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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of James H. Donnewald of Breese, who passed
4 away on September 18, 2009; and
 
5     WHEREAS, James Donnewald was born on January 29, 1925 in
6 Carlyle; his parents were John Henry "Hank" and Cecilia
7 (Luepke) Donnewald; he married Ruth Holtgrave on June 24, 1953
8 at St. Dominic Church in Breese; and
 
9     WHEREAS, James Donnewald served his country with pride and
10 distinction in the United States Armed Forces during the Korean
11 War, serving from 1950 until 1951; and
 
12     WHEREAS, After attending college at St. Louis University,
13 James Donnewald graduated from the Lincoln College of Law in
14 1949; following his admission to the Bar of the State of
15 Illinois in 1951, he began to practice law in Breese and
16 maintained his office for nearly 58 years; and
 
17     WHEREAS, James Donnewald's political career began in 1948
18 while he was still a law student, when he was elected
19 Democratic precinct committeeman; a year later, he became
20 Carlyle Township Supervisor, a post he held for 2 years; in
21 1960, he was elected to the first of 2 terms in the Illinois

 

 

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1 House of Representatives for the 51st District (now the 55th);
2 in 1964, he was elected to the Illinois State Senate; he
3 subsequently won elections in 1966, 1970, 1974, and 1978;
4 beginning in the 77th General Assembly, he was asked by his
5 colleagues to serve as Assistant Democratic Leader in the
6 Illinois Senate; he also served as a member of various
7 committees, including the Rules Committee, the Assignments
8 Committee, the Appropriations Committee, the Executive
9 Committee, and the Executive Appointments Committee; he also
10 served as chairman of the Reapportionment Commission until his
11 retirement from the legislature at the conclusion of the 82nd
12 General Assembly in January of 1983; in the election of 1982,
13 he was elected to serve as Treasurer of the State of Illinois,
14 a position he served in until 1986; and
 
15     WHEREAS, James Donnewald was a member of St. Dominic
16 Catholic Church, Breese American Legion Post 252, and Breese
17 Knights of Columbus 2869; and
 
18     WHEREAS, James Donnewald was preceded in death by his wife,
19 Ruth; his parents; his brother, Raymond "Bud" Donnewald; his
20 sister, Mary Tierney-Ackmann; and his brothers-in-law, Michael
21 Tierney and Alfred Romo; and
 
22     WHEREAS, James Donnewald is survived by his sons, Eric
23 (Pam) Donnewald and Craig (Theresa) Donnewald; his daughter,

 

 

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1 Jill (Ken) Kailin; his grandchildren, Katie and Steven
2 Donnewald and Mitchell, Jenna, and Elise Kailin; his sisters,
3 Irene Romo and Juanita (Robert) Moore; his brother-in-law, Carl
4 Ackmann; and his sister-in-law, Alvina Donnewald; therefore,
5 be it
 
6     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
7 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
8 his family and friends, the passing of James H. Donnewald; and
9 be it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11 presented to the family of James Donnewald as an expression of
12 our sympathy.