HR0478 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0478 LRB101 13102 ALS 61939 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Melvin Mathias on the occasion of his 90th birthday; and

WHEREAS, Melvin Mathias was born in Fulda, Germany to Erich and Kathinka on November 23, 1929; he came to the United States with his parents and maternal grandparents, Lazurus and Hannchen Goldmeier, to escape the religious persecution by the Nazis in October 1936; sponsored by his aunt and uncle, Louis and Molly Frank, the family traveled from Germany to Havre, France to board the Cunard White Star Ship Britannic; and

WHEREAS, Melvin Mathias and his family settled on Chicago's South Side, where he attended Libby Grammar School; he became a United States citizen on July 7, 1942; he graduated from Edward Tilden Career Community High School and then attended Woodrow Wilson Junior College, now Kennedy-King College, for two years and aspired to transfer to the Illinois Institute of Technology; instead, he was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War; from 1951 until 1953, he served in the 336th Engineer Utilities Detachment in Korea; initially trained to serve as a surveyor, he was subsequently assigned to be a plumber; and

WHEREAS, After he was discharged from the United States Army, Melvin Mathias began working for his uncle Ernest at Quality Sheet Metal Works; he enjoyed the work so much that he made it his career; after the death of Ernest, he and his cousin Sidney became co-owners of Quality Sheet Metal Works; Melvin ran the day-to-day business until it closed in 1992; and

WHEREAS, In 1955, Melvin Mathias married Joanne Decker, and they had two children, Linda and Larry; he built his first home on South Marquette Avenue in Chicago, where they lived until moving to Homewood in 1970; after Joanne's death in 1990, he married Adrienne (Brill) Cohen in 1993; she passed away in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Today, Melvin Mathias remains active through his volunteer work with area veteran's groups; he currently serves as Quartermaster and Corresponding Secretary of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America Pvt. Sam Neivelt Post 407 and as an active member of the Homewood VFW 807; previously, he served as co-commander of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America Pvt. Sam Neivelt Post 407; in recognition of his service during the Korean War, he participated in a Chicago Honor Flight in 2016; he also remains active in the local computer society and enjoys traveling and spending time with his family; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Melvin Mathias on the occasion of his 90th birthday on November 23, 2019; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Melvin Mathias as an expression of our esteem and respect.