Full Text of SR1214 102nd General Assembly
SR1214 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | SR1214 | | LRB102 29116 MST 41051 r |
|
| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | 3 | | to learn of the death of Richard Henry "Rich" Niemann Sr., who | 4 | | passed away on September 25, 2022; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann was born to Ferdinand "Ferd" Sr. and | 6 | | Antoinette "Nette" (Heckenkamp) Niemann on February 18, 1931; | 7 | | during grade school, he would often accompany his father on | 8 | | visits to Niemann Brothers grocery stores and first began to | 9 | | work at Niemann Brothers Wholesale Grocers at age 12; he | 10 | | graduated from Notre Dame High School, and on October 6, 1951, | 11 | | he married Constance M. "Connie" Volm, whom he met in the high | 12 | | school band; he earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from | 13 | | Quincy College (Quincy University), where he played baseball | 14 | | for four years; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann and Connie began to raise their | 16 | | family while he attended school and played college baseball; | 17 | | he also worked at Niemann Brothers Wholesale Grocers and was | 18 | | involved with his father and brother in developing and | 19 | | operating the Niemann Pony Farm, a Shetland pony business; | 20 | | after graduation, he managed Niemann Brothers Wholesale | 21 | | Grocers until 1969 when he became president of Niemann Foods, | 22 | | Inc., known at that time as Quincy Foods, Inc.; he also | 23 | | acquired an interest in other family businesses, including the |
| | | SR1214 | - 2 - | LRB102 29116 MST 41051 r |
|
| 1 | | Mississippi Grill restaurant and the Sinclair gas station; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Starting in 1969, Rich Niemann began to focus his | 3 | | attention on the Niemann Foods grocery stores and ceased the | 4 | | grocery warehouse operation; as president in 1969, chairman | 5 | | and CEO in 1994, later as just chairman, and, most recently, as | 6 | | chairman emeritus of Niemann Foods, he, along with his sons, | 7 | | Rich and Chris, helped develop Niemann Foods into a company | 8 | | that now operates 130 retail stores in five states, including | 9 | | Harvest Market, County Market, Save-A-Lot, Price Cutter and | 10 | | ValuCheck grocery stores, Haymaker convenience stores, Pet | 11 | | Supplies Plus, Ace Hardware, Perk Coffee Company, and Little | 12 | | Caesars; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann was involved in numerous volunteer | 14 | | and professional organizations and charitable activities; he | 15 | | served as vice chairman of the Food Marketing Institute and on | 16 | | its board of directors and as chairman of FMI FoodPAC; he also | 17 | | served as chairman of the Illinois Food Retailers Association | 18 | | and on the board of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association; | 19 | | he served as finance chairman and was a member of the board of | 20 | | trustees of Quincy University and the boards of | 21 | | Culver-Stockton College and the Western Illinois University | 22 | | Foundation; he also served as a grand knight of the Knights of | 23 | | Columbus (Fourth Degree) and as president of the Quincy School | 24 | | Board for Quincy Public Schools; he served many years on the |
| | | SR1214 | - 3 - | LRB102 29116 MST 41051 r |
|
| 1 | | board of directors for both the State Street Bank and the | 2 | | Quincy Chamber of Commerce; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann served as chairman of St. Mary | 4 | | Hospital's board of trustees and as president of the St. Mary | 5 | | Hospital Foundation; he was a founding member of the Great | 6 | | River Economic Development Foundation and a founding member of | 7 | | the Quincy Business and Technology Center; he served as | 8 | | president of the Rotary Club of Quincy, where he was a | 9 | | long-standing member; in 2006, he, along with his sons, Rich | 10 | | and Chris, established the Niemann Foods Foundation, | 11 | | benefiting children and their families throughout all the | 12 | | markets served by Niemann Foods' retail stores; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann and his wife had been involved in | 14 | | many charitable fundraising campaigns, including serving as | 15 | | co-chairpersons of the Salvation Army Annual Fund Campaign and | 16 | | of the United Way Annual Fund Drive, as well as the Annual | 17 | | Sammy Fund Campaign; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann was recognized as the Illinois | 19 | | Retail Merchants Association Retailer of the Year and the | 20 | | Illinois Food Retailers Associations' Food Industry Leader of | 21 | | the Year; he also received the National Grocers Association's | 22 | | Spirit of America Award and the Food Marketing Institute's | 23 | | Sidney R. Rabb Industry and Community Service Award; in |
