[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 153 (Wednesday, October 10, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2107]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE OF U.S. CONGRESSMAN GEORGE SANGMEISTER

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                         HON. JERRY F. COSTELLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 10, 2007

  Mr. COSTELLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to our 
former colleague, George Sangmeister, who passed away last weekend. 
George was a stalwart of Illinois politics for over 30 years and served 
in this body from 1988-1994. He embodied the hardworking decency of the 
Midwest and I extend my condolences to his family.
  George committed a great deal of his life to public service, 
beginning with his service in the Army during the Korean War. He 
graduated from Elmhurst College and the John Marshall Law School, 
becoming a Will County Magistrate in 1961. He later served as the 
county's District Attorney and was elected to both the Illinois House 
and Senate. In 1986, he was tabbed by Adlai Stevenson III to run as his 
Lieutenant Governor. They lost that race, but George went on two years 
later to win election to Congress.
  George had a warm personality and was a results-oriented politician, 
looking for consensus wherever he could. He was not concerned about 
grandstanding, but always seeking out a way to bring people together 
for the greater good. He led the efforts to create the Abraham Lincoln 
National Cemetery and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, both 
projects distinct to and emblematic of Illinois.
  Madam Speaker, we can all learn from the example of George 
Sangmeister, and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his life 
and accomplishments.

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