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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are deeply
3saddened to learn of the death of Gerhart Kopf of Fulton, who
4died on August 10, 2012; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf was born in Eddyville, Nebraska, on
6December 29, 1919, to Niels and Lydia Struempler Kopf; he
7married Alice L. Schmidt on July 7, 1941; they celebrated their
870th anniversary in 2011; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf was raised on a homestead ranch in
10Dawson County, Nebraska, and attended a one-room school through
11the eighth grade; he graduated from Lexington High School,
12where he developed his gift to play piano by ear and played
13with a midwest traveling swing band during the Big Band Era; he
14attended the University of Nebraska before returning to the
15ranch during the Great Depression; he remained an ardent
16Nebraska Cornhuskers fan; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf served in the U.S. Army during World
18War II and later farmed near Eddyville, Nebraska; he worked for
19Steckley Hybrid Corn Company in Lincoln and Grand Island and
20eventually settled in Fulton in 1955; he worked for Drives Inc.
21until 1981 and traveled extensively in the U.S. and Canada; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf established the Bald Eagle Nursery
2outside Fulton in 1981 and became a respected authority on
3ornamental grasses, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and hicans; he was
4instrumental in developing the Twin Ponds Research Farm near
5Galena Territory; he was a respected advocate and expert on
6bluebirds and shared his knowledge of chimney swift migration
7and lectured on local geologic history; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf served on the Fulton School Board and
9as an elder at his church; he was honored as Grand Marshal of
10the 2001 Dutch Days and was awarded a key to the city of
11Fulton; he continued to play piano in venues such as the
12Clinton Country Club and Fulton Senior Citizen Center; he
13enjoyed fine wine and dining, especially New Orleans cuisine;
14he looked forward to playing euchre with his friends and took
15great pride in becoming co-champion of the 3rd Annual Euchre
16Tournament in January of 2011; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf was preceded in death by his parents,
18Niels and Lydia Struempler; his brothers, Ferdinand, Donald,
19and Aaron; and his sister, Arleen; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Gerhart Kopf is survived by his wife, Alice
21Schmidt; his children, Connie (Dean) Long, Trudy (Michael)
22Landwirth, Pamela (Glenn) Gealy, Kyle (Kim) and Kendall; his
23grandchildren, Christina and Joseph (Marie) Long, Amy

 

 

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1Landwirth, Matthew and Rachel Gealy, and Kelly, Scott, and
2Nicholas Kopf; his great-grandson, Orion Long; his sister,
3Dolores; and many nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
5ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of
6Gerhart Kopf, and we extend our sincere condolences to his
7family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
8further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10presented to the family of Gerhart Kopf as an expression of our
11deepest sympathy.