ROCHELLE — The City of Rochelle and the Rochelle Chamber dedicated a butterfly garden on Tuesday at the corner of 10th Avenue and North 7th Street in memory of Diane McNeilly, a longtime community leader who spent her career at Kishwaukee College, where she became vice president of instruction, and was active in numerous local boards, recreation projects, and civic organizations, leaving a lasting impact on education, fitness, and community life in Rochelle. Her daughter spoke about her late mother, who passed away in 2023.
“ It’s a slice of flowers and it’s just a slice of mom,” Kristine said Tuesday. “I think her spirit was here. Her spirit is in Rochelle this would mean the world to her. This will be a place for everyone and she would want people to come here and sit and think and enjoy outside. And that’s incredibly important for her.”