HR0508 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0508 LRB097 13225 KXB 57733 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Maurice Spiegel was born on October 27, 1911 to Russian born Max Spiegel and Lithuanian born Ida Kaplan; he had an older sister, Tillie and 5 brothers, Lou, Irv, Frank, Hy, and Bill; and

WHEREAS, He grew up near Roosevelt and Halsted Streets in Chicago; his family was poor and he started working as a young boy selling newspapers and putting whatever money he earned under his mother's pillow; he quit high school when he could not afford the mechanical drawing set for his drafting course; he then went to work full-time and didnt shop until he was almost 80 years old; and

WHEREAS, Known as Maurie, he did get his high school G.E.D. and took college courses through the GI Bill after he left the United States Army; he worked various jobs in the main post office in downtown Chicago for 27 years and after retiring from that job worked part-time as a messenger for Continental Bank for another 15 years; and

WHEREAS, He served in the United States Army from 1941 to 1945, stationed in Alaska on the brutally cold island of Atu, the westernmost of the Aleutian Islands; and

WHEREAS, From the time he was a young child he was very athletic; he was short but could really belt a softball; in organized competition he was known for his home run ability; he was also a good swimmer and once saved a drowning child's life; living in a somewhat tough neighborhood, Maurie learned to defend himself and his younger brothers; he got into some fights but claimed he did not start them, just finished them; he is an unbelievable checkers player, living up to the name he made for himself as a child, winning tournaments; and

WHEREAS, Maurie was married to the late Lucille, and they had one son, Harvey; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Maurice Spiegel on this special occasion and wish him good health and happiness for years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Maurice Spiegel as a symbol of our respect and esteem.