HR1051LRB097 21395 GRL 69355 r


  
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives are saddened to  learn of the death of
Ben C. 
4Harpstrite of New Baden, who passed away on April 24, 2012; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Ben Harpstrite was born on June 10, 1926, in 
6Trenton; he married Eleanor E. "Ellie", nee Schmidt, Harpstrite 
7on June 19, 1947, in Trenton; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, Ben Harpstrite was a farmer and operated 
9Harpstrite Farms with his wife and his brother, Howard; he was 
10also an insurance agent for Harpstrite Insurance Agency; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, Ben Harpstrite served on the Clinton County Board 
12of School Trustees from 1950 until 1956; he also served as the 
13Lookingglass Township Assessor from 1956 until 1960 and was a 
14member of the Clinton County Board of Supervisors from 1960 
15until 1966; and
  
 
16    WHEREAS, Ben Harpstrite served as an Illinois State 
17Representative from 1967 until 1974, during the 75th through 
18the 78th General Assemblies; he focused mainly on rural issues 
19during his tenure in the Illinois House of Representatives; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Ben Harpstrite was a member of the First United 
 
 
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1Methodist Church in Trenton; he was a charter member of the New 
2Baden Lions Club for 60 years; he was a member of Trenton 
3Masonic Lodge 109, the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Valley of 
4Southern Illinois, the Ainad Shriners, the Silver Lake Shrine 
5Club, the MI-CLI-BO Shrine Club, the Centralia Shrine Club, and 
6the Ainad Temple Nuts and Bolts Club; he was a sponsor at 
7Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children and a member of the 
8Eastern Star Trenton Chapter 756; he was also a member of the 
9New Baden Chamber of Commerce and the Clinton County Farm 
10Bureau; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Ben Harpstrite was preceded in death by his wife, 
12Eleanor E. "Ellie", nee Schmidt, Harpstrite; his parents, 
13Benjamin A. and Ella M., nee Bassler, Harpstrite; his son, 
14James Benjamin Harpstrite; his great-grandson, Nathan 
15Lintzenich; his son-in-law, Dale Roy Zeller; his 
16brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Wilbur A. Schmidt, Jr., 
17Robert Schmidt, Delores Provaznik, and Gladys and Walter 
18Pendracky; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Wilbur A. and 
19Emma M., nee Slavik, Schmidt, Sr.; and his step father-in-law, 
20William Masek; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Ben Harpstrite is survived by his children, Janice 
22L. (Michael) Hamilton, Karen S. (Mike) Riley, Cheryl A. (Rick) 
23Parkin, and Janine M. (Ed) Wuebbles; his grandchildren, Dawn M. 
24(Jim) Lintzenich, Ashley M. Hamilton, Jami S. (Jay) Staser, 
 
 
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1Michael J. Riley, Rick L. Riley, Kyle A. (Kristy) Bingaman, 
2Jared J. (Kalena) Bingaman, Heidi L. (Tom) Kirchgesner, Craig 
3W. Parkin (fiancee, Lauren Momot), Melanie M. Wuebbles, and 
4Joshua J. Wuebbles; his great-grandchildren, Mikaela 
5Lintzenich, Caleb Lintzenich, Ethan Riley Lemberger, Olivia 
6Bingaman, Gryphon Kirchgesner, Aidan Hamilton, Destiny 
7Wuebbles, Kaitlyn Staser, Torre Parsons, Kolten Staser, Hunter 
8Parsons, Gabe Parkin, Logan Bingaman, and Payton Bingaman; his 
9brother, Howard D. Harpstrite (special friend, Jackie 
10Rickert); his brother-in-law, Frank Provaznik; his 
11sister-in-law, Kathy Schmidt; and his many nieces, nephews, and 
12cousins; therefore, be it
  
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
14NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
15we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Ben 
16C. Harpstrite; and be it further
  
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
18presented to the family of Ben Harpstrite as an expression of 
19our sympathy.