Bill Text: IL SR1203 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of Gary Niebur of Edwardsville.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-01-13 - Resolution Adopted [SR1203 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-SR1203-Introduced.html

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SR1203 LRB101 21487 MST 72179 r
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
learn of the death of Gary D. Niebur of Edwardsville, who
passed away on May 2, 2020; and
WHEREAS, Gary Niebur was born in Wood River to Melvin and
Edna (Huelsman) Niebur on September 13, 1955; he grew up on
Dunlap Lake and spent many summers playing Little League and
Legion Post 199 baseball; he loved to recount the story of the
home run that made its way from the ball field to the Leclaire
water tower; he married Debra Werden at St. Boniface Church in
Edwardsville on July 15, 1983; and
WHEREAS, Gary Niebur served as chief executive officer of
the Edwardsville YMCA for 35 years, accepting the position in
1982; he established the financial assistance scholarship
program to ensure that every resident could participate in YMCA
programming, regardless of their ability to pay; under his
leadership, the organization grew steadily in membership,
expanded to three locations, and achieved record levels of
private donations to fund capital improvements by the time of
his retirement in 2018; upon his retirement, the Edwardsville
YMCA Board of Directors named the ESIC facility the "Niebur
Center" in his honor; and

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WHEREAS, Gary Niebur began his career with the City of
Edwardsville as a teenager, doing lawn maintenance for the
parks and recreation department; in 1985, he was elected to the
city council, where he spent eight years as an alderman; in
1993, he began his first term as mayor of Edwardsville, a
position he held for 20 years; and
WHEREAS, Gary Niebur was active with multiple
organizations, including the Edwardsville Rotary Club, the
Anderson Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, the Greater
Edwardsville Area Foundation, the First Cloverleaf Bank Board
of Directors, and the Metro East Park and Recreation District;
he was also a member of the Illinois Municipal League, where he
served as president in 2002; and
WHEREAS, Gary Niebur was the recipient of numerous
community service awards and accolades, including the Jaycees
Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the State of Illinois, the
Rotary Club International Paul Harris Fellowship Award, the Boy
Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award, the SIUE
Religious Center Interfaith Award, and the Edwardsville Glen
Carbon Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award; and
WHEREAS, Gary Niebur loved last minute road trips with
anyone that would ride along and most frequently visited Lake
of the Ozarks in Missouri and Miramar Beach, Florida; he often

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bragged about the peak of his golf career, winning the 1995
Sunset Hills Member Guest Championship with his dear friend
Gordon Broom; anyone that had the pleasure of being seated next
to him at a social gathering was guaranteed to have an
entertaining evening of laughter and story telling; and
WHEREAS, Gary Niebur was preceded in death by his father,
Melvin Niebur; and
WHEREAS, Gary Niebur is survived by his wife, Debra; his
daughters, Ashley (Josh) Sharp, Amanda Niebur, and Abby Niebur;
his son, Andrew Niebur; his grandchildren, Blair and Brady
Sharp; his brother, Randy (Jo) Niebur; his sister, Jan (Mark)
Muckensturm; his sister, Gail (Roy) Eagle; his brother, Mark
Niebur; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
Gary D. Niebur and extend our sincere condolences to his
family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of Gary Niebur as an expression of our
deepest sympathy.