Arcola Alumni Association recognizes its oldest living alumni

By Editor | June 30, 2026 |

Archie Dague, Arcola High School Class of 1952

By Sue Stout

Arcola Alumni Association continues recognition of Arcola High School graduates who have reached the age of 90 and beyond and now honors Archie Dague, who graduated with the AHS Class of 1952. He was appropriately pegged as the “dependable” type in his senior yearbook, was a standout Okaw Valley distance runner and continues to lead an active life seventy-four years after his high school graduation.

Ralph Archie Dague was born at home, one mile south of Murdock, on May 2, 1934, the first of four children of farming parents Keith and Olive Brown Dague. Their family grew with sisters Virginia Dague Johns (AHS Class of 1954), Helen Dague Spiker (1956) and his brother Joseph Dague (1964).

Archie began his formal education in the Murdock school and then attended Dry Point country school when his family moved 1.5 miles south of Hugo while Archie was in the fifth grade. He remembers he helped on the farm as he walked both bean and corn fields, mowed yards and helped with the hogs and cattle, including ten milk cows. The Dague family attended the Murdock Methodist Church and then the Hugo Community Church. Archie was also a member of the Hindsboro Happy Helpers 4-H Club.

In the fall of 1948, Archie rode the bus to Arcola High School, where he met new classmates and became active in football, basketball, track and Future Farmers of America for the next four years. Agriculture was his favorite class and Nelson Roberts was a favorite teacher. High School principal and Industrial Arts teacher John Powers was another favorite at AHS.

Early in his junior football season, the 9-7-50 Arcola Record-Herald reported, “Archie Dague, diminutive but tough, is slated for the right halfback spot.” The 11-16-50 newspaper reported Arcola’s 12-9 victory over the previously undefeated Tuscola team allowed the Riders to share the title of Okaw Valley co-champions. The following week’s newspaper noted approximately 270 were present in the high school gym Monday night to honor the 1950 football team. Coach Andy Sullivan awarded a letter to junior Archie Dague while commenting, “He finally learned something about pass defense, when it looks as if your man is going to catch a pass, run right through him.”

In his senior year, the 9-6-51 Record-Herald reported Archie Dague would play the right halfback position again. The veteran in the backfield scored a touchdown in Arcola’s win over Charleston and both Arcola’s touchdowns as Arcola defeated Oakwood 16-7 the following week. Archie shifted to the quarterback position for two October wins when John East was injured.

Heavy snow and cold caused the final game of the season at Tuscola to be rescheduled from Friday to Monday, 11-12-1951. The News-Gazette had reported Tuscola held a 4-game edge over Arcola in football wins starting back in 1896, but Arcola was able to remain undefeated in conference play, defeating Tuscola 20-6 to share the Okaw title with Monticello.

In Archie’s junior year, the 11-23-50 Record Herald announced the basketball team would be sporting new basketball uniforms, including striped socks and purple warm up jackets with a rider on the front. Unfortunately, the new uniforms did not bring a winning season, with a 4-8 record in the Okaw Valley and 6-14 for the season before tournament play.

The basketball team improved in the following 1951-52 season and the 1-17-52 Record-Herald reported, “Dague started at forward for the Riders and was particularly effective on defense, his lightning moves repeatedly costing the Grovers possession of the ball.” The Riders defeated both Tuscola and Monticello in February, ending the season 8-2 in conference play to share the Okaw title with Tuscola and Monticello. A snake dance celebration followed at the school.

While Archie lettered in football and basketball both his junior and senior years, he found even more success in track. He competed his freshman year and was slated for distance events on the cinder tracks again his sophomore year, but a foot injury cut his season short. A 5-10-51 Record-Herald front page title read, “Dague Wins Mile in Okaw Valley Meet Tuesday”. The article went on to say Dague negotiated the distance in the time of 4:45.7 Two weeks later the newspaper noted Archie Dague had been named honorary captain of the track team.

In his senior track season, Archie was pictured on the front page of the 4-24-52 Record-Herald after setting a school record in the half mile with a time of 2:06.5 in a 6-way meet at Monticello. One week later he was pictured after winning the Class B half mile at Mattoon. A 5-15-52 front page photograph noted Dague, honorary track captain, had won both the mile and the half mile at the recent Okaw track meet, with times of 4:47 and 2:06.9 respectively.

