Full Text of HR0854 101st General Assembly
HR0854 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of Emilia | 4 | | Pontarelli, who passed away on April 10, 2020 due to | 5 | | complications from the new coronavirus; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Emilia Pontarelli was born in Rocchetta a | 7 | | Volturno, Italy on March 22, 1927, the second of eight | 8 | | children; she grew up Emilia Neri in the province of Isernia; | 9 | | and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, As a girl growing up in Italy, Emilia Pontarelli | 11 | | herded animals, goats, and sheep by herself, taking them up and | 12 | | down the mountain, running circles around everyone; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, When the Germans occupied Emilia Pontarelli's | 14 | | town, they commandeered the Neri home as well as other | 15 | | families' homes in the village; on one occasion during this | 16 | | time when she was still a youth, she was held back by family | 17 | | members after confronting a German soldier who had confiscated | 18 | | her pet goat for dinner; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, When the Nazis' bombing began, Emilia Pontarelli | 20 | | joined the local residents and sought refuge in caves in the | 21 | | mountains where they had to stay quiet to survive; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Emilia Pontarelli married Vincenzo Pontarelli, | 2 | | and they started their family; in 1967, they immigrated to | 3 | | Chicago in search of more opportunities for their three | 4 | | children, Tony, Maria, and Anna; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Even though Emilia Pontarelli moved to Chicago, | 6 | | she never indulged in a hot dog throughout her entire life | 7 | | because the Germans would eat them out of tin cans during the | 8 | | occupation; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Emilia Pontarelli's son, Tony, opened a deli in | 10 | | 1978, which was then purchased by his sister, Maria, and her | 11 | | husband, Vito, in 1980; Emilia could often be found stationed | 12 | | behind the cash register, which she began operating in the | 13 | | 1980s; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Because of Emilia Pontarelli's vibrant | 15 | | personality and cooking skills, the deli became a cornerstone | 16 | | in the northwest side Italian-American community known as | 17 | | Edison Park; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, In her 90s, Emilia Pontarelli challenged her | 19 | | son-in-law to arm wrestle to show she still had the strength | 20 | | that had enabled her to climb the mountains in her hometown of | 21 | | Rocchetta a Volturno; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Emilia Pontarelli was preceded in death by her | 2 | | husband, Vincenzo; her daughter, Anna; her grandson, Freddie; | 3 | | her brother, Cori; and her sister, Gina; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, Emilia Pontarelli is survived by her children, | 5 | | Tony and Maria; her sister, Amalia; her brothers, Michael, | 6 | | Antonio, Giovanni, and Pasquale; eight grandchildren; and 14 | 7 | | great-grandchildren; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, The surviving siblings, children, grandchildren, | 9 | | and great-grandchildren of Emilia Pontarelli can be proud of | 10 | | the legacy and lasting impact their mother, sister, | 11 | | grandmother, and great-grandmother had on the community that | 12 | | dined in her daughter's deli; therefore, be it
| 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 14 | | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 15 | | we mourn the passing of Emilia Pontarelli and extend our | 16 | | sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew | 17 | | and loved her; and be it further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to the family of Emilia Pontarelli and Tony's Italian | 20 | | Deli as an expression of our deepest sympathy and in | 21 | | appreciation for her devotion to her community.
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