History of Female Sheriffs in the State of Illinois

DeKalb County- Helena Dolder After the unexpected death of her husband Fred in 1928, Dolder was appointed DeKalb County Sheriff. Later that year, she ran for office and won. Because of the curtains hung by Sheriff Dolder, the DeKalb County Jail was called the “Lace Curtain Jail.” She was a vital player in the story that inspired the 2008 film “The Changeling” about a young boy who went missing in Los Angles in 1928 and who mysteriously turned up at a DeKalb Diner. Dolder cared for the boy at the jail in Sycamore where he stayed in a special room Dolder made up for him. The boy, Walter Collins, turned out not to be who himself claimed. After he was taken back to California, he admitted to being a runaway from Cedar Rapids Iowa and was named Arthur Hutchins Jr. The true Walter Collins was sadly murdered in California.

DeWitt County- Myra Westray, appointed in 1942 to serve in place of her husband, Kenneth Westray who was called to duty in WWII. She was 24 years old, and they had no children. Myra lived on the second floor of the jail and had an office in the courthouse. She wore a badge but did not carry a weapon. When Kenneth returned home, he was elected as Sheriff again in 1950.

Jo Daviess County- Emma M. Grebner 1954-1958 duly elected. “Two Gun” Emma as she was called was 46 years old when she won the election and succeeded her husband, Lawrence. Emma refused to wear a uniform “People will know I’m Sheriff by what I do, not by what I wear”. She kept her pistol in her handbag.

Hardin County- Jacqueline Dutton was appointed in August of 1999 when her husband, Sheriff Thomas “Tom” Dutton passed away at the age of 54. Jackie served as Sheriff until a special election was held and a new Sheriff was elected to fulfill the term.

Hardin County- Joyce Cullison was appointed in 2012 after the unexpected death of her husband, Sheriff Lloyd “Smokey” Cullison. Joyce worked as an office administrator under her husband as well as the previous Sheriff. Years prior she was a correctional officer. Joyce was appointed Sheriff from April-December of 2012

Sangamon County- Paula Crouch was appointed Sheriff in September 2024 upon the unexpected early retirement of Jack Campbell. Crouch, 51, would become the counties first female Sheriff. Before becoming a police officer, she was a Sangamon County 911 dispatcher. She later joined the Springfield Police Department in 1999, retiring in 2023 as a lieutenant.