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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Ernest "Del" Beckstrand of Paxton, who
4passed away on October 13, 2015; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Del Beckstrand was born in Paxton on October 10,
61923 to Ernest R. and Mabel Larson Beckstrand; he graduated
7from Paxton High School in 1942 and was a Staff Sergeant in the
8United States Army during World War II, stationed in California
9with the 11th Armored Division; he attended the University of
10Nevada in Reno under the Army ASTP program, where he became a
11combat engineer and was sent to Louisiana to the 1253rd Combat
12Engineers; he was sent overseas and saw action in France and on
13the Rhine River in Germany under General Patton; he was awarded
143 Battle Stars; he married Virginia (Motley) Swanson on June
1515, 1961 in Kewanee; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Del Beckstrand worked as a painter for Frank
17Salvage, Virgil Anderson, and Al Kingren Construction; later,
18he went to work at Chanute Air Force Base in the carpenter
19shop, retiring in 1985; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Del Beckstrand was a past commander of American
21Legion Post 150 in Paxton and was a member of the Veterans of
22Foreign War Post No. 4214 and the Moose Lodge of Rantoul; he

 

 

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1was a member of First Lutheran Church of Paxton, where he
2served on the church board for a number of years and was a
3Trustee on the cemetery board; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Del Beckstrand was preceded in death by his wife,
5Virginia; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Del Beckstrand is survived by his daughter, Nancy
7(Hansel) Gillis; his stepdaughter, Christine Lindstrom; his
8grandson; his granddaughter; and his step-granddaughter;
9therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
12Ernest "Del" Beckstrand, and extend our sincere condolences to
13his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
14further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the family of Del Beckstrand as an expression of
17our deepest sympathy.