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LRB094 15033 AJO 50162 r






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SENATE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois 
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learned with sadness of the death of Katherine M. Geissler, age 
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100 and a resident of Joliet since 1909, on October 24, 2005; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, She was born Katherine Guthrie in 1905 in 
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to George W. Guthrie, a machinist, and 
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Catherine Guthrie, a seamstress before she married;  when she 
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was 4, the family moved to Joliet, Illinois; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Katherine followed her 3 older brothers, George, 
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Leslie and John Guthrie to Joliet Township High School; in 
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1923, she, too, graduated from high school; after graduation, 
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Katherine worked in a secretarial pool at Joliet's large 
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greeting card company, PF Volland; a purchasing agent there, 
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Mr. Graham, recognized Katherine's good taste and her abilities 
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and sought her opinions about the most suitable papers, colors, 
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and textures for greeting cards; and

 
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    WHEREAS, In the 1930's, Mr. Graham decided to open his own 
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greeting card company in Chicago and he invited Katherine to 
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work in his new company, Card Craft;  She agreed and soon, 
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Katherine was an executive and a part owner of Card Craft; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Katherine married Carl Rueben Medin in 1940; 
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unfortunately, 18 years later "Rueb" fell ill and died; around 
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this time, Katherine and Mr. Graham sold Card Craft; and

 
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    WHEREAS, About 10 years later, Katherine, who still lived 
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in the home that "Rueb" built on Taylor Street, married her 
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next-door neighbor, Walter Geissler, a widower; as Walter was 
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the chief executive at the Joliet Federal Savings and Loan 
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Association and Katherine's dear mother still resided in 
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Joliet, they remained in Joliet; and

 
 


 






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LRB094 15033 AJO 50162 r




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    WHEREAS, Katherine remained close to her mother throughout 
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her life and cared for her until she passed away, only 15 days 
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short of her 100th birthday;  Katherine cared for 4 of her loved 
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ones in their final years, her father, two husbands, and 
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mother; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Katherine was generous "Aunt Kate" and dearly 
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loved by her nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, She was a member of St. Edward-Christ Episcopal 
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Church in Joliet; as a member of Childerguild, she worked at 
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the Silver Cross Hospital gift shop on Sundays to allow other 
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women to have time with  their families; and

 
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    WHEREAS, She was preceded in death by her first husband, 
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Carl R. Medin; second husband, Walter Geissler; parents, George 
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W. and Catherine Guthrie; and brothers, George, Leslie and John 
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Guthrie; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The passing of Katherine Geissler will be felt by 
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all who knew and loved
her, especially by her nephews, George, 
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Dale and Reid Guthrie; niece, Marjorie Guthrie; numerous great 
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nieces and nephews; and cousin, Jane Hendricksen; therefore, be 
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it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of 
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Katherine M. Geissler, and we extend our sincerest condolences 
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to her family and friends; and be it further

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