Frank Patrick Hanafin was born in Aurora, Illinois June 7, 1880.  In 1904 he married Edith Banker, also from Aurora.  She was the daughter of Conrad Banker and Eva Slaker, farmers near Aurora.  Her mother, Eva Slaker was one of ten children of Joseph Ochsenschlager, who was born in Germany December 25, 1816 and came to America settling on a farm north of Aurora in 1844.  Mr. Hanafin was a newspaperman his entire life.  He became the city editor of the Aurora Beacon News and the General Manager of the Elgin Courier. He moved to Danville and became a part owner of the Danville Morning Press.  In October of 1928 he sold his interest in that paper, moved to Litchfield and bought the two daily newspapers, the Daily Union and the Litchfield News-Herald, combining them into a single paper, the News-Herald, independent in politics, and free of political, creed and class bias.  Frank and Edith Hanafin had three children, John Patrick (Jack), who became editor and publisher of the News-Herald, Frank Patrick, Jr., a writer of law books for the West Publishing Company in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a daughter, Mary Patricia.  All three were graduates of the University of Illinois.

Mary Patricia Hanafin was born on March 17, 1920.  She married Carroll Kramer Heitzman, son of John and Eleanor Heitzman, farmers, born April 6, 1920 near San Jose, Illinois.  They met while they were both students at the University of Illinois in Urbana, in 1940.  She was a journalism student, and he was a student of agricultural engineering.  After graduating from college in 1942, Carroll enlisted in the United States Army and served as an infantry officer and Company Commander with the Second Division in Europe.  He landed on Omaha Beach on D+1 and fought across Europe and in the Battle of the Bulge.  He was a recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.  He retired as a Major in the Army Reserves.  When he returned to the States in 1945 after VE Day, he and Mary Pat settled in Litchfield, Illinois and raised four children, Patrick John, Frank Edward, Mary Katherine, and Sally Ann.  Carroll worked for several years as a field man for the Litchfield Creamery.  In 1951 he was appointed by President Harry S. Truman as Postmaster of the Litchfield Post Office by Harry Truman and served in that position for over 38 years until his retirement in 1989.  Carroll and Mary Pat were longtime members of St. Marys Catholic Church in Litchfield (now Holy Family).  Carroll was an active member of the Rotary Club where he served in a number of offices, including president of the Litchfield club, and regional director.  He was also a member of the Litchfield Elks, Moose, and American Legion, the Red Cross Board and the United Fund Board.  He was a forceful civic booster.  In the 1960s, as a member of the Litchfield Swimming Pool Association, he successfully promoted the construction of Memorial Pool.  He served on the Carnegie Library Board for many years, including a term as its President.  He was an avid amateur photographer, and won numerous regional and national awards with his artistic photographs.  He took many of the photographs for the Litchfield Centennial Book in 1953.  After Carroll retired, he spent most of his leisure time making colorful wooden toys for children who were in hospitals in the area, and was designated as an Illinois Artisan.  Mary Pat taught homebound high school students, and participated in many church activities.  Mary Pat and Carroll enjoyed extensive travel to historic sites throughout this country and Europe.

Patrick John Heitzman graduated from the University of Illinois in Veterinary Medicine and has his own small-animal veterinary medicine practice in Freeport, Illinois.  He married Sharon Bergman of Litchfield.  They have one son, Michael Patrick, who is married to Catherine and lives in Freeport, Illinois.  Frank Edward Heitzman graduated from the University of Illinois in Architecture.  He has an architectural practice in Oak Park, Illinois.  He married Sandra Frensko of Chicago, and they have three children, Christopher, Nicholas, and Alexandra (Xan).  Mary Katherine (Kay) Heitzman graduated from the University of Illinois and is a management executive in Los Angeles, California.  She is married to Gordon Morris.  They have two children, Eric and Matthew who both live in the Los Angeles area.  Sally Ann Heitzman and her husband Robert Craig are both retired and live in beautiful Morgantown, Indiana.  They have two sons, Curtis, an engineer in Terra Haute, Indiana, and Jacob, an electrician.