Bill Text: IL HR0528 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the passing of Elizabeth Ann Weidner of Dieterich.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 6-1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-10-27 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dan Caulkins [HR0528 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HR0528-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of | ||||||
4 | Elizabeth Ann Weidner of Dieterich, who passed away on | ||||||
5 | September 29, 2021; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was born to Matthew and | ||||||
7 | Jennifer (McCabe) Weidner in Effingham on January 2, 2004, | ||||||
8 | earning the distinction of 1st Baby of the Year at St. | ||||||
9 | Anthony's Memorial Hospital; she was the second of four | ||||||
10 | children; she was dubbed Queen Elizabeth by her | ||||||
11 | great-grandfather Albert, and he affectionately called her his | ||||||
12 | "Queenie"; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was diagnosed with Stage 4 High | ||||||
14 | Risk Neuroblastoma in January 2016, and she underwent numerous | ||||||
15 | surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplant, | ||||||
16 | immunotherapy, clinical trials, and more; she battled this | ||||||
17 | horrible disease with grace, determination, and strength for | ||||||
18 | nearly 6 years; during which, she inspired and impacted so | ||||||
19 | many on the local, state, and national level; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was crowned Junior Miss | ||||||
21 | Effingham County Fair in 2017, and she was immensely proud to | ||||||
22 | wear the crown and to represent Effingham County at many |
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1 | pageants, events, parades, and festivals across the State; she | ||||||
2 | then started Crowns Fight Cancer to raise money and awareness | ||||||
3 | in the fight against childhood cancer with the motto "Just a | ||||||
4 | Girl Changing the World One Rhinestone at a Time"; along with | ||||||
5 | the help of several clubs, schools, communities, and | ||||||
6 | businesses, she started an amenity drive, collecting and | ||||||
7 | donating over 80,000 personal care items to date to Children's | ||||||
8 | Miracle Network Hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses in | ||||||
9 | multiple states, helping families like hers by providing items | ||||||
10 | they may lack during hospital stays and allowing them to focus | ||||||
11 | on their children; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was involved in numerous | ||||||
13 | activities, organizations, and clubs; she was involved in | ||||||
14 | modified pedal tractor pulls from a young age and competed in | ||||||
15 | numerous competitions; one year, she was both the Illinois and | ||||||
16 | Indiana State Champion; she competed at nationals in Mitchell, | ||||||
17 | South Dakota for many years, pulling at times in excess of 900 | ||||||
18 | pounds; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner had a passion for dance and | ||||||
20 | started dance lessons at Jansen's when she was only 3 years | ||||||
21 | old; she loved all kinds of dance; she was a cheerleader for | ||||||
22 | the Teutopolis Junior High School for 2 years, cheering her | ||||||
23 | teams through multiple state appearances; her love for dance | ||||||
24 | eventually led her to become a Teutopolis High School |
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1 | Pomerette, fulfilling a childhood dream of hers; she was the | ||||||
2 | Illinois High School Association Spirit of Sport winner in | ||||||
3 | 2021; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was also passionate about | ||||||
5 | theater and drama; she placed Runner-Up at the Poetry Out Loud | ||||||
6 | competition in Springfield in 2020, reciting Invictus, Triumph | ||||||
7 | Like a Girl, and Siblings; she performed in numerous plays at | ||||||
8 | the Effingham Performance Center, Teutopolis Junior High | ||||||
9 | School, and Teutopolis High School; she also had one of the | ||||||
10 | leading parts in the Teutopolis Terquasquicentennial | ||||||
11 | Celebration; she was preparing for the fall's production at | ||||||
12 | the time of her passing; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was a member of the Country | ||||||
14 | Cousins 4-H Club and other spin clubs; she was involved in | ||||||
15 | public speaking through 4-H and also exhibited many other | ||||||
16 | general projects, and she won at the state level for many | ||||||
17 | years; she showed many different animals throughout the years, | ||||||
18 | including rabbits, chickens, dogs, cats, and pigs; she also | ||||||
19 | competed in Master Showmanship; she was named one of four 2021 | ||||||
20 | National 4-H Youth in Action Pillar winners in the area of | ||||||
21 | Civic Engagement in 2020; most recently, she showed pigs at | ||||||
22 | the Duquoin State Fair and had the Reserve Grand Champion | ||||||
23 | Duroc Gilt; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was also a member of the FFA; | ||||||
2 | she loved volunteering with the Piglets on Parade exhibit | ||||||
3 | during the Illinois State Fair, educating the public about the | ||||||
4 | swine industry; she was a chapter officer for the Teutopolis | ||||||
