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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 Nina Henkhaus Klinke of 
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Bethalto, formerly of East Alton, on January 3, 2006; and
 

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    WHEREAS, She was born on September 16, 1914, in East Alton 
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to William H. and Bertha (Ufert) Koehne; she married Kenneth 
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Henkhaus on July 22, 1939, in Alton; he preceded her in death 
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on August 21, 1950; she married Harold P. Klinke on August 30, 
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1980; he preceded her in death in March 1994; and
 

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    WHEREAS, Mrs. Klinke was formerly employed with the Madison 
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County judicial system as the administrator of the Jury 
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Commission; she was a Wood River Township clerk for 16 years 
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and was a licensed court reporter and key punch and tabulation 
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statistician; she was the first woman to be elected as a 
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Democratic precinct committeeman and was the first woman to 
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serve on the Madison County Democratic Committee executive 
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board; she served as secretary of the Wood River Democratic 
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Committeeman organization for 20 years; and
 

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    WHEREAS, Mrs. Klinke was the co-founder of the Bethalto 
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Woman's Club, where she served as past president and secretary 
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of the club; she was involved with the Madison County 
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Federation of Women's Clubs, serving as treasurer for two 
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years, and was a member of the Daughters of Isabella; she was 
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appointed by the governor to serve for four years as secretary 
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of the Southwest Exposition Authority at Southern Illinois 
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University Edwardsville to research the feasibility of 
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erecting the Vadalabene Building; she also served as past 
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president of the Epsilon Chapter and Delta Theta Tau Sorority; 
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and
 

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    WHEREAS, The passing of Nina Henkhaus Klinke is felt by all 
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who knew and loved her, especially her sons and 
 


 






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daughter-in-law, John K. Henkhaus and Mick Henkhaus and his 
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wife, Kim; her daughter, Jeanne H. Rhoads-Nelson, and her 
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husband, Tom; her nine grandchildren; her 18 
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great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews; and
 

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    WHEREAS, In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in 
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death by her parents and her sisters, Eunice Kennedy and Wilma 
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Coultas; therefore, be 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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Nina Henkhaus Klinke and extend our sincerest condolences to 
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her family, friends, and community; 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.