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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of William F. "Bill" Meier of
4Jacksonville, who passed away on November 9, 2021; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Bill Meier was born to Francis "Frankie" and
6Emaline Collins Meier on September 2, 1949; he grew up in
7Bethel; after his mother passed when he was a young boy, he and
8his father continued to live above the small general store in
9Bethel, and he spent most of his time helping his dad operate
10the store when he was not playing a multitude of sports; he was
11a star athlete at Concord Triopia High School, where he broke
12several records; he played football briefly at Culver-Stockton
13College before joining the U.S. Air Force in 1968; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Bill Meier returned from service and worked at
15the FS plant in Bluffs; he then worked as a salesman and
16eventually as sales manager at Ray Green Chevrolet for many
17years; he won several sales awards before he and two partners
18opened their own car business, Prairieland Motors; he was
19elected as a Morgan County Commissioner in 2004 and was
20serving his third term at the time of his death; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Bill Meier was active in community service; he
22was a member of the Elks Club and a past member of the Moose,

 

 

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1where he served as state organist for several years; he
2belonged to the Jacksonville Country Club and the Franklin
3Outing Club, where he served on the board for many years; he
4helped develop the West Morgan County Water Corporation; he
5was a member of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the
6Jacksonville Kiwanis, and Franklin American Legion Post #308;
7and
 
8    WHEREAS, Bill Meier was baptized and confirmed in the
9Lutheran faith; he transferred to Durbin Methodist Church when
10he married Joena; he was an active member and served in many
11ways, including enthusiastically playing the organ for the
12congregation at Durbin over the past 40 years; he loved music,
13particularly Southern Gospel and pop classics; he began
14playing in church as a young boy and never turned down a
15request to play the piano at celebrations or social events
16over the years; he also enjoyed using his boundless
17personality on the stage, performing in the Passavant Follies
18and Jacksonville Theater Guild productions and in countless
19other venues in the area; he loved his family, traveling, and
20entertaining and rarely failed to bring a smile to the faces of
21those around him; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Bill Meier was preceded in death by his parents;
23and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Bill Meier is survived by his wife of 42 years,
2Joena (Smith); his children, Liza Meier (Dimitri Rologis),
3William "Billy" (Jurga) Meier Jr., JB (Anne) Meier, and Alex
4(Chloe) Meier; and his grandchildren, Kenna Meier, Jace Meier,
5Phillip Rologis, and Aris Rologis; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
7ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
8William F. "Bill" Meier and extend our sincere condolences to
9his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
10further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to the family of Bill Meier as an expression of our
13deepest sympathy.