MEMORIAL-ELAINE E. BIRTCH

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SR0679

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SR0679 - 104th General Assembly

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SR0679
LRB104 21144 ECR 35469 r
1
SENATE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3
to learn of the death of Elaine Evelyn Birtch, who passed away
4
on February 15, 2026; and

5

WHEREAS, Elaine Birtch was born to Hugo W. Gade and Evelyn
6
Jagow Gade in Niagara Falls, New York on April 6, 1932; she and
7
her family moved to La Porte, Indiana in 1947; she graduated
8
from La Porte High School in 1949 and from Concordia Teachers
9
College in 1953; she married Dr. Alan G. Birtch at St. John's
10
Lutheran Church in La Porte, Indiana on August 22, 1954, and
11
the couple lived in Baltimore, Maryland and Boston,
12
Massachusetts before moving to Springfield; and

13

WHEREAS, Elaine Birtch taught at Lutheran schools in
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Winston-Salem, Baltimore and in the Brookline, Massachusetts
15
public school system; and

16

WHEREAS, Elaine Birtch served as a Stephen Minister and
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was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church; she was also a
18
member of the Anti-Rust Club, PEO, Questers, and Bible study;
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and

20

WHEREAS, Elaine Birtch's love of the arts and her Lutheran
21
heritage were evident in her involvement in writing grants for

SR0679
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LRB104 21144 ECR 35469 r
1
visiting artists at Lutheran schools, helping create the Fine
2
Arts Fair and Liturgical Art Fair for the Art Association, and
3
hosting, writing, and interviewing local and renowned artists
4
for a local television show called Art Beat; and

5

WHEREAS, Elaine loved traveling with her husband and
6
family; and

7

WHEREAS, Elaine Birtch was preceded in death by her
8
husband, Alan; and

9

WHEREAS, Elaine Birtch is survived by her children, Grant
10
(Susan) Birtch, Eric (Joanne) Birtch, Mark (Susan) Birtch, and
11
Jane (Oleg) Vatchev; ten grandchildren; two
12
great-grandchildren; her sister-in-law, Mary Gade; three
13
nephews; her aunt, Marilyn Winter; her friend and neighbor,
14
Nancy Segatto; and her friend and caretaker, Gayla Cheffey;
15
therefore, be it

16

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL
17
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
18
Elaine Evelyn Birtch and extend our sincere condolences to her
19
family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
20
further

21

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

SR0679
- 3 -
LRB104 21144 ECR 35469 r
1
presented to the family of Elaine Birtch as an expression of
2
our deepest sympathy.

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