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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Ferdinand "Ferd"
4 Emil Litsch on the occasion of his 90th birthday; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Ferdinand Emil Litsch was born July 5, 1920 in St.
6 Louis, Missouri, to Ferdinand Mathew Litsch and Mathilda
7 (Schmitt) Litsch; he was raised in south St. Louis where his
8 parents owned and operated a bakery shop; and
 
9     WHEREAS, On September 1, 1941, Ferd married his sweetheart
10 Bertha (Bert) Venoski in St. Louis; their first daughter,
11 Marilyn Kay Litsch, was born in St. Louis in September 1942;
12 Ferd went on the serve in the United States Navy during World
13 War II as a cook/gunner on LST 587; their second daughter,
14 Christine Elaine Litsch, was born in St. Louis in July of 1947;
15 and
 
16     WHEREAS, In 1948, Ferd moved his family to Zeigler, to be
17 near Bert's family; they later moved to neighboring West
18 Frankfort in 1952; his third daughter, Karen Kathleen Litsch,
19 was born in July of 1951; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Ferd was store manager of the West Frankfort
21 Brokerage clothing store for many years; he later co-owned and

 

 

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1 operated a chain of shoe stores in southern Illinois, and then
2 owned his own shoe business; he also served as City Clerk for
3 the town of West Frankfort; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Over the years he has purchased rental property
5 and also remodeled and sold houses; he and his wife have gone
6 through phases of recreation such as boating and fishing,
7 owning properties on the city lake, archery, and golf; they
8 have also traveled extensively throughout the United States;
9 and
 
10     WHEREAS, Ferd is an accomplished artist, working in oils,
11 and has taken lessons from various instructors in the United
12 States and has sold many of his paintings; he also taught oil
13 painting classes in the art gallery in his home; he is a
14 proficient musician, having played a variety of keyboard, wind,
15 and string instruments over the years, including saxophone,
16 clarinet, mandolin, guitar, and accordion; he played the two
17 horns in a band in St. Louis when he was young; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Ferd is a dedicated Christian and for many years
19 was an active member of the Full Gospel Businessmen's
20 organization; he has led the song services in his church
21 accompanying himself on the guitar in the past; now he is
22 content to sing an occasional hymn during his church's Sunday
23 services; Ferd is blessed with ten grandchildren, six

 

 

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1 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren;
2 therefore, be it
 
3     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
5 congratulate Ferdinand "Ferd" Litsch on this momentous
6 occasion and wish him good health and happiness for years to
7 come; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9 presented to Ferdinand "Ferd" Litsch as a symbol of our respect
10 and esteem.