Monroe County Fair brings community together to memorialize teen
Even though Emma Schultheis, 14, just recently finished her first year in high school, her unexpected death reverberated throughout Monroe County. The community honored her memory during an auction at her favorite place, the Monroe County Fair.
At Thursday evening’s 4H and FFA Market Animal Auction, family, friends and a representative of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office remembered Emma’s spirit. Fair week was her “Super Bowl,” Red Bud Future Farmers of America said in a Facebook post. Many attendees wore blue shirts and ribbons — Emma’s favorite color — said her mother, Amanda Schultheis, 36.
“She was a wonderful, helpful, sweet little girl,” Amanda said of her daughter. “She was our best friend.”
Amanda also described her daughter as a ball of energy, a fact reiterated by others who knew her.
“If that girl wasn’t going 110 miles per hour, she wasn’t content,” said Carrie Koester, Red Bud FFA adviser and the school’s agriculture instructor.
Emma died in a St. Louis hospital from a gunshot wound after Monroe County emergency services found her wounded at 5925 Illinois 3 in Waterloo at bout 1:34 p.m. Monday. Police say a firearm was recovered at the scene. Few other details have been released, though police said the injuries were not self inflicted and that “no suspects at large and no threat to the community stemming from this incident.”
Emma, a Prairie du Rocher resident who would have started her sophomore year at Red Bud High School next month, was an avid member of Red Bud High School’s FFA and Maeystown 4-H Clovers Club.
In addition to working with livestock, Emma was an avid multi-sport athlete, Amanda said.
Her freshman year, Emma played varsity volleyball and track, although she also enjoyed softball and basketball, her mother said. Emma’s principal Alan Guehne said Emma had a “bright, energetic personality.”
Koester said Emma was honing in on her passions for her sophomore year. She decided she would continue FFA, track and begin cross country.
Along with her passion for sports, Emma had a generational love for raising livestock. Both of her parents, Amanda and David Anthony, were raised around animals, and gave their daughter the same upbringing.
“She’s been around animals all her life,” Amanda said.
This year, Amanda said, Emma narrowed her focus to pigs and cows. The family had recently returned from the Clinton County Fair in Carlyle on July 16, which marked Emma’s first time traveling to show off her animals. She won second place for her steer and first place for heifer.
Emma posted on social media about the feat, which Koester shared with Thursday’s auction attendees.
“I never would have expected that at a show I’ve never been to, but we got it done,” the post reads.
Memorial auction for Emma
Despite oppressive heat and humidity Thursday, the bleachers in the beef barn were full as the auction prepared to start. The bleachers surrounded a half circle of fencing with the auctioneer block at the center.
To the left of the box was the gateway to the circle, and hanging in a wreath above the gate was a photo of Emma.
Before the auction began, Illinois Director of Agriculture Jerry Costello II arrived to deliver a letter from Pritzker, who called and asked Costello to pass on his condolences to the Schultheis family.
“At this moment, we’re not red or blue,” Costello said. “We’re green.”
Costello hugged Amanda and a moment of silence began once he left.
Then, the first animal came out, brought in by Emma’s cousin, Isac Smith. The first was a steer named Rocky. Rocky sold for $7,500 to George Webber.
The next of Emma’s animals was a pig named “Bacon.” Mid-auction, the pig escaped and ran around the auction yard before it was sold for $4,000 to Matt Fricke.
In total, $11,500 was made through Emma’s animals.
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 11:32 AM.
