SR0741 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0741 LRB093 23421 HSS 53409 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of Mary Jane Hobson Wessell of Des Plaines on Tuesday, August 24, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Wessell spent her childhood in Roodhouse, where she lived with her parents and older brother on a farm; her father took a job with the EJ&E Railroad and they moved throughout the State before settling in Joliet; following high school, she attended Lake Forest College, where she met her husband, Richard Wessell; and

WHEREAS, When she and Richard met, they had the same goal - to own a newspaper; shortly after they married in the 1940s, they turned their dream into a reality by purchasing the Des Plaines Journal; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Wessell held numerous positions in the business; she was editor of the social page for many years before its title changed to the family section and then became the lifestyle section; she was also head bookkeeper and travel editor; she would often work six days a week at the paper, but found time to be a member of the Ladies of the Elks and to teach Sunday school at First Methodist Church of Des Plaines; and

WHEREAS, As a result of her work as the travel editor and her stories about her travels, Mrs. Wessell was invited to join two premiere travel writing organizations, the Society of American Travel Writers and Midwest Travel Writers Association; throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she traveled around the world, visiting places such as Hong Kong, Paris, and Scandinavia; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Mrs. Wessell has been deeply felt by many, especially her children, Stephen, Todd (Carolyn), Richard Jr., Robert (Melanie), Shelby (Walter) Bogdan, and Christian (Patrick) Geoghegan; and her grandchildren, Emily, Tom, Erin, Katie, Danny, Taylor, Elliott, Josh, Zach, Amanda, Adam, Flannery, and Cassidy; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Mary Jane Hobson Wessell, and we 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 Mrs. Wessell as an expression of our deepest sympathy.