HR1123 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1123 LRB100 22123 ALS 40496 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly are honored to pay tribute to those who have dedicated a life of service to the citizens of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, John Croessman was born in Blue Island and lived in Oak Lawn before moving to Du Quoin in 1955; he attended Du Quoin High School, where he won a state speech championship and served as an editor of the school newspaper, The Magnavox, before graduating in 1970; and

WHEREAS, John Croessman was hired at the Du Quoin Evening Call after graduating from Southern Illinois University Carbondale; he worked at the Du Quoin Evening Call for over 40 years, from 1974 until 2017, when a stroke unfortunately ended his tenure; most of his years there were spent as editor; his favorite memory was covering President Ronald Reagan's visit to the Krone Family Farms in the late 1980s; and

WHEREAS, John Croessman received the Outstanding Du Quoin Citizen of the Year Award in 2004; in 2013, he received the Outstanding Community Citizen Award from the Du Quoin District 300 Foundation for his service to the Du Quoin community as editor of the Du Quoin Evening Call; and

WHEREAS, John Croessman has had a passion for photography and boating; known as a highly skilled craftsman, he built his family home by himself; and

WHEREAS, The friends and family of John Croessman have established the John H. Croessman Communications Scholarship in his honor; the scholarship will be awarded for the first time in 2019; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the life and legacy of John H. Croessman, the longtime managing editor of the Du Quoin Evening Call, and we recognize the positive impact he has had on his community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to John Croessman as an expression of our esteem and respect.