inflicted, with no suspects at large nor threat to the community relating to the incident.

Rohlfing later told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Thursday that someone else had been holding the firearm at the time of the shooting, and it was a “freak accident.”

Rohlfing told the Republic-Times his department concluded its investigation late last week, and the findings will be given to the Monroe County State’s Attorney’s Office for review upon receiving a ballistics report from ISP investigators.

The full report is expected to be delivered this week, with the state’s attorney’s office then tasked with determining what charges, if any, are applicable based on police findings related to last Monday’s incident.

Schultheis was the daughter of Amanda and David Schultheis. Funeral services took place Tuesday morning at St. John UCC in Maeystown.

Known for showcasing animals every fair week, Schultheis was represented by her fellow 4-H Clover Blakelee Schwarze, who showed her beef submissions during judging Thursday morning.

Schwarze was joined by Schultheis’ grandmother Ruth Kueker in accepting a grand champion ribbon for Schultheis’ bull calf entry.

Schultheis received special recognition at the fair Thursday evening, where she was honored during the 4-H & FFA Market Animal Auction.

With the crowd offering a moment of silence in her memory, two mentors of hers also took the time to speak prior to the auction.

The first was Carrie Koester, Red Bud FFA advisor as well as ag teacher at RBHS, who described the energy and drive that Schultheis had in school and in her ag activities.

“If Emma wasn’t going 110 miles an hour, she wasn’t satisfied,” Koester said. “She wanted to be part of everything, sports, every friend group and, of course, FFA. This girl simply could not sit still.”

Koester further recalled how she was happy to speak when she was knowledgeable on a topic, lend a hand to her classmates and “go along with my corny ag teacher jokes with that grin on her and, usually, that classic teenage eye roll.”

She lamented Schultheis’ passing at such a young age, noting the years of high school she had ahead of her and emphasizing how much she will be missed.

Koester also read Schultheis’ last Facebook post from the week prior, discussing her recent participation at a cattle show and her anticipation for the Monroe County Fair.

“Emma, your show may have come to an end on this Earth, but I know you’re checking your livestock in heaven,” Koester said. “With your spunk and your grit and that contagious smile, you will always be part of this show ring, our chapter and our hearts.”

Schultheis’ 4-H leader Lisa Schwarze also spoke briefly prior to the auction, recalling how she’d worked with Emma for seven years.

“Emma was a live wire and full of spunk,” Schwarze said. “She certainly enjoyed showing every species at some point here at the Monroe County Fair.”

Also speaking before the auction was Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II, who visited the fair Thursday evening to offer condolences to the Schultheis family and the community.

“The ag family in the state of Illinois is so close,” Costello said. “All of our 4-H members, our FFA members mean so much to us, and we are deeply, deeply, deeply saddened by this tragic loss… We are all, as a family, together in such a terrible situation. We will work together to pull through it together, as an agricultural family, especially keeping an eye out for our youth.”

At the start of Thursday’s auction, two of Schultheis’ animals went to bid first, her steer purchased for $7,500 from George Weber Chevrolet and her hog purchased for $4,000 from Matthew Fricke of Warning Lights in Columbia.

Schultheis was again recognized Sunday during FFA Fun Night at the fair and what would have been her 15th birthday.

Monroe County Fair Association President Don Schrader offered some words for her in his speech prior to the FFA event, emphasizing that the fair happens in the first place for the benefit of youth like Schultheis.

“We know we do it for the kids,” Schrader said. “4-H, FFA, those are the reason the fair was founded and we continue to do it. That’s why it hurts so bad to have to lose a special young girl this year… She was a light wherever you seen her.”

After Schrader’s comments, St. John UCC Pastor Patrick Poole offered a prayer for the evening, during which he addressed the crowd and spoke about the impact of Schultheis’ loss as well as the place she had at the fair.

“She is a part of this community,” Poole said. “She sweated with you. She worked in the stables with you. She had long nights with you. This was her happy place. This was the place she felt the most joy.”

During the FFA Fun Night activities that followed, Schultheis’ friends in the Red Bud FFA wore shirts with her name on their shoulders, and they ultimately claimed first place at the event.

In the days since her passing, plenty of individuals in the community have taken to social media to mourn her loss and voice their support for Schultheis’ family.

One such individual was Monroe County 4-H Youth Development Coordinator Kelly Brandt, who discussed her connection with Schultheis through the Maeystown 4-H Clovers.

“Not only was Emma a 4-H member in our county that I oversee, but she was in my own kids’ club as well, so I’ve had even more of a chance to see her grow up over the years and develop a relationship with her family,” Brandt said. “Even through the heartbreak and shock, her leaders and I are very proud of Emma and all of her accomplishments in her short life and are glad to have been a part of it.”

With the county fair closing for this year, Schultheis will be in the hearts of folks in Monroe County for a long time to come, and her absence will continue to be felt at next year’s fair.