HR0874 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0874 LRB104 21563 MST 36975 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former Illinois State Representatives Rosemary Magner Kurtz, who passed away on April 1, 2026, at the age of 95; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz was born on August 11, 1930 in Richmond, Indiana; the Magner family was a survivor of the bleak years of the Great Depression, with Rosemary losing her mother, Florence Harrington Magner, at age 2; she credited her stepmother, Lauretta Rowe Magner, with loving her and helping to shape her character as an adult; and

WHEREAS, Aiming towards a teaching career, Rep. Kurtz studied at, and was awarded a B.A. degree from, the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma; she followed this with a master's degree from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas; she did Ph.D. course work at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, helping her to become an instructor at the high school and college level; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz specialized in the teaching of the Spanish language to Spanish learners and the teaching of the English language to English learners; teaching for 25 years, she developed close ties with McHenry County College (MCC) and with the school systems of McHenry County, especially District #155, the district from which she retired; and

WHEREAS, As a local leader, Rep. Kurtz joined the Crystal Lake Zoning Board of Appeals in the 1970s at the commencement of the major population boom in McHenry County; focusing on protection of the Crystal Lake watershed, she remained on this board for 20 years; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz continued her service to her neighbors, joining the board of the McHenry County Family Services and Mental Health Clinic and serving for four years as the Treasurer of Crystal Lake; and

WHEREAS, As a successful candidate in the primary election for the 2000 Republican nomination in the 64th Representative District, Rep. Kurtz joined the ballot in that year and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives with a massive plurality of almost 27,000 votes; and

WHEREAS, As a member of the 92nd General Assembly, Rep. Kurtz quickly specialized in issues of property tax reform and consumer protection and was appointed to committees dealing with both issues; she also, in her first term as a legislator, became the Republican spokesperson on the committee on state procurement; and

WHEREAS, Reelected in November 2002 with a plurality of more than 11,000 votes, Rep. Kurtz joined the 93rd General Assembly and moved her spokespersonship to the Committee on Health Care Availability and Access; and

WHEREAS, Leaving the Illinois House at the end of 2004, Rep. Kurtz maintained her active life as a leader of her community; at the age of 85, she was elected to the District #155 School Board, where she was able to use both her record as an experienced teacher and her experience as a city treasurer and property taxpayer advocate to maintain a watch over the cash flow and spending alignments of the school district; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz, a leader of her community, was supported by her husband, Jim Kurtz; after Jim passed away, she was buoyed by her daughters, Jennifer Kurtz Crooks, Donna Kurtz, Tamara Kurtz, and four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz was sustained all her life by a staunch Catholic faith, which she saw as a commandment to work towards a world of education and social justice; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of former Illinois State Representatives Rosemary Magner Kurtz and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Rep. Kurtz as a symbol of our deepest sympathy.