HR0105 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0105 LRB099 07406 GRL 27525 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former Kane County Sheriff George Kramer, who passed away on January 24, 2015; and

WHEREAS, George Kramer was born on August 20, 1933 in Aurora; his parents were Herman and Evelyn (nee Holter) Kramer; and

WHEREAS, George Kramer was raised on a dairy farm and attended school in a one-room schoolhouse; he later attended the Marmion Military Academy from 1949 to 1952; in 1994, he was inducted into the Academy's Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, George Kramer met his wife, Trudy, through mutual friends after high school; after marrying in 1953, the pair began their married lives together at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, where he was stationed at the time; and

WHEREAS, George Kramer was a prolific athlete; after graduating from high school, he attended the University of Dayton in Ohio on a football scholarship; unfortunately, he left there after only a year of study in order to return home and help on the family farm; and

WHEREAS, As a testament to his strong sense of character and determination, George Kramer completed his collegiate studies in the 1970s; after attending Waubonsee Community College, he would ultimately earn a Bachelor's Degree in Law Enforcement from Lewis University; and

WHEREAS, George Kramer was a semi-professional football player and a professional wrestler; he also played for the Aurora Clippers and Elmhurst Travelers semi-professional football teams; during his tenure as a professional wrestler, he was known as "Tiny" Kramer; and

WHEREAS, George Kramer began his laudable career in law enforcement with the Batavia Police Department, serving the Department for 23 years; and

WHEREAS, In 1978, George Kramer was elected to serve his community as Sheriff; he would go on to serve 2 continuous 4-year terms from 1978 to 1986; and

WHEREAS, George Kramer's illustrious career in law enforcement was marked most notably by his benevolent work with youths in the correctional system; with the help of his longtime friend and Undersheriff, Pete Perez, he created various programs designed to assist juvenile offenders, including the Kane County Juvenile Officers Association; and

WHEREAS, Pete Perez's son and former Kane County Sheriff, Pat Perez, summed up the work of Sheriff Kramer and Undersheriff Perez best; in recounting the tireless efforts of Mr. Kramer and his father to visit youth homes in Kane County, Pat Perez recalled that, "they saw [the need to help troubled youths at home] as an avenue to help get kids back on the straight and narrow" and that "they'd seen the ups and downs of law enforcement together ... [yet] I think they learned to stay ... willing to evolve"; and

WHEREAS, George Kramer is survived by his wife, Trudy, and their 7 children; one of his children, Donald Kramer, currently serves as Kane County Sheriff; and

WHEREAS, George Kramer's outstanding legacy is marked by the love for his family, the resilient devotion to helping at-risk youth, and the unwavering passion he displayed for the protection of his community; therefore, be it

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

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of George Kramer as an expression of our deepest sympathy and most sincere appreciation for his service to the residents of Kane County.