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 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members of the House of  Representatives  of
 3    the  State of Illinois were saddened to learn of the death of
 4    Jerome Jochim of Palestine, Illinois on  February  19,  2003;
 5    and

 6        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Jochim  was  born on September 14, 1927 in
 7    Evansville, Indiana to Albert and Ada Jochim; and

 8        WHEREAS, Mr. Jochim attended St.  Joseph's  grade  school
 9    and Central high school in Evansville; and

10        WHEREAS, During his junior year at Central high school he
11    was  a  starting  guard  on  the  football  team  which  went
12    undefeated  and  was  acclaimed  the  Indiana  state football
13    champions; following the football season he was drafted  into
14    the army in 1946;

15        WHEREAS, Mr. Jochim was attached to the 82nd Airborne and
16    spent  most  of  his  time  in  service  at Fort Bragg, North
17    Carolina; and

18        WHEREAS, After his discharge in 1947, he enrolled at  the
19    University  of  Evansville  on  the  GI Bill, where he played
20    football as  a  freshmen  under  former  Oblong  High  School
21    football coach Paul Beck; and

22        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Jochim married Juanita Taylor in September
23    of 1948; and

24        WHEREAS, Upon Mr. Jochim's graduation from Evansville, he
25    started work as a fifth and  sixth  grade  math  and  science
26    teacher  at Hutsonville grade school in 1951; in addition, he
27    coached both basketball and track and inherited a  basketball
28    team  that  had  not  won  a  game in two years; in his first
29    season, Hutsonville was 8-6; and

30        WHEREAS, Mr. Jochim soon after  accepted  a  position  at
 
                            -2-      LRB093 11258 KEF 12748 r
 1    Palestine   grade   school;   he  started  teaching  physical
 2    education, filled in when other teachers were absent, and was
 3    the  assistant  basketball  coach;  in  his  second  year  at
 4    Palestine, he took over as head coach for the basketball team
 5    and held  that  position  for  16  years;  he  was  hired  as
 6    principal in 1965; and

 7        WHEREAS,  In  Mr.  Jochim's first year as head coach, the
 8    team went 15-4 and  advanced  to  the  quarterfinals  of  the
 9    Junior High State Tournament; he compiled a record of 323-174
10    during 17 years as coach, and had only one losing season; and

11        WHEREAS, Mr. Jochim also had success as a track coach; in
12    1956,  Palestine won the State Lightweight Track Championship
13    held at Bloomington; and

14        WHEREAS, Aside from his responsibilities at  the  school,
15    he worked for the Illinois Central Railroad until 1968; and

16        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Jochim  retired  from  public education in
17    1987; and

18        WHEREAS, Mr. Jochim's passing will be deeply felt by  his
19    family and friends; therefore, be it

20        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
21    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
22    we  mourn  the death of Jerome Jochim along with all who knew
23    and loved him and  extend  our  sincere  condolences  to  his
24    family, friends, and community; and be it further

25        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
26    presented to the family of Jerome Jochim as an expression  of
27    our deepest sympathy.