SR1590 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1590 LRB099 20853 MST 45613 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Werner Ellmann of Geneva, who passed away on January 24, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Werner Ellmann was born in Bodenwoehr, Germany to George and Anna Maria (nee Gross) Ellmann on February 16, 1924; he was a decorated veteran of World War II; he helped liberate prisoners at the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria and was a translator at the Nuremberg war trials; he married Elizabeth A. Hagen in Chicago on September 16, 1950; and

WHEREAS, Werner Ellmann was a successful publisher, editor, and salesman, finishing his career with McGraw-Hill; and

WHEREAS, Werner Ellmann fought for civil rights, including actively marching and protesting in the 1960s; he was a passionate advocate for volunteering, including with the McHenry Parole Division and the Peace and Justice Committee of Woodstock; he founded Habitat for Humanity in McHenry County, was Vice-Chairman of the McHenry County Human Relations Council, served on the Pioneer Center Foundation Board, co-founded an anti-bullying program called Principled Minds, and frequently spoke to school groups about the atrocities of the Holocaust; and

WHEREAS, Werner Ellmann was preceded in death by his parents and his 2 brothers, Herbert and Wilfried Ellmann; and

WHEREAS, Werner Ellmann is survived by his wife of 65 years, Elizabeth; his 3 sons, Lance (Barbara) Ellmann, David Ellmann, and Matthew (Kathleen) Ellmann; his daughter, Anne Marie Schafer; his brother, Norbert "William" (Macrina) Ellmann; his 6 grandchildren, Megan (Jason) Nachowicz, Emily (Ryan Martinez) Ellmann, Elizabeth Ellmann, Kyle Ellmann, Evan Ellmann, and Nina Ellmann; and his great-grandson, Grayson Cole Martinez; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Werner Ellmann, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Werner Ellmann as an expression of our deepest sympathy.