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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to congratulate Paul Porter Davidsmeyer 
4on the occasion of his 100th Birthday, celebrated on April 16, 
52023; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Paul Davidsmeyer was born in Jacksonville to 
7Faith Porter and R.H. Davidsmeyer on April 16, 1923; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, Paul Davidsmeyer served gallantly in the U.S. 
9Army during World War II with the 82nd Airborne and fought in 
10three battles, including the Battle of the Bulge (1944-45), 
11where he received a Purple Heart and the Presidential Unit 
12Citation; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Paul Davidsmeyer participated in the liberation 
14of the Wobbelin camp, a sub-camp of the Neuengamme 
15concentration camp, near the city of Ludwigslust in May 1945; 
16and
 
17    WHEREAS, After the war, Paul Davidsmeyer returned home, 
18married his sweetheart, Saralee Butler, and moved to 
19Springfield to start a family; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Paul Davidsmeyer  worked at different jobs through 
 
 
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1the 1950s and served in leadership positions on multiple 
2boards and with clubs, including as president of the 
3Springfield Jaycees from 1951 to 1952, where he was named the 
4most outstanding local Jaycee president of the year in 1952, 
5chosen from 100 presidents of Illinois Jaycee organizations; 
6and
 
7    WHEREAS, Paul Davidsmeyer took his family back to 
8Jacksonville in 1962 after the death of his father, R.H. 
9Davidsmeyer, and his uncle, Paul Davidsmeyer, who founded the 
10Davidsmeyer Oil Company after purchasing the Cockin Oil 
11Company; the brothers renamed the company Illinois Road 
12Contractors; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Under Paul Davidsmeyer's leadership, the company 
14operated many different facilities from Paducah, Kentucky to 
15Utica, mostly based in central Illinois, and developed a solid 
16reputation throughout the entire Midwest; and
  
 
17    WHEREAS, Paul Davidsmeyer was instrumental in founding the 
18Illinois chapter of Ducks Unlimited, an organization dedicated 
19to conserving, restoring, and managing wetlands and associated 
20habitats for North America's waterfowl; and
  
 
21    WHEREAS, Paul Davidsmeyer was a founding member of Our 
22Redeemer Lutheran Church, where he served as an elder, as 
 
 
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1president of the congregation, and as a choir member; and
  
 
2    WHEREAS, Paul Davidsmeyer has been the loving husband of 
3Saralee for 77 years; he is the proud father of Devon and 
4Cindy, the  proud grandfather of Stephanie, C.D., Jayde, and 
5Mycah, and the proud great-grandfather of nine; therefore, be 
6it
  
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
8HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
9we congratulate Paul Porter Davidsmeyer on his 100th Birthday, 
10and we wish him many more wonderful years; and be it further
  
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
12presented to Paul Davidsmeyer as an expression of our respect 
13and esteem for a truly remarkable life and a leading example of 
14a good man to emulate.