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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
JILL MORGENTHALER, IN MEMORIAM
WHEREAS, Almighty God in His infinite wisdom called Jill Morgenthaler from our midst on February 23, 2019; and
WHEREAS, Jill Morgenthaler was the beloved wife of Kerry Chambers; devoted mother of Neal and Jamie Chambers; loving sister of Terry Morgenthaler (Patrick Kerins), Jeffrey (Donna) Morgenthaler, and Sharon Morgenthaler; and dear aunt of many nieces and nephews; and
WHEREAS, Jill Morgenthaler was a retired U.S. Army Colonel with thirty years of military service; and
WHEREAS, Jill Morgenthaler was one of 83 female cadets to arrive at boot camp at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, in 1975, as part of the inaugural class of women in the Army; and
WHEREAS, Jill Morgenthaler rose through the ranks and became the first woman battalion commander in the 88th Regional Support Command, and later the first woman brigade commander in the 84th Division; and
WHEREAS, her military career took her to Germany and South Korea in the 1980s, and Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s, when she earned a humanitarian service medal for helping to resettle Kosovar refugees; and
WHEREAS, in 2004 Jill Morgenthaler was awarded the Bronze Star for leadership in Iraq and upon retirement in 2006 was awarded the Legion of Merit; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, Jill Morgenthaler became the first woman to run the Illinois Department of Homeland Security; and
WHEREAS, Jill Morgenthaler was a professional international speaker, leadership expert, and author of The Courage to Take Command: Leadership Lessons from a Military Trailblazer; and
WHEREAS, after retiring, Jill Morgenthaler served with the Army Reserves and helped coordinate the emergency response after the 2008 shootings at Northern Illinois University; and
WHEREAS, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth said "Colonel Morgenthaler devoted her life to helping others be all they can be. A true patriot, she was a leader and decorated officer who knocked down barriers in the military and motivated a gen...
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