HR1182 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1182 LRB097 22127 GRL 70856 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Francis "Frank" John Kania on the occasion of his 100th birthday on August 2, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Frank Kania was born on August 2, 1912; he is the first child of Catherine (Swiderski) and Joseph Kania; he has 4 siblings, Johnny, Sophie, Eddie, and Eleanor; he married Anne Smreczak on October 30, 1949, at St. Wenceslaus Church in Chicago; their child, Joette, was born in January of 1952; and

WHEREAS, Frank Kania spent most of his life in Chicago; he attended 3rd grade at St. Hyacinth Catholic School on West Wolfram Street and served as an altar boy at the associated church; he also attended the first general meeting of the Eucharistic Congress at Soldier Field on June 21, 1926; and

WHEREAS, During the 1920s, Frank Kania worked with his uncle, John Swiderski, as a part-time employee at his grocery store/butcher shop; after he graduated from the 8th grade in 1927, he went to work for his uncle full-time in order to help support his family; in 1937, he bought the grocery business from his uncle and renamed it "Kania's Food Shop"; and

WHEREAS, Frank Kania was inducted into the United States Army on April 29, 1942; he began his service to his country in Rockford, where he served in active duty for one day; he later went to training at the Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis before he was placed with the 5th Army/Air Corps, 46th Service Group at Angel Island, California; soon after his placement, his unit traveled to Australia; drawing on his experience as a butcher, he was soon inducted into the unit's food-preparation unit; after a year in Australia, his unit was moved to the Dobdura base at Port Moresby, New Guinea; while there, he was assigned to work on a crane unloading supplies; he also served as a photographer for various entertainment events on the base, during which he took many photographs of Bob Hope, Gary Cooper, Phyllis Brooks, Una Merkle, Jerry Colonna, dancer Patty Thomas, Frances Langford, and guitarist Tony Romano; he also created an extensive photo documentary of New Guinea native life during his time there; in 1944, his unit was moved to Manila, the Philippines, in anticipation of the massive Allied invasion of Japan; fortunately, the war had ended before any such invasion was to take place; he was honorably discharged from service on October 19, 1945 at Fort Sheridan where he was originally inducted; and

WHEREAS, After the war, Frank Kania returned to the grocery business that his uncle had maintained for him during his Army service; after marrying Anne, they moved into her family's apartment building on Ridgeway Avenue; in 1951, he sold his grocery business and went to work as a butcher for National Tea; he subsequently became a manager of the meat department and later the fish department, where he remained until his retirement in 1979; he remained in his home on Linden Avenue until 2005, when he moved in with his daughter; and

WHEREAS, Frank Kania has served as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for his family, friends, and colleagues throughout his life; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Francis "Frank" John Kania on the occasion of his 100th birthday and wish him many happy and healthy years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Frank Kania as a symbol of our esteem and respect.