HR0135 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0135 LRB096 11672 GRL 22310 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Dorothy Louise Bauer, who passed away on November 20, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Bauer was born in Benton on September 14, 1932; her parents were Zelphia and Vern Jones; she graduated from Benton High School with the Class of 1950; against the wishes of her father, she attended the University of Illinois, graduating in 1954 with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Bauer had a long and distinguished career in teaching; her teaching career began in 1954 in Baltimore, Maryland; however, she is most remembered for her 27-plus years as a middle school English, grammar, and reading instructor for the Benton Consolidated School District 47; throughout her career in Benton, she taught over 4,000 students and was greatly lauded for her wit and passion for teaching; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Bauer was instrumental in developing several innovative programs during her teaching career, including an Independent Study Program for gifted students and a Team Operational Planning Program; she served as coach of the eighth-grade Scholar Bowl Team and sponsored the annual Spelling Contest for the Middle School; a study room was dedicated in her honor at the Benton Public Library in recognition of the time she and her students spent at the library and her love of reading; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Bauer demonstrated commitment to her fellow teachers; she served as President of the Benton Teachers Association during the early 1970s and as President of the Benton Federation of Teachers AFL-CIO from 1981 to 1982; during her tenure, the District 47 teachers were always among the best compensated in Southern Illinois, a great source of pride for her and a testament to her negotiating skill; she also served on the Southern Illinois Reading Council, the Illinois Council of English Teachers, the National Association of Middle Schools, and the International Reading Association; prior to her retirement from teaching in 1990, she served as District Representative for the Association of Illinois Middle Schools; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Bauer showed her love for her hometown through her service at the First Baptist Church, the Benton Community Park District, and the Benton Civic Center; always willing to challenge the status quo, she became one of the first two women to serve on the Board of Deacons of the First Baptist Church of Benton in 1978; she also served as Sunday School Superintendent, Vacation Bible School Director, Sunday School Teacher, and Church Clerk; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Bauer was a leader in the formation of the Benton Community Park District, serving on the Park District Board as Vice President from its inception in 1974 through the mid-1980s and then again from 1990 until 1996; her passion for the park has created a playground that children from throughout Southern Illinois have visited and enjoyed; and

WHEREAS, In April of 1990, Dorothy Bauer was appointed Executive Director of the newly formed Benton Civic Center Authority; her investment of time and talent in her community was formally recognized in November of 1990, when she was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Bauer first met her husband-to-be, David, when they were attending the third grade at Webster Grade School; they dated on and off throughout high school before both of them headed north to attend school at the University of Illinois; they were married on June 12, 1954, the week before receiving their undergraduate degrees; later, in 1954, she went with Lt. David Bauer to Germany, where they enjoyed three eventful years traveling the continent, surviving the October Revolution and bearing their first child, Brian; after their tour in the military, they settled in St. Louis in 1958, where David began his career in banking and they had their second child, Paula; in the fall of 1961, they seized on the opportunity to move back to Benton, where their third child, Valerie, was born; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Bauer was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Elmer; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy Bauer is survived by her husband; her son, Brian Bauer (wife, Patricia); her daughters, Paula Bauer (partner, Faye Licata) and Valerie Sansing (husband, John Sansing); her grandchildren, Douglas, Gregory, Kyle, and Elizabeth (Brian and Pat), Courtney and Cameron (Paula and Faye), Doug and wife, Aubrey, and Jenna (Valerie and John); and her brother, Harold Jones (wife, Carol); therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of Dorothy Louise Bauer; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dorothy Bauer as an expression of our sympathy.