In addition to his athletic success, Archie was also a respected leader in the AHS Class of 1952. He was Senior Class vice president, Boys State representative and was chosen by his classmates to receive the American Legion award. Archie was a 4-year member of Future Farmers of America, while holding the offices of Secretary, Vice-President and President. In his senior year, the DeKalb Agricultural Association honored Archie with their annual award based on scholarship, supervised projects and leadership.

While Archie’s days were filled with practices, games, other school activities, 4-H projects and work on the farm, he found time for another interest during his junior year – a popular sophomore cheerleader and Homecoming queen-to-be named Dolores Strader. Dolores was the sixth of nine children of Clifford and Thelma Allen Strader and the younger sister of J.D. Strader, Archie’s close friend and classmate. Archie and Dolores got to know each other better as Archie visited the Strader home. On their first date, they rode to the Villa Grove Pancake Festival in Archie’s 1940 Chevrolet. They also enjoyed movies at theaters in Charleston, Tuscola and occasionally Arcola for the price of a dollar.

The 5-29-52 Arcola Record-Herald reported twenty-eight seniors graduated with the Arcola High School Class of 1952 in the high school auditorium on Tuesday evening, May 27th. Many of the graduates remained in or returned to the Arcola area including Curtis Atteberry, John Curry, Joyce Ghere Miller Hancock, Pauline Grant Case, Jessie Gray Burch, Sabina Hayes Strader, Oscar Jacob, Bill Klopfleisch, Donnie Miller, Bill Sargent, Duane Strader and Dave VanDeveer.

Following his high school graduation, Archie farmed for his father and his Uncle Paul Brown. After the fall harvest, he spent a short time at US Rubber Chemical in Joliet before returning to farm in March.

After her 1953 high school graduation, Dolores and Archie were married on Friday afternoon, July 17, 1953 at the Hindsboro Christian Church. The 7-23-53 Record-Herald reported the couple enjoyed a short wedding trip to the Ozarks before arriving home at their apartment north of Hindsboro. The newspaper article also noted, “Mr. Dague is now farming while awaiting his call to the service.”

Archie was called to the U.S. Army in November 1954 and was stationed in Germany most of the time before his October 1956 discharge. During Archie’s time away, Dolores lived in Arcola with her mother’s sister, Minnie Clark, and her husband, Frank, while she worked in their Sweet Shop. Written letters were Dolores and Archie’s only form of communication.

Upon his return from Germany, Archie was employed as a farmhand at Whisnand Seed Company of rural Arcola in December and a home was provided with his new job. He remained at Whisnand Seed until 1962 when he and Dolores moved north of Oakland, where they first rented and later owned the farm.

The young couple welcomed sons Philip and Paul in 1965 and 1969. Archie and Dolores followed their sons’ many football and basketball games and track and weightlifting events during their years in the Oakland schools. The Dague family also played an active role in the Oakland Christian Church.

Archie has continued to serve his community and his church over the decades. He first served as Sargent Township trustee in 1973 and continued in that role for sixteen years. Archie served as an elder in the Oakland Christian Church for 25 years and was also a director at EIU Christian Campus House from 1975-1994.

In 1965, the Soil Conservation District designated Archie as outstanding in the farmer-rancher category. The Dague Family was named Douglas County Farm Family of the Year in 1979 as judged on land use, treatment, conservation practices, community service and erosion control. In 2006, Archie and Dolores were again named Douglas County Conservation Farm Family of the Year.

Archie continued to farm until his retirement in 2014 at age 80. He and Dolores were married more than 67 years before her passing on December 30, 2020. At age 92, Archie remains active as he enjoys miniature golf, weekly pinochle card games, maintains his spacious rural home and mows his 5+ acre lawn north of Oakland. He finds much joy in the time he spends with his children, two grandchildren, two (soon to be four) great-grandchildren and all his extended family and friends.

The Arcola Alumni Association welcomes recognition of other graduates who have reached the age of 90 and beyond. If readers are AHS graduates age 90 or older, or if you know one of Arcola’s oldest graduates, please contact Sue Stout at 217-840-6605 or any Arcola Alumni Association board member. Articles for AHS graduates who have been previously recognized as “Oldest Living Alumni” are available on the Arcola Alumni Association website at arcolaalumni.org.

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