SR0987 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0987 LRB103 40608 MST 73264 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Judith A. "Judy" (Ahlquist) Mayer of Rock Island, who passed away on April 26, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer was born in Marianna, Florida to Gerald and Vivyonne (Ekstrum) Ahlquist on July 24, 1945; her father served as a navigation instructor for the U.S. Army Air Corps following a decorated tour in Europe, and her mother served as a nurse; after the war, her family moved back to Minnesota; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer and her younger sister grew up in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where her father taught at St. Cloud State College; she graduated from St. Cloud Tech High School, then, following in her mother's footsteps, she enrolled in nursing school at Mounds-Midway School of Nursing; two years later, her family moved to Aurora, and her father taught at Aurora College, where she enrolled; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer graduated with a bachelor's degree in history in 1968; during this time, she met Gregory A. Mayer, a fellow history major, and they were married on December 27, 1969 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Warrenville; once married, they lived in St. Paul, Minnesota while Greg attended Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary, and they welcomed their son Gregory Allen James Mayer; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer and Greg moved to pastoral calls at ELCA churches in Milledgeville (Trinity Lutheran), Sandwich (Salem Lutheran), and Rock Island (First Lutheran) before Greg retired in 2014; after his retirement, they became active members of St. John's Lutheran Church in Rock Island; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer had a passion for genealogy and volunteered for many years at the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana College; she was fiercely proud of her Swedish ancestry and family lineage; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer loved her family, including her many cousins, second cousins, and first and second cousins once removed; she was especially proud of her grandchildren, Conrad and Katherine Mayer, whom she asked after and talked about many times during her final illness; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer had a passion for traveling; she went multiple times to Sweden and Germany, as well as to Denmark, Norway, Ireland, and the United Kingdom; she spent more time in graveyards and pouring over church records than most tourists, and she also loved spending time with family and friends in Minnesota and Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer loved many cats throughout her life, too many to list individually, but it started with Linda Cat, her childhood pet in Minnesota; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer's strong Christian faith made her a supporter of social justice and progressive causes; she was a loyal Democrat, as attested to by the many yard signs she displayed at election time, and, while she was in no way a political strategist, she enjoyed volunteering, especially on her son's campaigns for state and local office; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer enjoyed entertaining her friends and family and loved having them gather for formal holiday dinners and informal gatherings in her back yard; she loved helping her daughter organize events for the residents of Friendship Manor in Rock Island; she and Greg also opened their home in Sandwich to students from the Illinois Math & Science Academy (IMSA) and served as a Rotary International host family, developing life-long friendships with IMSA students from across Illinois and with German exchange student, Markus Kruger; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald and Vivyonne Ahlquist; her brother-in-law, David Beagley; her sister-in-law, Linda Mayer; and her niece, Maggie Mayer; and

WHEREAS, Judy Mayer is survived by her husband, Rev. Greg Mayer; her children, Kristine Mayer and G. Allen (Carey) Mayer; her grandchildren, Conrad and Katherine Mayer; her sister, Janice Beagley; her brothers-in-law, David Mayer, Jeffrey Mayer, and Philip (Betsy) Mayer; and six nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Judith A. "Judy" (Ahlquist) Mayer and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Judy Mayer as an expression of our deepest sympathy.