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| | HR0396 | | LRB104 13861 ECR 26694 r |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of |
| 3 | | Representatives wish to congratulate Oswald's Pharmacy on the |
| 4 | | occasion of its 150th anniversary; and
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| 5 | | WHEREAS, Oswald's Pharmacy, a sixth-generation, |
| 6 | | family-owned business located in Naperville, was opened by |
| 7 | | proprietors Strayer & Cassem in 1875; it is the second-oldest |
| 8 | | business in Naperville and the oldest continually owned family |
| 9 | | pharmacy in Illinois; in 1883, the pharmacy was sold to |
| 10 | | employee William Wallace Wickel, who transformed it into a |
| 11 | | cornerstone of Naperville; and
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| 12 | | WHEREAS, William Wickel's son-in-law, Louis Oswald, took |
| 13 | | ownership in 1915, helping guide Oswald's Pharmacy through the |
| 14 | | Great Depression and Prohibition; he introduced a soda |
| 15 | | fountain in 1917, transforming the pharmacy into a hub for |
| 16 | | social activity; and
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| 17 | | WHEREAS, Louis Oswald's son-in-law, Harold Kester, gained |
| 18 | | ownership in 1956, doubling the size of Oswald's Pharmacy; in |
| 19 | | response to the rise of chain drugstores, he diversified the |
| 20 | | store, enhancing the cosmetics and beauty department to meet |
| 21 | | the community's preferences; and
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| | HR0396 | - 2 - | LRB104 13861 ECR 26694 r |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Harold Kester's son-in-law, Robert Anderson, |
| 2 | | became the proprietor of Oswald's Pharmacy in 1977, extending |
| 3 | | store hours to stay competitive with chain stores; he also |
| 4 | | embraced technological innovations, making it the first |
| 5 | | pharmacy in Naperville to computerize; and
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| 6 | | WHEREAS, Robert Anderson's children, including Bill |
| 7 | | Anderson, took over Oswald's Pharmacy in 1991, expanding the |
| 8 | | gift and toy selections in response to market shifts; the |
| 9 | | pharmacy was relocated to Naperville Plaza to serve a growing |
| 10 | | customer base in 2004; Bill Anderson became the sole |
| 11 | | proprietor in 2012, and he expanded the store to include 5,000 |
| 12 | | square feet of medical equipment in 2015; and
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| 13 | | WHEREAS, Bill Anderson's son, Alex Anderson, assumed |
| 14 | | ownership of Oswald's Pharmacy in 2021, focusing on digital |
| 15 | | marketing, maintaining community engagement, and working to |
| 16 | | continue providing personalized customer experiences; he |
| 17 | | expanded the pharmacy into Geneva with the acquisition of |
| 18 | | Riley's Medical Equipment & Supplies in 2023, extending the |
| 19 | | pharmacy's legacy of care; and
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| 20 | | WHEREAS, Oswald's Pharmacy is a full-service pharmacy that |
| 21 | | also sells gifts, toys, games, puzzles, and health and beauty |
| 22 | | items, and the store is home to one of Chicagoland's largest |
| 23 | | medical equipment showrooms; and
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| | HR0396 | - 3 - | LRB104 13861 ECR 26694 r |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Oswald's Pharmacy has earned a reputation of care |
| 2 | | and excellence, offering whatever a person may need, or never |
| 3 | | even knew they needed, and catering to all ages; therefore, be |
| 4 | | it
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| 5 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE |
| 6 | | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
| 7 | | we congratulate the employees, executives, and leadership of |
| 8 | | Oswald's Pharmacy on the occasion of its sesquicentennial |
| 9 | | anniversary, and we commend their continued commitment to |
| 10 | | supporting and enriching Naperville's community with quality |
| 11 | | care and medical equipment; and be it further
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| 12 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
| 13 | | presented to Oswald's Pharmacy as a symbol of our esteem and |
| 14 | | respect. |