SR1892 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Erika Gertrude Johanna Nieper of Waukegan, who passed away on February 28, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Erika Nieper was born on March 18, 1922 in the Bavarian Alps town of Oberstdorf, Germany; her parents were Gustav and Cecilia Keinath; at the age of about four, her parents moved their family to the northern Italian town of Riva to take ownership of a hotel; during her formative years in Riva, she became a competitive swimmer, winning many regional medals; she enjoyed snow skiing, ice skating, and exploring the mountains around Riva and found and developed talents in charcoal sketching, water colors, and the piano; she also became a wonderful cook and baker; as World War II got worse, her father died suddenly and her family relocated to Munich, Germany to wait out the war; and

WHEREAS, After the war, the United States government hired Erika Nieper as an interpreter, as she was fluent in German, Italian, and English; while there, she met her future husband, Henry, a soldier in the United States Army; they had planned a wedding in Munich in 1948, when Henry was suddenly called back to his hometown of Corsicana, Texas for several months to attend to urgent family matters; instead of waiting until he could get back to Munich, they were married over the telephone by a judge in Corsicana; in 1952, Erika and Henry relocated to the United States by way of Dallas, Texas and Chicago; she became a United States citizen in 1957 and the couple eventually settled in Waukegan to raise their family; and

WHEREAS, Erika Nieper worked at the Scott Forseman Company in Glenview for many years until her retirement; she also worked as a manuscript typist in the college textbook department, typing English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, and mathematics texts; and

WHEREAS, Erika Nieper was preceded in death by her husband of 32 years, Henry, and her son-in-law, Edward Saulius; and

WHEREAS, Erika Nieper is survived by her children, Louis Nieper, Elaine Saulius, and Edward Nieper; her soon-to-be son-in-law, Jon Smith; and her extended family, Kristina Gall, Ilona Hirn, George and Roma Stoltengofas, Joseph and Poala Hirn and their son, Felipe, and Christina and Steven Arseneau and their children, Theodore and Eleanor; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with her family and friends, mourn the passing of Erika Gertrude Johanna Nieper; and be it further

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