SR1616 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1616 LRB099 20829 MST 45580 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Artha L. Chamberlain of Urbana, who passed away on February 18, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Artha Chamberlain was born to Frank and Emma Kuoni Littel on August 20, 1918; she was raised in the river town of Sauk City, Wisconsin, where she learned to swim from regional author August Derleth and spent afternoons with her older sister, Dorothy, and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lloyd Wright, enjoying foreign films and cookies at Taliesin; she was a soda jerk in the local drugstore, where she once served hamburgers to Cab Calloway and his band; she received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and enlisted in the WAVES shortly after World War II began; she was stationed in Washington, D.C. and worked in Naval Intelligence until the end of the war; she married Don Chamberlain in 1945 and they moved to Urbana, where she received her Master of Arts from the University of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Artha Chamberlain spent most of her career in the Department of Aero and Astro Engineering as the undergraduate writing program director, publications counselor, and alumni liaison; and

WHEREAS, Artha Chamberlain was an avid sports fan, including golf, football, and basketball; she was a loyal Illini fan, but her first loyalty was to her University of Wisconsin Badgers, as evidenced by that red Wisconsin baseball cap and Badger earmuffs she wore everywhere; she was active in the community and at St. Patrick's Church; she was an Ebertfest groupie from its inception and shared many Ebertfests with her daughters and friends; she and her husband shared many interests, including Krannert performances, Stardusters dances, U of I football games, and traveling; she was a talented and prolific writer and was probably best known for her well-loved, annual Christmas letter; and

WHEREAS, Artha Chamberlain was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Don, and her sisters, Dorothy Mueller and Pauline Nickel; and

WHEREAS, Artha Chamberlain is survived by her children, Frank Chamberlain, Ellen (Charlie) Warmbrunn, and Beth (Bill) Welbes; her 3 grandchildren, Matt Call, Sam Call, and Jacob Welbes; her nephews, John Nickel and David LeResche; her nieces, Kathy Englander and Mary Nell Marten; and many wonderful great-nieces and great-nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Artha L. Chamberlain, and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

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