SR0863 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0863 LRB097 22553 MST 71330 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Gerhart Kopf of Fulton, who died on August 10, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf was born in Eddyville, Nebraska, on December 29, 1919, to Niels and Lydia Struempler Kopf; he married Alice L. Schmidt on July 7, 1941; they celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf was raised on a homestead ranch in Dawson County, Nebraska, and attended a one-room school through the eighth grade; he graduated from Lexington High School, where he developed his gift to play piano by ear and played with a midwest traveling swing band during the Big Band Era; he attended the University of Nebraska before returning to the ranch during the Great Depression; he remained an ardent Nebraska Cornhuskers fan; and

WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later farmed near Eddyville, Nebraska; he worked for Steckley Hybrid Corn Company in Lincoln and Grand Island and eventually settled in Fulton in 1955; he worked for Drives Inc. until 1981 and traveled extensively in the U.S. and Canada; and

WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf established the Bald Eagle Nursery outside Fulton in 1981 and became a respected authority on ornamental grasses, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and hicans; he was instrumental in developing the Twin Ponds Research Farm near Galena Territory; he was a respected advocate and expert on bluebirds and shared his knowledge of chimney swift migration and lectured on local geologic history; and

WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf served on the Fulton School Board and as an elder at his church; he was honored as Grand Marshal of the 2001 Dutch Days and was awarded a key to the city of Fulton; he continued to play piano in venues such as the Clinton Country Club and Fulton Senior Citizen Center; he enjoyed fine wine and dining, especially New Orleans cuisine; he looked forward to playing euchre with his friends and took great pride in becoming co-champion of the 3rd Annual Euchre Tournament in January of 2011; and

WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf was preceded in death by his parents, Niels and Lydia Struempler; his brothers, Ferdinand, Donald, and Aaron; and his sister, Arleen; and

WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf is survived by his wife, Alice Schmidt; his children, Connie (Dean) Long, Trudy (Michael) Landwirth, Pamela (Glenn) Gealy, Kyle (Kim) and Kendall; his grandchildren, Christina and Joseph (Marie) Long, Amy Landwirth, Matthew and Rachel Gealy, and Kelly, Scott, and Nicholas Kopf; his great-grandson, Orion Long; his sister, Dolores; and many nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of Gerhart Kopf, and we extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

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