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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Ella Pfeiffenberger Anschuetz, formerly
4 of Alton, who passed away on June 27, 2009; and
 
5     WHEREAS, A longtime Alton resident and widow of former
6 Alton surgeon Dr. Robert R. Anschuetz, she moved to Denver from
7 Alton in 2002 to be near family; a third generation Altonian,
8 Mrs. Anschuetz grew up on Bluff Street; she was the daughter of
9 Dr. Mather and Hortense Pfeiffenberger, the granddaughter of
10 three-time Alton mayor Lucas Pfeiffenberger, the mother of
11 seven children, and the grandmother of six; her maternal
12 grandfather Rodgers and Uncle Eben Rodgers established the
13 Alton Brick Company; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Before her marriage in 1942, Ella attended schools
15 as near as the former Irving and Roosevelt schools in Alton and
16 as far away as the University of Heidelberg in Germany; while
17 in Germany, she attended the 1936 Berlin Olympics and saw
18 Adolph Hitler; she graduated from Monticello Seminary, a high
19 school, and in 1934, she graduated as valedictorian of
20 Monticello College, a junior college; she earned an
21 undergraduate degree from Wellesley College, class of 1936, and
22 a master's degree from Washington University; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Many Altonians remember Mrs. Anschuetz as a
2 talented harpist; one of the high points of Mrs. Anschuetz's
3 life was her harp study at Michigan's Interlochen Music Camp;
4 she was the oldest of seven children who played together as a
5 family orchestra and even had a composition adapted for them;
6 in addition to playing with the Alton Civic Orchestra, as an
7 active member of First Presbyterian Church of Alton she played
8 the harp at Christmas Eve services for 50 years; and
 
9     WHEREAS, In addition to her extraordinary dedication to her
10 family, she was particularly devoted to excellence in classical
11 music and education, as well as serving the Alton community in
12 several leadership positions; Mrs. Anschuetz's involvement in
13 Alton community service spanned more than half a century; she
14 led the Alton Community Service League as well as numerous Cub
15 Scout, Brownie, and Girl Scout troops; she also served on the
16 Jenny D. Hayner Library Foundation Board for 40 years and on
17 the United Way, Monticello Foundation, and Alton Museum of
18 History and Art boards; and
 
19     WHEREAS, In addition to 21 years in the Irving School PTA,
20 she also enthusiastically attended countless dance recitals,
21 piano recitals, graduations, and ballgames; and she loved to
22 talk about the night she took her children, Bill and Sara, to
23 the Beatles concert at Busch Stadium; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, She was preceded in death by her infant daughter,
2 Martha Ella; her brother, Dr. Mather Pfeiffenberger; and her
3 sister, Mary J. Pfeiffenberger; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Mrs. Anschuetz is survived by four daughters, Mary
5 Vogt, Elizabeth Yates, Jean Lipson, and Dr. Sara Anschuetz; two
6 sons, Dr. Robert Anschuetz and William Anschuetz; six
7 grandchildren; her sister, Jane Luer; and her brothers, Lucas
8 Pfeiffenberger, Andrew Pfeiffenberger, and Franklin
9 Pfeiffenberger; therefore, be it
 
10     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
11 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
12 her family and friends, the passing of Ella Pfeiffenberger
13 Anschuetz; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15 presented to the family of Ella Pfeiffenberger Anschuetz as a
16 symbol of our sincere sympathy.