5 | FFA chapter and served as reporter and secretary; she was also | ||||||
6 | a Section 20 officer for 2 years and served as sentinel and | ||||||
7 | secretary; she participated in many contests throughout the | ||||||
8 | years, and she won the Section 20 Creed Speak Contest and was | ||||||
9 | the 2020 State winner for her SAE in Service Learning, | ||||||
10 | advancing to nationals; she received her State FFA Degree in | ||||||
11 | 2021, a distinction that only the Top 3% of Illinois FFA | ||||||
12 | members receive; she was working towards her American Degree, | ||||||
13 | a distinction that only the Top 1% of American FFA members | ||||||
14 | receive; she wrote many grants to start the hydroponic program | ||||||
15 | at Teutopolis High School, working with teachers to secure | ||||||
16 | funding for revamping the courtyards, which will benefit | ||||||
17 | students at Teutopolis High School; she was also working to | ||||||
18 | secure funding to build a greenhouse, elevating the FFA | ||||||
19 | program for students and the community; and
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20 | WHEREAS, in 2017, Elizabeth Weidner became an advocate for | ||||||
21 | those battling childhood cancer, and she was a national | ||||||
22 | spokesperson at many American Cancer Society events; she was | ||||||
23 | responsible for bringing the Gold Together initiative to | ||||||
24 | Illinois for the American Cancer Society; she spoke, danced, | ||||||
25 | and hosted at Curefest in Washington, D.C. many times and |
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1 | pleaded with Congressional leaders to increase funding for | ||||||
2 | childhood cancer research and ultimately better treatments; | ||||||
3 | she participated in several childhood cancer caucuses and | ||||||
4 | Climb the Hill events on Capitol Hill; she was part of a | ||||||
5 | groundbreaking meeting at the University of Maryland, where | ||||||
6 | the FDA, medical professionals, parents, and children met to | ||||||
7 | discuss chemotherapy induced hearing loss; she partnered with | ||||||
8 | Kids v. Cancer and the American Childhood Cancer Organization | ||||||
9 | and worked on numerous projects; in the last few years, she | ||||||
10 | filmed the award-winning The Promise: A Docuseries on | ||||||
11 | Childhood Cancer and the mini-documentary Switching the | ||||||
12 | Summit, and she had started working on a third film project in | ||||||
13 | August; as an individual, she raised nearly $70,000 for | ||||||
14 | various cancer organizations over the years and, as part of | ||||||
15 | various groups, she raised millions for research and family | ||||||
16 | support programs; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner earned the distinction of the | ||||||
18 | Governor's Volunteer Service Award and the national Prudential | ||||||
19 | Community Spirit Award in 2019; she also highly encouraged | ||||||
20 | organ and blood product donation, and she never shied away | ||||||
21 | from giving food to the homeless; and
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22 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was a kind, caring, loving, | ||||||
23 | passionate, and graceful young woman who inspired and | ||||||
24 | influenced many all over the world; even through the most |
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1 | difficult times, she would brighten a room with her smile; she | ||||||
2 | had a zest for life and loved spending time with her brothers; | ||||||
3 | and
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4 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner's legacy will continue through | ||||||
5 | The Elizabeth Ann Weidner Memorial Scholarship Fund, which has | ||||||
6 | been established as a way for her servant's heart to continue | ||||||
7 | giving; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner was preceded in death by a | ||||||
9 | sibling angel; her aunt, Kimberly L. McCabe; her cousins, | ||||||
10 | Derek and Nathan Weidner; her great-grandparents, Albert and | ||||||
11 | Arvella (Alexander) McCabe, Marion and Sophia (Schwab) | ||||||
12 | Gasparovich, Raymond and Bernadine (Ochs) Kuenstler, and Royal | ||||||
13 | and Emma (Buerster) Weidner; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Elizabeth Weidner is survived by her parents; her | ||||||
15 | brothers, Ethan (Madilyn Brummer), Eric, and Evan; her | ||||||
16 | grandparents, Richard and Margaret (Kuenstler) Weidner; her | ||||||
17 | many, many animals; and her many aunts, uncles, cousins, | ||||||
18 | friends, pageant sisters, and supporters from afar; therefore, | ||||||
19 | be it
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20 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
21 | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
22 | we mourn the passing of Elizabeth Ann Weidner and extend our |
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1 | sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew | ||||||
2 | and loved her; and be it further
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3 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
4 | presented to the parents of Elizabeth Weidner as an expression | ||||||
5 | of our deepest sympathy.
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