Corn dog king of the Illinois State Fair has passed

Posted on February 21, 2023
Loved ones of Bob Vose posted to social media Monday afternoon that Vose has passed away at 94. The Vose family has been feeding fairgoers for decades. (WJBC file photo)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Fair has lost its corn dog king.

Loved ones of Bob Vose posted to social media Monday afternoon that Vose has passed away at 94. The Vose family has been feeding fairgoers for decades.

Jeff Vose, a nephew, says he believes the corn dog legacy started with five brothers and a corn dog stand, but the other brothers split off into their own ventures – with Vose’s dad selling franks, pop, and beer outside a tavern near the fairgrounds’ main gate.

Vose’s many roles over the years included that of aldermen, one of the first to serve under that form of government in Springfield. Mayor Jim Langfelder says Vose is also credited with beautifying the entrance to Oak Ridge Cemetery, the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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