SR0920 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0920 LRB097 22910 MST 71713 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mary Elizabeth Greifenkamp of Elmhurst who passed away on August 1, 2012, at the age of 102; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Greifenkamp (Fleming) was born in Cincinnati; she graduated from Catholic high school in 1928, and began working as a file clerk for an insurance company; she married Louis Greifenkamp in 1931, and moved with him to Villa Park in 1937, and then onto Elmhurst in 1941; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Greifenkamp found herself widowed at the age of 40; she raised 8 children as a single mother in Elmhurst in the 1950's and 1960's, sending all of them to Immaculate Conception Grade School in Elmhurst and six of them to the church's high school; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Greifenkamp returned to work as a file clerk, first at American Thread in Chicago and then at Mary Queen of Heaven church in Elmhurst and finally in the office of local ophthalmologist William Cahill; after a brief time living in California in the mid-1950's, she returned to Elmhurst, taking a job as a receptionist at the Elmhurst Medical Clinic; she retired for good at age 86; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Greifenkamp was named "Mother of the Year" in 1954, by the local Elmhurst Press; she was an avid reader and lifelong learner, taking French and history classes at Elmhurst College in her 60's and pursuing swimming and yoga classes at the Elmhurst YMCA; she taught English as a second language to adults in her later years; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Greifenkamp had a scholarship established in her name, by her children on her 90th birthday in 2000, for students applying to Immaculate Conception High School; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Greifenkamp was preceded in death by her husband, Louis; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Greifenkamp is survived by her sons, Tom and Jay; her daughters, Polly Librizzi, Laura, and Katherine; her 26 grandchildren; her 52 great-grandchildren; her 10 great-great-grandchildren; and her brothers, Francis X., Richard, and Robert; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Mary Elizabeth Greifenkamp, and we extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

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