MEMORIAL-REP. ROSEMARY KURTZ

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0874

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HR0874 - 104th General Assembly

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HR0874
LRB104 21563 MST 36975 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3
Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former
4
Illinois State Representatives Rosemary Magner Kurtz, who
5
passed away on April 1, 2026, at the age of 95; and

6

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz was born on August 11, 1930 in
7
Richmond, Indiana; the Magner family was a survivor of the
8
bleak years of the Great Depression, with Rosemary losing her
9
mother, Florence Harrington Magner, at age 2; she credited her
10
stepmother, Lauretta Rowe Magner, with loving her and helping
11
to shape her character as an adult; and

12

WHEREAS, Aiming towards a teaching career, Rep. Kurtz
13
studied at, and was awarded a B.A. degree from, the University
14
of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma; she followed this with a
15
master's degree from the University of Kansas in Lawrence,
16
Kansas; she did Ph.D. course work at the University of Iowa in
17
Iowa City, helping her to become an instructor at the high
18
school and college level; and

19

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz specialized in the teaching of the
20
Spanish language to Spanish learners and the teaching of the
21
English language to English learners; teaching for 25 years,
22
she developed close ties with McHenry County College (MCC) and

HR0874
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LRB104 21563 MST 36975 r
1
with the school systems of McHenry County, especially District
2
#155, the district from which she retired; and

3

WHEREAS, As a local leader, Rep. Kurtz joined the Crystal
4
Lake Zoning Board of Appeals in the 1970s at the commencement
5
of the major population boom in McHenry County; focusing on
6
protection of the Crystal Lake watershed, she remained on this
7
board for 20 years; and

8

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz continued her service to her
9
neighbors, joining the board of the McHenry County Family
10
Services and Mental Health Clinic and serving for four years
11
as the Treasurer of Crystal Lake; and

12

WHEREAS, As a successful candidate in the primary election
13
for the 2000 Republican nomination in the 64th Representative
14
District, Rep. Kurtz joined the ballot in that year and was
15
elected to the Illinois House of Representatives with a
16
massive plurality of almost 27,000 votes; and

17

WHEREAS, As a member of the 92nd General Assembly, Rep.
18
Kurtz quickly specialized in issues of property tax reform and
19
consumer protection and was appointed to committees dealing
20
with both issues; she also, in her first term as a legislator,
21
became the Republican spokesperson on the committee on state
22
procurement; and

HR0874
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LRB104 21563 MST 36975 r
1

WHEREAS, Reelected in November 2002 with a plurality of
2
more than 11,000 votes, Rep. Kurtz joined the 93rd General
3
Assembly and moved her spokespersonship to the Committee on
4
Health Care Availability and Access; and

5

WHEREAS, Leaving the Illinois House at the end of 2004,
6
Rep. Kurtz maintained her active life as a leader of her
7
community; at the age of 85, she was elected to the District
8
#155 School Board, where she was able to use both her record as
9
an experienced teacher and her experience as a city treasurer
10
and property taxpayer advocate to maintain a watch over the
11
cash flow and spending alignments of the school district; and

12

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz, a leader of her community, was
13
supported by her husband, Jim Kurtz; after Jim passed away,
14
she was buoyed by her daughters, Jennifer Kurtz Crooks, Donna
15
Kurtz, Tamara Kurtz, and four grandchildren and two
16
great-grandchildren; and

17

WHEREAS, Rep. Kurtz was sustained all her life by a
18
staunch Catholic faith, which she saw as a commandment to work
19
towards a world of education and social justice; therefore, be
20
it

21

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE

HR0874
- 4 -
LRB104 21563 MST 36975 r
1
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
2
we mourn the passing of former Illinois State Representatives
3
Rosemary Magner Kurtz and extend our sincere condolences to
4
her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
5
further

6

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7
presented to the family of Rep. Kurtz as a symbol of our
8
deepest sympathy.

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