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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of August Edward "AugE" Kerres of
4Edgington, who passed away on November 24, 2023; and
 
5    WHEREAS, August Kerres was born to August J. Kerres and
6Miriam (Hartman) Kerres in Kewanee on March 1, 1931; he
7graduated from Reynolds High School in 1949, where he was a
8football player and cheerleader and was named Homecoming King;
9he served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Korean War,
10where he maintained Bell helicopters and earned multiple
11letters of commendation and a Bronze Star for his service; he
12married Mary Rose McGee in Rock Island on May 19, 1956, and
13they settled in Edgington and raised four children together;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, After working several jobs, August Kerres began
16working at Ben Rummel's service station in Edgington; he then
17partnered with his brother-in-law, Louis Fowler, to run the
18station, eventually becoming sole owner of Kerres Garage; he
19ran the garage until officially closing it in 1988, but he
20never stopped working, continuing farm and machinery repair
21from 1953 to 2023; and
 
22    WHEREAS, August Kerres was a member of the American Legion

 

 

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1for 68 years, serving as commander several times; he also
2drove the VA van for 25 years, arranged and participated in
3Honor Guard for 35 years, and put flags up at the Legion and
4the Edgington Cemetery three times a year for many years; and
 
5    WHEREAS, August Kerres was involved with the Rockridge
6Rockets for decades, and he attended school board meetings for
7more than 35 years, parked cars at the high school for 50
8years, painted hashmarks on the Rockridge band practice field
9for 15 years, drove school buses for 25 years, and worked on
10buses in the bus barn until a few months before his passing;
11and
 
12    WHEREAS, August Kerres enjoyed donating his time to his
13community in a number of ways, including serving as a
14volunteer fireman for 64 years, singing in the choir at St.
15Patrick Catholic Church in Taylor Ridge for 54 years, making
16ice cream for local churches and the fire station, and
17conducting kiddie tractor pulls for 57 years; and
 
18    WHEREAS, August Kerres was very proud of his family and
19enjoyed supporting their activities; he loved dogs and had
20many beloved pets over the years, including Brownie, Tripod,
21Cricket, and Fleabe; and
 
22    WHEREAS, August Kerres was preceded in death by his

 

 

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1parents; his sisters, Martha Jean and Dorothy (Louis) Fowler;
2his brother, Gary Kerres; and his brother-in-law, Roger
3Spivey; and
 
4    WHEREAS, August Kerres is survived by his wife of 67
5years, Mary Rose; his children, Kathleen (Pat) Begyn, Diane
6(Tim) Keller, Mike (Julie) Kerres, and Christine (Joe)
7Malecki; his grandchildren, Erica (Travis) Figanbaum, Ben
8(Kristi) Keller, Dustin (Lindsay) Begyn, Holley (Tyson)
9Blaser, Cole (Abbey) Kerres, Sarah (Tony) Brown, Annie
10Malecki, Jonah Malecki, and Luke Malecki; and 12
11great-grandchildren, with one more baby due next year;
12therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
15August Edward "AugE" Kerres and extend our sincere condolences
16to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be
17it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the family of August Kerres as an expression of
20our deepest sympathy.