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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Albert Bergquist of Elburn, who passed
4 away on August 29, 2009; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Albert F. "Al" Bergquist was born September 17,
6 1933, the son of Hilmer and Irene (Powers) Bergquist in Aurora;
7 he grew up on the family farm in the La Fox and attended local
8 St. Charles and Geneva Schools; his two passions in life were
9 farming and racing motorcycles; and
 
10     WHEREAS, He was drafted into the United States Army in 1955
11 and faithfully served his country until being discharged to
12 help his family, after his father suffered a stroke; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Al and Joan Oksas were united in marriage December
14 29, 1955; and
 
15     WHEREAS, He was a "jack of all trades", but he was a farmer
16 at heart; he drove a truck part-time over the years for
17 Stover's, Bowgren's, and White Brothers' Trucking; he served
18 for twenty years as the Road Commissioner for Blackberry
19 Township, retiring in 1997; upon retirement, he continued to
20 work for the township plowing the snow in winter, and he helped
21 put together John Deere lawn tractors for Ehlers Lawn and

 

 

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1 Recreation in Elburn for many years; and
 
2     WHEREAS, In 1992, Joan and Al bought a used Goldwing
3 motorcycle from a neighbor and traveled together for many
4 years; he was a life member of the American Motorcycle
5 Association as well as Chapters B-2 (Crystal Lake), DK
6 (DeKalb), and V (Batavia) of the Gold Wing Road Rider
7 Association, and served as director of Enduros District 17; he
8 followed family tradition by serving on the board of the Elburn
9 Co-op for seventeen years and was a long-time member of the
10 Illinois Highway Commissioners' Association; and
 
11     WHEREAS, When not riding or working, he and his wife loved
12 to spend their time dancing as part of the Fox Valley Mixers
13 square dancing club, later called the Sugar Squares; he also
14 was a member of the Fox Hunters' Club; and
 
15     WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents; his
16 sister-in-law, Diane Oksas; his brother-in-law, Joseph
17 Fabrizius; and his mother-in-law, Hazel Oksas; and
 
18     WHEREAS, He now leaves his loving wife, Joan Bergquist; his
19 four children, Vicki Bergquist, Al "Butch" (Connie) Bergquist,
20 Barbara (Patrick) Bradford, and Mary (Chuck) Liss; his
21 grandchildren, Rebecca (née, Bradford), (Ronald Jr.) Edwards,
22 Ben Bradford, Blake Bradford, Mackenzie Liss, Allison Liss, and

 

 

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1 Chucky Liss; his great-grandchildren, Shelby and Bradford
2 Edwards; his siblings, Carl (Sharon) Bergquist, Alice Nickels,
3 and Norm (Diane) Bergquist; his sister-in-law, Carol
4 Fabrizius; his brother-in-law, Bob Oksas; many nieces and
5 nephews; and a family of friends; therefore, be it
 
6     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
7 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
8 his family and friends, the passing of Albert Bergquist; and be
9 it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11 presented to the family of Albert Bergquist as a symbol of our
12 sincere sympathy.