Bill Text: IL SR1549 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of George K. Knudsen of Pontiac.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-11-20 - Resolution Adopted [SR1549 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2013-SR1549-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
3 | learn of the death of George K. Knudsen of Pontiac, who passed | ||||||
4 | away on October 24, 2014; and
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5 | WHEREAS, George Knudsen was born on August 20, 1936 in | ||||||
6 | Dwight; his parents were George Nelson and Leila Gertrude (nee | ||||||
7 | Parker) Knudsen; he married Germaine Centko on July 5, 1958; | ||||||
8 | and
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9 | WHEREAS, A native of Livingston County, George Knudsen was | ||||||
10 | educated in Dwight schools; he subsequently attended Illinois | ||||||
11 | Wesleyan University and graduated from Illinois State | ||||||
12 | University; he was also a graduate of the United States Army | ||||||
13 | Command and General Staff College and the National Defense | ||||||
14 | University; and
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15 | WHEREAS, George Knudsen enlisted in the Illinois National | ||||||
16 | Guard 129th Infantry Regiment, Company B as a private in 1959, | ||||||
17 | the same battalion in which his great-grandfather served in | ||||||
18 | during the Civil War; being the son of a Danish immigrant, it | ||||||
19 | was his privilege to serve on active duty in the Army Reserve | ||||||
20 | and in the Illinois National Guard; his service included | ||||||
21 | serving the State of Illinois and its citizens in times of | ||||||
22 | floods, natural disasters, and civil disturbances; he retired |
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1 | at the rank of colonel in 1991, after 32 years of dedicated | ||||||
2 | service; and
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3 | WHEREAS, George Knudsen was the recipient of numerous | ||||||
4 | awards and decorations for his service, including the Army | ||||||
5 | Commendation Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement | ||||||
6 | Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve | ||||||
7 | Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Illinois Long and | ||||||
8 | Honorable Service Medal; and
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9 | WHEREAS, George Knudsen retired from a management position | ||||||
10 | at Caterpillar, Inc. after more than 40 years of service in | ||||||
11 | 1996; following his retirement, he remained active in veterans' | ||||||
12 | affairs, having served as Chairman of the Livingston County | ||||||
13 | Veterans Assistance Commission and as a member of the | ||||||
14 | Livingston County Board; he also worked on restoring the | ||||||
15 | Livingston County Poor Farm Cemetery for 5 years, worked on the | ||||||
16 | Lincoln statue on the Livingston County Courthouse lawn, and | ||||||
17 | was a speaker at local Memorial Day celebrations for many | ||||||
18 | years; and
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19 | WHEREAS, George Knudsen was a member of the Reserve | ||||||
20 | Officers Association of the United States, St. Mary's Catholic | ||||||
21 | Church in Pontiac, Cursillo, the American Legion, the Knights | ||||||
22 | of Columbus (Fourth Degree), the Benevolent and Protective | ||||||
23 | Order of Elks, the National Guard Association of Illinois, and |
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1 | the National Guard Association of the United States; he was | ||||||
2 | also a life member of American Veterans and served as a member | ||||||
3 | of the Color and Honor Guard of the combined American Veterans; | ||||||
4 | and
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5 | WHEREAS, George Knudsen was preceded in death by his | ||||||
6 | parents and a daughter, Frances; and
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7 | WHEREAS, George Knudsen is survived by his wife, Germaine; | ||||||
8 | a son, G. Christian (Julie) Knudsen; 2 daughters, Kay (David) | ||||||
9 | Heller and Kim (Jeffrey) Longbons; 6 grandchildren, Letitia and | ||||||
10 | Grace Longbons, William Heller, and Sadie, Maya, and Gavin | ||||||
11 | Knudsen; and a brother, Thomas Knudsen; therefore, be it
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12 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | ||||||
13 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his | ||||||
14 | family and friends, mourn the passing of George K. Knudsen; and | ||||||
15 | be it further
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16 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
17 | presented to the family of George Knudsen as an expression of | ||||||
18 | our sympathy.
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