HR0979

LRB094 19788 RAS 56571 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives 
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learned with regret of the death of Donald F. Krahn of Mendota 
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on Friday, February 3, 2006; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Krahn was born on September 26,1932 in Aurora 
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to Emil and Laura (Hauser) Krahn; he was a graduate of Warsaw, 
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Missouri High School; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Krahn served with the 44th Infantry Division 
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National Guard during the Korean conflict, and he was a cook in 
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Germany with the 407th Engineering Battalion; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Krahn was employed as a Tool Designer at 
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Caterpillar's Oswego Township plant; and

 
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    WHEREAS, In 1958, Mr. Krahn married Ann Combs; in 1964, the 
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couple purchased the Oswego Ledger, a weekly newspaper, where 
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he served as publisher and advertising manager for the paper; 
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and
 
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WHEREAS, The Krahns' 12-year tenure as owners of the Oswego 
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Ledger was a period of growth and innovation for the newspaper; 
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they established an office, changed the paper's format and 
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circulation type, and began assigning reporters to provide 
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regular news coverage of local governmental meetings, which put 
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the newspaper in direct competition with daily newspapers for 
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local news coverage; and

 
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WHEREAS, In 1973, the newspaper's office was destroyed by a 
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fire; even though the fire struck on a Monday, the Krahns and 
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their staff still managed to publish the next edition of the 
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paper as scheduled on the following Thursday; they later built 
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a multi-tenant office building that housed the Ledger, a 
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printing service, The Silent Secretary, and an office supply 
 


 






HR0979
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LRB094 19788 RAS 56571 r




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store, The Paper Crate, which were also owned by the Krahns; 
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and
 
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    WHEREAS, Traveling, woodworking, and flying were among Mr. 
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Krahn's favorite pastimes; he built one plane and rebuilt a 
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second after earning his pilot's license in 1972; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents and his 
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brother, Paul; and 
 
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    WHEREAS, The passing of Donald F. Krahn has been deeply 
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felt by many, especially his wife; his sons, David (Peggy) and 
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Jeffrey (Janet); his daughter, Susan (Ron) Austin; his 
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granddaughters, Lisa (John) Eldredge, Heather (Andy) Pipitone, 
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Amy Krahn, and Brittany and Tiffany Austin; his 
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great-grandchildren, Mandi, Katie and Emma Eldredge, and 
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James, Vincent, Gianna, and Mia Pipitone; his sisters, Esther 
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(Kyle) Hammer, Lois (Jim) Rogers, Ruth Hoffman, and Mildred 
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Burkhart; and his eighteen nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we mourn the passing of Donald F. Krahn, and we extend our 
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sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew 
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and loved him; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to his family as an expression of our deepest 
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sympathy for their loss.