[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 183 (Friday, November 15, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1449-E1450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING MELVIN MATHIAS ON HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 15, 2019

  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Melvin 
Mathias, a resident of Illinois who will celebrate his 90th birthday on 
November 23rd. I came to know Melvin's story through his cousin and my 
friend, Sidney Mathias of Buffalo Grove, and I wish to share it today 
because it embodies so much of the opportunity, perseverance, and 
immigrant heritage that makes our nation special.
   Mr. Mathias was born in Fulda, Germany, to Erich and Kathinka in 
1929. A Holocaust survivor, he immigrated to the United States in 
October 1936 with his parents and maternal grandparents, to escape 
religious persecution by the Nazis.
   Mr. Mathias and his family eventually settled on Chicago's South 
Side. He became a United States citizen on July 7, 1943. In 1951, he 
was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in

[[Page E1450]]

the Korean War until 1953. After he was discharged from the military, 
he began working for his uncle Ernest at Quality Sheet Metal Works. He 
worked hard at the company and eventually became the co-owner with his 
cousin Sidney. He led the company until it closed in 1992.
   Mr. Mathias built his first house in Chicago after marrying Joanne 
Decker in 1955. Soon after, they had two children, Linda and Larry. The 
family relocated to Homewood in 1970, where Joanne passed away in 1990. 
Mr. Mathias later remarried Adrienne Cohen in 1993, and the couple 
remained together until her passing in 2012.
   Presently, Mr. Mathias is active and engaged member of his local 
community. He is involved in several veterans groups including the 
Homewood VFW 807 and the Pvt. Sam Veivelt Post of the Jewish War 
Veterans of America, where he serves as Quartermaster and Corresponding 
Secretary. In recognition of his service in the Korean War, he 
participated in the Chicago Honor Flight in 2016 to visit the Memorial 
in Washington, D.C. He also enjoys traveling and spending time with 
family.
   I heartily congratulate Mr. Mathias on his 90th birthday, and thank 
him for his service to our community and nation.

                          ____________________