SR0589 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0589 LRB101 13284 ALS 62126 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Marlene Delores (Bower) Graham of Waukegan, who passed away on May 31, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Marlene Graham was born to Henry Royal and Marie Elizabeth Filstead Bower on December 15, 1931; she was raised and lived her entire life in Waukegan and had great pride for her hometown; she graduated from Waukegan High School; and

WHEREAS, Marlene Graham began her first career at Victory Memorial Hospital, where she was in charge of the dietitian department; she enjoyed writing diets and taking care of the patients; she then worked as a librarian in the Waukegan Public School District; she worked at Washington Elementary School and Clearview Elementary School for many years; she later took a job at the Waukegan Public Library, where she worked diligently to help patrons find a love of reading, helped many people with their college research projects, and gathered Waukegan historical items; and

WHEREAS, Marlene Graham was involved in many groups; she was a member of the Christ Episcopal Church and served as a Sunday school teacher, a member of the Altar Guild, and a member of the Stephen Ministry; she was a Girl Scout leader and a member of the Republican Party; she worked on recording the history of Waukegan; she and Leo enjoyed traveling, especially to Wyoming to work with the Episcopal Church in Ethete; helping the Arapaho tribe was a yearly event; she was the driving force behind the Waukegan Library trips and the Christ Episcopal Church trips; she had a passion for learning and trying new things, which she instilled in her daughters and grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Marlene Graham was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Leo; her daughter, Cheryl Graham Ptasienski; and her grandson, Daniel Sonnen; and

WHEREAS, Marlene Graham is survived by her daughter, Colleen (Greg) Sonnen; her grandchildren, Sarah (Ethan) Remacle, Mary (Nate) Sonnen, Carolyn (Kyle) Groom, Christine Rieger and Philip Alfaro, Stephanie (Mark) Allen, and Elizabeth Rieger; her son-in-law, Daniel Ptasienski; her brother, Wayne (Sharon) Bower; her niece, Terra (Kevin) Mener and Curtis Mener; and her great-grandchildren, Jared Sonnen, Cora, Isaiah, Kris, and Olivia Remacle, Michael and Abigail Woodgerd, Claire, Kerry, and Colin Groom, and Xavier and Katarina Alfaro; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Marlene Delores (Bower) Graham and 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 Marlene Graham as an expression of our deepest sympathy.