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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of longtime DeKalb community leader and a
4 friend to many, Charles Siebrasse, who passed away on February
5 5, 2009; and
 
6     WHEREAS, He was born March 13, 1947, in DeKalb, the son of
7 Earl and Neva (Fraedrich) Siebrasse; he married Kathy Vance on
8 March 8, 1980, in Sycamore; he attended Sycamore schools until
9 11th grade and graduated in 1965 from Genoa-Kingston High
10 School; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Charles Siebrasse served in the United States Army
12 from 1966 to 1968, including as a medic in Vietnam in 1967; as
13 a member of the 25th Infantry Division Wolfhounds, he earned
14 the Purple Heart for wounds received in action on June 1, 1967,
15 in Vietnam; the Bronze Star Medal for Heroism in Ground Combat
16 in Vietnam August 3, 1967; the Bronze Star Medal for
17 Meritorious Achievement in Ground Operations Against Hostile
18 Forces in Vietnam from January to December 1967; The Army
19 Commendation Medal for Heroism in Vietnam, July 12, 1967; and
20 the Army Commendation Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster) for
21 Meritorious Achievement in Vietnam, September 17, 1967; and
 
22     WHEREAS, He earned a fire science degree from Kishwaukee

 

 

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1 College in 1981 while working as firefighter/paramedic for
2 DeKalb Fire Department from 1971 to 1983; he bought The MidWeek
3 newspaper with wife, Kathy, in January 1982 and owned it until
4 March 2001; he was currently employed as the executive director
5 of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce; and
 
6     WHEREAS, He was the manager of the DeKalb Elks Lodge from
7 October 2003 to 2005 and manager of the Wright Way Pontiac Body
8 Shop from 1969 to 1971; he was a current board member of
9 Suicide Prevention Services in Batavia; current co-chairman of
10 DeKalb Corn Fest Corn Boil, since 1985; the chairman of the
11 fund drive for Kishwaukee Community Hospital Atrium for Cardiac
12 Rehabilitation, 2001; the chairman of the DeKalb County Chapter
13 American Heart Association Heart Walk, 2000; the past president
14 of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, 1985; the
15 past president of the DeKalb High School Barb Boosters, 1995 to
16 1997; a committee member of Illinois State Senator Brad
17 Burzynski's Annual Golf Outing; and a chairman of the Boy
18 Scouts of America Fund Drive; and
 
19     WHEREAS, He was involved over the years helping various
20 charitable activities, including the Salvation Army, Let's
21 Talk Turkey, the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, the
22 Family Service Agency's Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the
23 Voluntary Action Center, the Children's Learning Center, the
24 Kishwaukee YMCA, the DeKalb Moose Lodge, the DeKalb Elks Lodge,

 

 

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1 DeKalb County VietNow, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the
2 American Legion; and
 
3     WHEREAS, He was the recipient of the Phoenix Award from
4 Suicide Prevention Services in 2007; as a part of WLBK Radio's
5 Suicide Prevention Program, he was awarded the Illinois
6 Broadcasters' Silver Dome Award in 2007; he also received the
7 Tribute to Heroes Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 2006;
8 the Kishwaukee Community Hospital Heritage Award in 2003; and
9 the "Business of the Year Award" from DeKalb Chamber of
10 Commerce while owner of Siebrasse Publications, publisher of
11 The MidWeek and DeKalb County Business; the MidWeek earned more
12 than 100 awards for excellence from professional newspaper
13 associations during his ownership; and
 
14     WHEREAS, He was honored in January of 2009 by his community
15 with a "roast", celebrating this "community cheerleader", as he
16 was titled by a local newspaper; and
 
17     WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his son, Michael
18 Siebrasse; his sister, Penny Bunnell; his parents and
19 grandparents; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Charles R. Siebrasse is survived by his wife,
21 Kathy; his son, Bradley Siebrasse (Amber Fischer); his sisters,
22 Linda (Charlie) Davidson, Lynn (Ken) Dander, Carol Storm, and

 

 

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1 Heidi (Scott) Gray; his father-in-law, Don Vance; his
2 brother-in-law, Craig Vance; his aunts, uncles, nieces,
3 nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and a community of
4 loving friends; therefore, be it
 
5     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
6 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
7 his family, friends, and the DeKalb community, the passing of
8 Charles Siebrasse; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10 presented to the family of Charles Siebrasse as a symbol of our
11 sincere sympathy.