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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Honorable Judge Robert L. Dannehl of
4Watseka, who passed away on September 23, 2018; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Judge Dannehl was born in Thawville to William and
6Gussie Racuglen Dannehl on September 6, 1926; the ninth of 12
7children, he moved to Onarga and attended Onarga Public
8Schools; at the age of 17, he served in the United States Navy
9during World War II as a volunteer; he served in anti-submarine
10warfare in the North Atlantic arena in the winter of 1944 and
111945; he operated a top-secret high-frequency direction finder
12and was privy to the highly confidential knowledge that the
13German secret code had been broken; he attended the University
14of Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois
15College of Law in June 1950; while an undergraduate, he played
16varsity basketball for the Fighting Illini during the 1945-46
17season and was a member of the Sigma Pi Fraternity; he married
18Ruth Ann Nielsen on June 10, 1951; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Judge Dannehl opened a general law office in
20Watseka with his law classmate in September 1950; he served two
21terms as state's attorney of Iroquois County; in 1976, he was
22appointed Circuit Judge; his service commenced on January 1,
231977 and concluded with his retirement on October 31, 1995; he

 

 

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1served in Iroquois, Kankakee, and Will counties; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Judge Dannehl was active both locally and
3professionally; he served as Commander of the American Legion
4Post #23 in 1955, was a Charter Member of the Watseka Elks
5Lodge 446, a charter member of the Watseka Jaycees, and the
6chairman of the fundraising committee that built Legion Park
7swimming pool; he was a member of several local boards,
8including the American Red Cross, the Watseka Library, the
9Watseka First Trust & Savings Bank, and the Grand Prairie
10Seminary in Onarga; he was a member of the local, state, and
11American Bar Association and the American Judicature Society;
12he served on the Illinois Bar Association Committee to revise
13and rewrite the Illinois Criminal Code; he was an original
14board member and founder of an attorney assistance program to
15aid counsel with substance abuse programs; among his
16achievements, he was especially proud of a six-year appointment
17by the Illinois Supreme Court to the Supervisory Committee on
18Jury Instructions in Civil Cases; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Judge Dannehl was baptized in the Onarga United
20Methodist Church and remained a member of the Watseka First
21United Methodist Church until his passing; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Judge Dannehl was preceded in death by his wife,
23Ruth; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Judge Dannehl is survived by his children, Dr.
2Karl N. (Mary) Dannehl and Sara J. (Robert) Mikuta-Henry; his
3grandchildren, Joseph Robert Mikuta, Nicholas James (Gina)
4Mikuta, John Zeitler Dannehl, Cherylyn Henry, Laurin Henry
5(Andrew) Ewing; his great-grandchild, Nicholas James Mikuta
6Jr.; his brother, Wayne (Carole) Dannehl; his brother-in-law,
7Charles Lucas; and his many nieces, nephews, great-nieces,
8great-nephews, great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews;
9therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
12Honorable Judge Robert L. Dannehl and extend our sincere
13condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
14him; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the family of Judge Dannehl as an expression of
17our deepest sympathy.