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SENATE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to 
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learn of the death of longtime DeKalb community leader and a 
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friend to many, Charles Siebrasse, who passed away on February 
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5, 2009; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was born March 13, 1947, in DeKalb, the son of 
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Earl and Neva (Fraedrich) Siebrasse; he married Kathy Vance on 
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March 8, 1980, in Sycamore; he attended Sycamore schools until 
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11th grade and graduated in 1965 from Genoa-Kingston High 
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School; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Charles Siebrasse  served in the United States Army 
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from 1966 to 1968, including as a medic in Vietnam in 1967; as 
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a member of the 25th Infantry Division Wolfhounds, he earned 
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the Purple Heart for wounds received in action on June 1, 1967, 
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in Vietnam; the Bronze Star Medal for Heroism in Ground Combat 
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in Vietnam August 3, 1967; the Bronze Star Medal for 
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Meritorious Achievement in Ground Operations Against Hostile 
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Forces in Vietnam from January to December 1967; The Army 
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Commendation Medal for Heroism in Vietnam, July 12, 1967; and 
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the Army Commendation Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster) for 
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Meritorious Achievement in Vietnam, September 17, 1967; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He earned a fire science degree from Kishwaukee 
 


 






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College in 1981 while working as firefighter/paramedic for 
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DeKalb Fire Department from 1971 to 1983; he bought The MidWeek 
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newspaper with wife, Kathy, in January 1982 and owned it until 
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March 2001; he was currently employed as the executive director 
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of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was the manager of the DeKalb Elks Lodge from 
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October 2003 to 2005 and manager of the Wright Way Pontiac Body 
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Shop from 1969 to 1971; he was a current board member of 
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Suicide Prevention Services in Batavia; current co-chairman of 
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DeKalb Corn Fest Corn Boil, since 1985; the chairman of the 
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fund drive for Kishwaukee Community Hospital Atrium for Cardiac 
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Rehabilitation, 2001; the chairman of the DeKalb County Chapter 
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American Heart Association Heart Walk, 2000; the past president 
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of the  DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, 1985; the 
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past president of the DeKalb High School Barb Boosters, 1995 to 
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1997; a committee member of Illinois State Senator Brad 
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Burzynski's Annual Golf Outing; and a chairman of the Boy 
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Scouts of America Fund Drive; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was involved over the years helping various 
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charitable activities, including the Salvation Army, Let's 
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Talk Turkey, the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, the 
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Family Service Agency's Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the 
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Voluntary Action Center, the Children's Learning Center, the 
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Kishwaukee YMCA, the DeKalb Moose Lodge, the DeKalb Elks Lodge, 
 


 






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DeKalb County VietNow, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the 
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American Legion; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was the recipient of the Phoenix Award from 
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Suicide Prevention Services in  2007; as a part of WLBK Radio's 
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Suicide Prevention Program, he was awarded the Illinois 
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Broadcasters' Silver Dome Award in 2007; he also received the 
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Tribute to Heroes Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 2006; 
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the Kishwaukee Community Hospital Heritage Award in  2003; and 
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the "Business of the Year Award" from DeKalb Chamber of 
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Commerce while owner of Siebrasse Publications, publisher of 
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The MidWeek and DeKalb County Business; the MidWeek earned more 
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than 100 awards for excellence from professional newspaper 
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associations during his ownership; and

 
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    WHEREAS, He was honored in January of 2009 by his community 
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with a "roast", celebrating this "community cheerleader", as he 
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was titled by a local newspaper; and
 
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    WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his son, Michael 
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Siebrasse; his sister, Penny Bunnell; his parents and 
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grandparents; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Charles R. Siebrasse is survived by his wife, 
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Kathy; his son, Bradley Siebrasse (Amber Fischer); his sisters, 
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Linda (Charlie) Davidson, Lynn (Ken) Dander, Carol Storm, and 
 


 






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Heidi (Scott) Gray; his father-in-law, Don Vance; his 
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brother-in-law, Craig Vance; his aunts, uncles, nieces, 
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nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and a community of 
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loving friends; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with 
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his family, friends, and the DeKalb community, the passing of 
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Charles Siebrasse; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the family of Charles Siebrasse as a symbol of our 
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sincere sympathy.