[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12186]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    TRIBUTE TO JOHN AND MARY KOLIMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 27, 2001

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to John and 
Mary Kolimas who recently celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary 
on June 16, 2001.
  John and Mary represent the epitome of married life and family 
values. They have raised six wonderful children--Mamie, Chris, Bob, 
Barb, Rich, and Paul. I can attest firsthand to their ability as 
parents; their son Paul is a former employee of mine and a man I have 
great respect for. John and Mary have also been blessed with nine 
beautiful grandchildren: Nicole, Jordan, Kelly, Amie, Cathy, Samantha, 
Alexandria, Jesenia, and Michael. They also have one deceased 
grandchild, Elizabeth.
  Friends of the couple fondly recall their meeting at a dance in 1948 
at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Catholic Church. They were married 
at that same church three years later in 1951 by Mary's brother, Father 
Edwin Karlowiczier. Their outstanding devotion to the Catholic Church 
has continued throughout their marriage.
  Both John and Mary attended St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Catholic 
Grammar School. John graduated from Foreman High School, where he was 
class president. He served in the Navy for two years, and then attended 
Loyola University in Chicago under the GI Bill. Mary graduated from 
Holy Academy High School.
  The couple was surrounded by seventy-five relatives and friends for 
mass and a joyous reception at the Rosewood West Restaurant on 
Saturday, June 16. Mary's brother, Father Edwin Karlowiczier, presided 
over the mass along with Father John Sayaya. In attendance for the 
celebration were Mary's four sisters: Therese, Kay, Janet, and Jean; 
and John's sisters: Helen, Bernice, and Emily. The group enjoyed a 
video presentation of pictures and music from the couple's fifty years 
together.
  I have the highest level of respect for devoted couples like John and 
Mary. Their ability to love and raise children serves as a model for 
all of us to follow. I encourage my colleagues to join me in 
celebrating the fiftieth wedding anniversary of John and Mary and the 
strong family values they represent.

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