SR0648 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0648 LRB093 22968 HSS 52850 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the recent death of Loretta "Lollie" Drew of Waukegan; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Drew was a long time civic activist in Waukegan and had dozens of friends sprinkled all over the country; as she entered her twilight years and few contemporaries remained, she continued to forge new friendships; her life was remarkable in the variety of her activities, but the constant was her warmth and concern for others; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Drew's roots were in Chicago's North Park Swedish neighborhood; she was raised by her widowed father and nearby aunts and uncles, which gave her an unbreakable family and community loyalty; and

WHEREAS, Having absorbed grammar and penmanship from her older sister, Mrs. Drew skipped two primary grades; she attended Hibbard High, where she hung out with a group of honor students who called themselves the "Silent Six"; as others were attracted to their group they amended their name to the "Silent Six and Supplement"; and

WHEREAS, Money problems in the Depression kept her from graduating after completing three years at Northwestern; she worked for Marshall Fields and for the phone company in the 1920s; after being set up with him in 1938, she married Richard Drew; he preceded her in death; and

WHEREAS, During World War II, Mr. Drew was stationed in South Dakota as an administrator of the Selective Service; Lollie loved the Black Hills; she took courses in geology and developed a lifelong interest in the Sioux at the Red Cloud Indian School; and

WHEREAS, The 1950s and 1960s were high points of civic activism for Lollie; she was a charter member and President of the League of Women Voters, was active in the Christian Family Movement, the Girl Scouts, the YWCA, the Panel of American Women, the Friends of the Library, and Women for Peace; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Drew made her home on McAree Rd. into a perfect place for organizational meetings and uncounted family parties; baking bread and cakes were part of her weekly routine, and a collection of antiques made for interesting conversation; she preserved farm wagons and horseshoeing implements as an informal museum of the Drew past in her garage; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Drew traveled extensively; in the 1950s she was the initiator of family camping trips to the great national parks of the west; in later years, she and Rich went by motor home as far as Alaska and rafted down the Colorado River; they took trips in search of both Swedish and Irish roots; and

WHEREAS, As a result of two eye injuries, Mrs. Drew was blinded at the age of 86; she learned to type at a computer keyboard and collaborated with her son, Bill, in the development of the talking computer, which she used daily for email correspondence with friends near and far; she founded a Low Vision Support Group and was given a service award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Loretta "Lollie" Drew has been deeply felt by many, especially her children, Judge Jane Waller and her husband, Lake County States Attorney Mike Waller; Nora Renzulli, who is an attorney in New York; William and wife, Gloria; and John and wife, Lauren; her grandchildren, Patrick and John Waller, Richard and William Drew, Jr., Dante and Christina Renzulli, and Nick Drew; and her numerous nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Loretta "Lollie" Drew, and we extend our sincerest 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 Mrs. Drew as an expression of our deep sadness for their loss.