| | | SR1214 | - 4 - | LRB102 29116 MST 41051 r |
|
| 1 | | addition, he was inducted into the Quincy Area Chamber of | 2 | | Commerce Business Hall of Fame and received its Parker S. | 3 | | Gates Industry Leader Award; he also received Quincy | 4 | | University's Alumnus of the Year Award and an honorary | 5 | | doctoral degree from Quincy University; he and Connie received | 6 | | the Quincy Notre Dame Band Award, the Quincy Catholic | 7 | | Elementary Schools Foundation's Friend of Catholic Education | 8 | | Award, and the Catholic Charities Distinguished Service Award; | 9 | | and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann was always mindful of giving back to | 11 | | the community; he and Connie, in conjunction with the Niemann | 12 | | Foods Foundation, partnered with Quincy University to | 13 | | establish the Connie Niemann Center for Music in 2013; in | 14 | | memory of their late daughter, they established the Connie | 15 | | Niemann Wheeler Scholarship Fund at Quincy Notre Dame; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann was a great husband, father, and son | 17 | | and emphasized his family's health, welfare, happiness, and | 18 | | success; he enjoyed countless family dinners, which produced | 19 | | many thought-provoking family discussions, as well as lots of | 20 | | laughter; he took his family on summer Florida beach vacations | 21 | | and winter Colorado ski trips; he enjoyed many family birthday | 22 | | and holiday celebrations and loved spending time with his | 23 | | family; he enjoyed world travel with grocer trade organization | 24 | | members, as well as with his daughter and son-in-law, Peg and |
| | | SR1214 | - 5 - | LRB102 29116 MST 41051 r |
|
| 1 | | Randy Guse; in his later years, you could find him teaching his | 2 | | grandchildren how to ride a pony, celebrating their birthdays, | 3 | | and having a treat with them after a swim in the family pool; | 4 | | and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann was preceded in death by his | 6 | | daughter, Connie A. Niemann Wheeler; his parents; and his | 7 | | siblings, Catherine Johnson, Mary Shankland, and Ferdinand | 8 | | "Ferd" Niemann Jr.; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Rich Niemann is survived by his wife of over 70 | 10 | | years, Connie; his children, Linda M. (Steve) Ebbing, Richard | 11 | | "Rich" (Susie) Niemann Jr., Daniel M. "Dan" (Angie) Niemann, | 12 | | Ted M. (Suzanne) Niemann, Christopher J. "Chris" (Tammy) | 13 | | Niemann, Margaret M. "Peggy" (Randy) Guse, and Amy E. | 14 | | (Patrick) O'Keefe; his son-in-law, Paul (JoJene) Wheeler II; | 15 | | his grandchildren, Dr. Jonathan (Dr. Devon) Ebbing, Abigail | 16 | | (Matthew) Klarner, Matthew (Erin) Ebbing, Jessica (Brett) | 17 | | Gerig, Paul (Dana) Wheeler III, Audrey (Andy) Hermsmeier, Rich | 18 | | (Heather) Niemann III, Brad (Jenna) Niemann, Andrea (Brian) | 19 | | Doellman, Doug (Erin) Niemann, Lisa (Adam) Hemmen, Ashley | 20 | | (Robbie) Mayfield, Mark (Lauren) Niemann, Scott (Amanda) | 21 | | Niemann, Genevieve (Max) Miller, Celeste Niemann (Joseph | 22 | | Gobble), Angelica Niemann, Elizabeth (Chris) Dreste, Dr. Adam | 23 | | (Cathy) Niemann, Eric Niemann, Caroline Niemann, Lindsay | 24 | | Cardosi, Christopher Cardosi, and Alex Cardosi; and 39 |
| | | SR1214 | - 6 - | LRB102 29116 MST 41051 r |
|
| 1 | | great-grandchildren; therefore, be it
| 2 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | 3 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 4 | | Richard Henry "Rich" Niemann Sr. and extend our sincere | 5 | | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved | 6 | | him; and be it further
| 7 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 8 | | presented to the family of Rich Niemann as an expression of our | 9 | | deepest sympathy.
|
|