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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly are
3saddened to learn of the death of Eunice Marie Krans Leitch of
4Des Moines, Iowa, who passed away on August 5, 2013; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Eunice Leitch was born on January 8, 1926 in
6Wakefield, Michigan; her parents were Enoch and Ella Krans; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Eunice Leitch excelled in school, where she
8developed a love of books and a special talent for speech and
9debate; in 1943, she set off alone on an over 500-mile bus trip
10to attend Michigan State University, where she majored in
11English and worked in the cafeteria to pay for her tuition; and
 
12    WHEREAS, While attending a friend's wedding in 1947, Eunice
13Leitch met Duncan Leitch, a World War II veteran and fellow
14student at Michigan State University; on their first date, they
15shared a hot fudge sundae and continued that tradition for
16almost every week of their nearly 66-year marriage; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Eunice Leitch taught high school English in the
181940s before leaving the profession for many years to raise her
19children; in the 1960s, she returned to teaching and spent
20several years shaping the lives of 2nd and 3rd graders at
21Pleasant Hill Elementary School in East Peoria; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Eunice Leitch loved the Upper Peninsula and made
2many happy memories exploring in the woods, ice skating on
3Sunday Lake, and climbing a 100 foot-tall fire lookout tower
4set among the pine trees near her home; she also loved
5chocolate, dill pickles, cats, and hunting for treasures at
6craft shows and antique shops; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Eunice Leitch was preceded in death by her parents
8and her siblings, Russell Krans, Marvin Krans, and Carol Krans
9Gembolis; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Eunice Leitch is survived by her husband, Duncan
11Leitch; her children, Illinois State Representative David
12Leitch, Paul Leitch, Brian Leitch, and Carol Leitch Fries; her
13extended family, Marlene, Soledad, and Debra Leitch and Tim
14Fries; her 11 grandchildren, Sarah (Todd) Stille, Ben Leitch,
15Betsy (Matt) Kunz, Duncan B. Leitch, Sally (Jared) Woodruff,
16Evan (Sara), Tim, Jeff, and Amy Leitch and Lauren and Doug
17Fries; her great-grandchildren, Bennett, Dallyn, and Reid
18Stille; her sister-in-law, Jean Krans; and her nieces and
19nephews, Betsy Coville, Amy Penegor, Mark Krans, and Lisa
20Zegers; therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
22NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE

 

 

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1SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we, along with her family and
2friends, mourn the passing of Eunice Marie Krans Leitch; and be
3it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5presented to the family of Eunice Leitch as an expression of
6our sympathy.