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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General
3Assembly pays honor and respect to the truly great individuals
4who have served our country and State and, in doing so, have
5made the ultimate sacrifice; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Deputy Sheriff Nicholas Donald "Nick" Weist was
7born to Kevin Weist and Robin Monson in Platteville, Wisconsin
8on July 28, 1987; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Deputy Weist married the love of his life,
10Jessica Weist, on January 11, 2012; he was a devoted husband
11and father to Jessica and his two children, Ava, age 12, and
12Emery, age 9; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Deputy Weist wanted to be a police officer since
14he was very little; he graduated from Western Illinois
15University in 2009 with a degree in law enforcement and
16justice administration; following an internship with the Rock
17Island Police Department, he worked as a security guard for
18Trinity Hospital in the Quad Cities; in 2012, he was hired by
19the Mercer County Sheriff's Department as a 911 dispatcher and
20then as a correctional officer; and
 
21    WHEREAS, On June 26, 2015, Deputy Weist was sworn into the

 

 

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1Aledo Police Department, and after graduating from the
2Illinois Police Training Institute in September 2015, he began
3his career on the road; he was also a volunteer for the Viola
4Fire Department; in 2018, he began working as a sheriff's
5deputy for Knox County, where he was working at the time of his
6death; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Deputy Weist's first priority was his family; he
8loved anything outdoors, and he especially enjoyed mountain
9biking and fishing with his children; he also enjoyed deer
10hunting, cooking, and playing video games; as a son, he cared
11deeply for his "Mama Bear" and his father, Kevin, whom he
12called "Papooh"; he was passionate about everything he did;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, Deputy Weist organized the explorer's program at
15Aledo High School for kids interested in law enforcement and
16was the head of college recruiting for the Knox County
17Sheriff's Department; he was the union president and a Taser
18instructor and served as a leader in a number of different
19organizations within the sheriff's department; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Deputy Weist raised funds
21for and participated in the Shop with a Cop program; his
22dedication to the sheriff's department was unrelenting; he was
23respectful to all people, selfless, and always took care of

 

 

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1others before himself; he continuously searched for ways to
2improve the department; he was a good husband and father and an
3amazing officer; he never highlighted a problem without
4offering a solution; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Deputy Weist gave his life in the line of duty
6while in pursuit of an armed subject; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Deputy Weist was preceded in death by his
8maternal grandmother, Peggy Mueller, and his paternal
9grandmother, Mary Lou Weist; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Deputy Weist is survived by his wife, Jessica;
11his children, Ava and Emery; his parents, Robin (Bill) Monson
12and Kevin Weist; his sister, Lindsay Weist; his paternal
13grandfather, Donald Weist; his maternal grandfathers, Donald
14Mueller and Jim (Carol) Nicholas Jr.; his stepsiblings Jason
15(Cathleen) Monson, Bill (Christina) Monson, Ryan (Annie)
16Monson, Renee (Cory) Funk, and Megan Monson; his in-laws,
17Cheryl and Lawrence Milder; his sisters, Kendra (Michael)
18Elledge and Jennifer (Joe) Kindon; and his brother, Benjy
19Milder (Tiffany Bogardo); therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
21HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
22SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate Illinois Route 150

 

 

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1from Galesburg Main Street to the intersection of U.S. Route
2150 and Illinois Route 17 in Alpha as the "Deputy Sheriff Nick
3Weist Memorial Highway"; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation
5is requested to erect, at suitable locations consistent with
6State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs
7giving notice of the name "Deputy Sheriff Nick Weist Memorial
8Highway"; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
10presented to the family Deputy Weist and the Secretary of
11Transportation.