SR2093 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2093 LRB099 22527 GRL 49952 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Andrew Jason Bollman of Dixon, who passed away on July 9, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Bollman was born on August 25, 1976 in Sterling; his parents were Dale and Diana Bollman; he grew up on the family farm outside of Harmon; he married Rochelle Monteith on June 7, 2006 in Tulum, Mexico; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Bollman graduated from Walnut High School in 1994; he played basketball, baseball, and served as Class President; while in high school, he discovered a passion for photography and worked with his father to create a small studio and business on the family farm; he photographed his first wedding at the age of 16; he later attended Sauk Valley Community College, where he took photographs for the student newspaper and served as Student Trustee from 1995 to 1996; he graduated from Augustana College in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in English, all the while continuing to photograph for the literary and arts magazine and taking student portraits for the yearbook; he traveled home weekly to photograph weddings and worked in the summers as a photojournalist for the Dixon Telegraph, creatively taking images of everything from toddlers strolling in the park to F3 tornados; and

WHEREAS, After graduation, Andrew Bollman opened a photography studio in Sterling, where he captured memories and special moments for many families; after photographing a wedding in India, he viewed the genuine spirit of the people of India despite their poverty and injustices; that experience compelled him to serve his own community in a greater capacity; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Bollman helped his father and brother raise corn and soybeans on their heritage farm and maintained his grandparent's farmette, trying his hand at growing sweetcorn and tending alpacas with his wife and son; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Bollman attended law school at Northern Illinois University; prior to graduating in 2005, he worked as an intern at the Whiteside County State's Attorney's office and studied international law for a summer in France; after serving as an Assistant State's Attorney in Lee County, he built his own legal practice, partnering with Bruce Keller in 2015 to form Keller and Bollman, where he worked tirelessly to ensure his clients received fair treatment and justice; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Bollman recognized the value and quality of his education at Sauk Valley Community College and served on the Sauk Valley Community College Board of Trustees for many years; he also served as Board President and was later appointed President of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association, serving a one-year term in 2015; he also served as President of the Lee County Board of Health and volunteered to install updated technology into Jamaican schools; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Bollman was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Fidel Lujan and Wilbur Bollman; his mother-in-law, Jane Monteith; his aunt, Frances Esquibel; his niece, Hannah Ekberg; and his beloved Dalmatian, Jake; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Bollman is survived by his wife, Rochelle; his son, Asher; his parents, Dale and Diana Bollman; his brother, Anthony (Carmen) Bollman; his sister, Annette (Larry) VanLanduit; his grandmothers, Marian Bollman and Marianita Lujan; his father-in-law, Richard Monteith; his sisters-in-law, Reni (Paul) Whitcombe and Ronda (Dean) Ekberg; his brother-in-law, Ryan (Jaimi) Monteith; his nieces and nephews, Antori (Nicholas) Dirks, Stephanie (William) Friedrich, Leah and Aidan Bollman, Ryan and Aaron Schoaf, Ethan and Austin VanLanduit, Thomas, David, Sara, and Esther Whitcombe, and Isaac and Joshua Ekberg; his great-nieces and great-nephews, Reggie, Natalia, and Elizabeth; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of Andrew Jason Bollman; and be it further

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