| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate Robert "Bob" Redfern on | ||||||
| 4 | the occasion of his 100th birthday on July 16, 2024; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Bob Redfern was born to Mac and Hazel Redfern in | ||||||
| 6 | Burlington, Iowa on July 16, 1924; he and his family relocated | ||||||
| 7 | to Galesburg, Illinois after his father began working for the | ||||||
| 8 | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) Railroad; he attended | ||||||
| 9 | school in Galesburg, graduating in 1942; and | ||||||
| 10 | WHEREAS, Bob Redfern handled mail and baggage for the CB&Q | ||||||
| 11 | Railroad at the Galesburg Depot until he joined the U.S. Army | ||||||
| 12 | Air Corps on April 9, 1943, where his duties included working | ||||||
| 13 | with the base engineers through completing survey work and | ||||||
| 14 | building and maintaining airstrips and other base construction | ||||||
| 15 | projects in Burtonwood, England; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, After recovering from a serious injury incurred | ||||||
| 17 | in the line of duty, Bob Redfern was honorably discharged at | ||||||
| 18 | Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado on January 24, 1946, although | ||||||
| 19 | he later served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve from January 1949 | ||||||
| 20 | through October 1952; for his service, he earned the rank of | ||||||
| 21 | private first class and was awarded the American Theater EAME | ||||||
| 22 | Ribbon and the World War II Victory Ribbon; and | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | WHEREAS, Bob Redfern joined the Standard Oil Company in | ||||||
| 2 | 1946, where he worked until October 1955; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Bob Redfern married Audrey Burch on November 29, | ||||||
| 4 | 1947, and together they had two children, Lindsey and Steve, | ||||||
| 5 | four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Bob Redfern began working for the Galesburg Fire | ||||||
| 7 | Department in November 1955, serving at Central Station for | ||||||
| 8 | seven years before spending the remainder of his career at the | ||||||
| 9 | Brooks Street Station, retiring in July 1979; and | ||||||
| 10 | WHEREAS, Bob Redfern also provided his military experience | ||||||
| 11 | in surveying to Galesburg-based engineering firm Bruner, | ||||||
| 12 | Cooper & Zuck Inc. in various capacities for over 40 years; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, After retirement, Bob Redfern and his wife | ||||||
| 14 | enjoyed traveling, especially to Royal Air Force (RAF) | ||||||
| 15 | Burtonwood Airbase reunions celebrated abroad in England and | ||||||
| 16 | Germany and domestically at various air bases in the United | ||||||
| 17 | States; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Bob Redfern is a skilled carpenter who loves | ||||||
| 19 | helping friends with building projects; he is also an | ||||||
| 20 | excellent woodworker who has put his exceptional skills on | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | display through completing many cabinet and fine wood | ||||||
| 2 | furniture projects; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Bob Redfern is an avid fan of the St. Louis | ||||||
| 4 | Cardinals and the Chicago Bears; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 5 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 6 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 7 | we congratulate Robert "Bob" Redfern on the occasion of his | ||||||
| 8 | 100th birthday, and we thank him for his military service to | ||||||
| 9 | the United States; and be it further | ||||||
| 10 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 11 | delivered to Bob Redfern as a symbol of our esteem and respect. | ||||||