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92_HR0891
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1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the passing of
4 Harold and Margaret Moser of Naperville, who passed away in
5 December, 2001; and
6 WHEREAS, Harold and Margaret Moser met in 1942 and
7 married in 1949; the Mosers were an incredibly influential
8 couple in Naperville, and their many philanthropic
9 contributions include a one million dollar donation to the
10 Millennium Carillon and land donations to build four Catholic
11 churches and St. Patrick's Residence in Naperville; and
12 WHEREAS, The Mosers shared a deep religious faith and
13 were members of the Saints Peter and Paul Church; they
14 received many church honors and awards and were inducted into
15 the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem at
16 the request of Pope John Paul II in 1982; and
17 WHEREAS, Harold Moser was born November 30, 1914, in Fort
18 Wayne, Indiana; he moved to Naperville in 1916 with his
19 family and graduated from Naperville High School in 1933; Mr.
20 Moser attended North Central College in Naperville but left
21 after two years and started his own newspaper, the Naperville
22 Sun, which he sold one year later in 1936; and
23 WHEREAS, In 1941, Mr. Moser purchased a Naperville coal
24 yard and converted it into a lumber yard in 1944 to meet the
25 housing demand after World War II; in 1949, he began his
26 career as a developer by building homes in McIntosh
27 Highlands; his first development, Forest Preserve, proved to
28 be wildly successful and sparked Mr. Moser's five decades in
29 real estate; and
30 WHEREAS, From 1959 to 1962, Mr. Moser developed the
31 Maplebrook and Cress Creek subdivisions and the Naperville
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1 Plaza shopping center; in 1987, he developed the White Eagle
2 subdivision and country club; and
3 WHEREAS, Mr. Moser's accomplishments as a developer
4 earned him the nickname "Mr. Naperville"; he developed more
5 than 7,400 lots throughout Naperville, including the
6 exclusive neighborhoods Aero Estates, White Eagle, and Cress
7 Creek, where he and his wife resided; and
8 WHEREAS, Mr. Moser was a risk taker, but he also had a
9 keen sense of what could work and what could not; he set the
10 standard for other developers and was the first to give land
11 for swim clubs and parks; Mr. Moser gave money and land to
12 schools before State law required developers to do so; and
13 WHEREAS, Mr. Moser's decisions were always fair and in
14 the best interests of the communities; he had a dry wit and a
15 genial sense of humor, but for all his success, Mr. Moser
16 remained modest; and
17 WHEREAS, One of Mr. Moser's favorite loves was playing
18 cards, specifically Pitch; and
19 WHEREAS, Harold Moser passed away December 17, 2002; and
20 WHEREAS, Margaret Moser was born January 30, 1913, in
21 Wheaton; she grew up in Wheaton and graduated from the
22 University of St. Francis of Joliet; she was a major
23 beneficiary of the college since her graduation and served on
24 its board of trustees for several years; Mrs. Moser received
25 an honorary doctorate degree from Benedictine University; and
26 WHEREAS, Mrs. Moser met Harold Moser in 1942 through the
27 young-adults club sponsored by Catholic parishes; and
28 WHEREAS, Although she was not actively involved in her
29 husband's business, Mrs. Moser was truly the woman behind the
30 man, preferring to stay in the background and take the role
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1 of devoted wife and help mate; and
2 WHEREAS, Margaret Moser was a very private, quiet, and
3 reserved person with a unique sense of humor that she only
4 let close friends and family see; she was very intelligent
5 and everything she said was insightful; and
6 WHEREAS, A great cook and generous woman, Margaret Moser
7 was famous for her grape pies, and she loved to throw lavish
8 parties and brunches at her home; and
9 WHEREAS, Margaret Moser passed away December 24, 2001, a
10 week after her husband's death; she and her husband will be
11 deeply missed by all those who knew them and loved them,
12 especially her sister, Gertrude Welch; her brother, Joseph
13 (Carol) Donovan; her 20 nieces and nephews; and her caregiver
14 of eight and one-half years, Elenita Librojo; therefore, be
15 it
16 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18 we mourn, along with all those who knew them and loved them,
19 the deaths of Harold and Margaret Moser of Naperville; and be
20 it further
21 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22 presented to families of Harold and Margaret Moser with our
23 most sincere condolences.