[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 16, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1759-E1760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE FATHER OF ROSELLE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY J. HYDE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 1997

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, the Chicago Tribune of last Sunday provided a 
feature article on one of my district's finer public servants, Joseph 
Devlin. The article describes Joe's active life and his great 
contributions to Roselle, IL, and DuPage County as well. I proudly 
share this with my colleagues:

               [From the Chicago Tribune, Sept. 14, 1997]

  The Father of Roselle--Joseph Devlin Wears Many Hats While Serving 
                                 Others

                           (By David Sharos)

       If public service were a commodity that could be marketed 
     and sold, Roselle's Joseph Devlin would probably be one of 
     the western suburbs' leading entrepreneurs.
       Devlin wears many hats, which currently include village 
     trustee, the administrator for the Roselle Historical 
     Foundation, a member of the DuPage County Stormwater 
     Committee, the DuPage Water Commission and financial officer 
     for the American Legion. He is also a former mayor of 
     Roselle.
       Roselle Chief of Police Richard Eddington still calls him 
     Mr. Devlin in public, but in the community he has called home 
     for more than 40 years, Devlin says he wishes people would 
     simply call him Joe.
       Devlin moved from Pennsylvania in 1953 and has seen 
     Roselle, a town that then boasted 1,000 people and barely a 
     square mile in size grow to 23,000 people and 8 to 10 square 
     miles.
       ``Joe's the father of our village,'' said Marj Peterson, a 
     longtime friend. ``Roselle as we know it today was really 
     launched as a result of him.''
       Before moving to Roselle, he fought in a war, went to 
     college and earned a degree in mechanical engineering; he 
     became president of an electric heater and supply company, 
     helped raise three daughters and worked in public office for 
     more than 25 years.
       He has also overcome personal hardships. In World War II, 
     Devlin served on a B-24 as a navigator and was captured 
     behind enemy lines after his plane was shot down over Romania 
     and became a prisoner of war. In civilian life, his greatest 
     hardship occurred three years ago when his wife, Barbara, 
     died of cancer.
       Not long ago, he said, ``I received a card from board 
     members on one of my birthdays that said, `Congratulations, 
     you've survived another year.' When I opened it, the card 
     said, `In fact, you've survived it all.' I guess maybe I 
     have.''
       Serving his fellow citizens and the community he loves is 
     what continues to drive Devlin.
       ``I'm proud of everything I've done my whole life,'' Devlin 
     said. ``I tend to take over things once I get involved, not 
     because it's a power trip or anything but because I think I'm 
     a natural problem solver and I like to get things done.''
       Many citizens and public officials in the village say 
     Devlin has lent a guiding hand in making Roselle the 
     community it is today. From sidewalks, which were once non-
     existent, to upgrading sewer plants and streets, to obtaining 
     Lake Michigan water, to building a $3.5 million Village Hall, 
     Devlin's mark is everywhere.
       ``Of all the services Joe has performed, I still have this 
     image of him carrying a shovel around in the trunk of his car 
     . . . to repair ruts in the streets after it rained,'' said 
     village administrator Robin Weaver. ``Joe would go over to 
     people's houses he didn't even know and help them pump out 
     their basements if they were flooded. He still does.''
       The Village Board presented him with a plaque in 1994 for 
     25 years of public service. During the presentation, he 
     listened to a letter drafted by Mayor Gayle Smolinski that 
     cited many of his accomplishments.
       ``Joe is one of those pillars of the community who has just 
     always been there when we needed him,'' Smolinski said. ``He 
     often kids us during meetings when a female board member or I 
     cast a deciding vote against him. He'll say, `I knew we 
     shouldn't have given [women] the right to vote,' but Joe's 
     been one of the greatest influences in terms of empowering 
     women in local government that I know. He has three 
     daughters, and I think that's influenced him.''
       Devlin said that during his eight years as mayor from 1973-
     81, Roselle became one of the first towns to hire a female 
     police officer and a female firefighter. He also says having 
     women on the Village Board is an asset because they look at 
     things in a different way from men.
       Fred Koehler, who owns and manages the Lynfred Winery in 
     Roselle, said Devlin is the person who made his business 
     possible. ``Joe was the guy who supported the winery all the 
     way and thought it would be a good thing for the village and 
     would bring people here,'' Koehler said.
       As mayor, Devlin appealed to State Sen. Doris Karpiel, who 
     in 1980 successfully steered two bills through the 
     legislature that

[[Page E1760]]

     changed existing laws to allow the winery to be established.
       ``Even though [the winery] was a controversial decision, 
     history has proved Joe right, and the Lynfred Winery in the 
     old Fenz house has brought us fame and recognition,'' 
     Smolinski said.
       A member of Roselle's St. Walter's Catholic Church, Devlin 
     has been a friend since 1954 to its pastor. Rev. Francis 
     McDonald, who says Devlin's involvement with the church has 
     easily matched his community contributions.
       ``Joe is one of the founding members of the parish, and he 
     has been involved with our administration committee for many 
     years,'' McDonald said. ``He helped with our church's recent 
     renovation and is working with us now on the new parish 
     center gym we're planning to build. To me, his knowledge of 
     the village here and the people has been invaluable. And he's 
     a very humble man.''
       Devlin, who will celebrate his 76th birthday in January, 
     appears to be far from slowing down. He recently began his 
     fifth term as a village trustee, a job he has held for 16 
     years since stepping down as mayor. He plays golf once a 
     week, rides a bicycle and plays racquetball and handball. 
     Devlin said he recently taught himself to play left handed 
     because arthritis and bursitis have limited the mobility of 
     his right shoulder.
       ``[Public Works Director] Rob Burns played Joe in handball 
     a few weeks ago,''Weaver said. ``Rob's a jogger and is in 
     great shape, and he has to be 25 years younger. The day after 
     they played, Rob was telling us how Joe just beat the ever-
     living tar out of him. The poor guy was really beat up.''

     

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