Clifton Floyd Caldwell 

	Clif Caldwell, 46 year newspaper veteran and former owner and publisher of the Christopher Progress and Herrin Spokesman newspapers, died Sunday, February 29, 2004.  Mr. Caldwell died at the home of Doug and Mary Ann Caldwell in Somerset, Pa. surrounded by his loving family. He was 87 and lived in Christopher, IL.
	Mr. Caldwell died of complications after a lengthy battle with cancer.  Although weakened by cancer in recent years, Mr. Caldwell continued to live an active life of golf and community involvement.
	His distinguished newspaper career covered five states and stops in Oklahoma, Texas, Massachusetts, Florida and Illinois.  The veteran publisher was recognized for his contributions in journalism highlighted by his election to the SIU Editors Hall of Fame located at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
	In 1946, Mr. Caldwell started his newspaper career in Ada, Oklahoma after graduating from Oklahoma University.  Soon after, he accepted the advertising managers position at a weekly newspaper in Shamrock, TX.  Mr. Caldwell joined the Texas City Sun, Texas City, Texas, in 1947 as advertising manager.  
	While at Texas City, Mr. Caldwell became the publisher of the Sun and the neighboring daily newspaper, the Galveston News.  
	In 1967, he accepted the publishers position at the Fitchburg Sentinel, Fitchburg, Massachusetts.  It was a role he assumed until 1973 when he was named publisher of the Lake City Reporter in Lake City, Fla.
	His distinguished newspaper career expanded into the ownership of the Christopher Progress and Herrin Spokesman, a group of weeklies in Franklin and Williamson County in 1974. There, Mr. Caldwell applied his craft as the consummate newspaper professional.  His newspaper community coverage provided local news to communities in Sesser, Zeigler, Royalton, Johnston City, Carterville, as well as Christopher and Herrin.
	Caldwell was noted for his soft spoken approach and in depth local community news coverage in his weekly newspaper operations.  Joined by his wife, Verna Mildred Millie Caldwell, Mr. Caldwell instituted zoned editions of his weeklies that provided published local news for the seven different southern Illinois communities.  Mr. Caldwells weekly newspapers typically contained between 32 and 48 pages of comprehensive local news. This dedicated coverage was recognized numerous times by local and state press associations.
	Many readers remember his award winning newspaper column Clifhanger.  Mr. Caldwell addressed issues affecting his readers and didnt back off from local controversies, including disagreements in principal with local politicians.  He contrasted his serious subjects with a mixture of humor in his columns that appealed to the broad spectrum of southern Illinois readers.
	In 1987, Mr. Caldwell sold the Christopher Progress and the Herrin Spokesman to American Publishing.  He retired after the sale of the newspaper and settled in the town he called home, Christopher.
	Mr. Caldwell was a World War II Navy veteran.  He fought in the Pacific and Atlantic theatres including stints in the Aleutian Islands and hunting German submarines in the English Channel.  He served from 1941 until the conclusion of the war in 1945.
	Committed to local communities, he was involved in Lions Clubs throughout his newspaper career.  Mr. Caldwell served as president of the Lions Clubs in Texas City, TX. and in Christopher, IL.   He also served as a board member of Man-Tra-Con in southern Illinois.
 	Mr. Caldwell was born in Geneseo, Kansas to C. Clark and Hattie Floyd Caldwell.  He graduated as valedictorian of Mountain View High School in Mountain View, Oklahoma.
	He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Millie Caldwell and four children, Denis Caldwell of Christopher, Dave Caldwell of Somerset, Pa., Douglas Caldwell of Somerset, Pa and Cindy Caldwell of Christopher, Il.  Daughters-in-law include Peggy Caldwell of Christopher and Mary Ann Caldwell of Somerset.
	Mr. Caldwell enjoyed the company of three grandchildren, Michael Ryan Caldwell of Ames, IA., Curtis C. Caldwell and Colin B. Caldwell, both of Somerset, Pa. and great grandchild, Eco Edmonds of Christopher.
	He was a member and trustee of Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Christopher, IL.
	In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Faith Missionary Baptist building fund, P.O. Box 162, Christopher, IL. 62822 or to the Rend Lake College Foundation, 468 N. Ken Gray Parkway, Ina, IL. 62846.

