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| | SR0882 | | LRB101 16212 MST 65584 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to |
| 3 | | learn of the death of John Allen "Al" Mergens, who passed away |
| 4 | | on December 7, 2019; and
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| 5 | | WHEREAS, Al Mergens was born in Chicago to John and Ana |
| 6 | | Mergens; he served as an engineer and firefighter in damage |
| 7 | | control with the U.S. Coast Guard from 1955 to 1957; and
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| 8 | | WHEREAS, Al Mergens became a volunteer member of the Elk |
| 9 | | Grove Fire Department in 1961; he became a full-time, paid |
| 10 | | firefighter in 1967; he worked his way up from firefighter to |
| 11 | | lieutenant and ultimately captain in 1972, a role he held until |
| 12 | | he retired in 1999; and
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| 13 | | WHEREAS, Al Mergens served as the first chief of the fire |
| 14 | | department, a group of 40 volunteer firefighters who worked out |
| 15 | | of a barn; he took the department from a volunteer force to a |
| 16 | | full-time, professional agency with multiple stations; and
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| 17 | | WHEREAS, Al Mergens was affectionately known as "Capt. Al"; |
| 18 | | in his retirement, he visited Elk Grove's fire stations |
| 19 | | regularly, staying in touch with the latest technology and |
| 20 | | advancements in fire safety; and
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| | SR0882 | - 2 - | LRB101 16212 MST 65584 r |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Al Mergens was preceded in death by his wife of 60 |
| 2 | | years, Celine, and his parents; and
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| 3 | | WHEREAS, Al Mergens is survived by his children, Allen J. |
| 4 | | (Nancy), James L. (MaryBeth), and Robin A. (Anthony) Fabisiak; |
| 5 | | his grandchildren, Daniel Mergens, Kelly (Nick) Hildebrandt, |
| 6 | | Meaghan
(Aaron) Sanfillippo, Adam (Colleen) and Scott (Andrea) |
| 7 | | Mergens, and Sarah Fabisiak; his great-grandchildren, Brady |
| 8 | | Nicholas and Melanie Grace Hildebrandt; and his siblings, |
| 9 | | Marilyn Gliniecki, Robert (Dorothy) Mergens, Donald (Diane) |
| 10 | | Mergens,
and Susan (John) Renner; therefore, be it
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| 11 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL |
| 12 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of |
| 13 | | John Allen "Al" Mergens and extend our sincere condolences to |
| 14 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it |
| 15 | | further
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| 16 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
| 17 | | presented to the family of Al Mergens as an expression of our |
| 18 | | deepest sympathy.
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