[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16837]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO FRAN AND MARIE BONNER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennslyvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 26, 2003

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two very 
exceptional people I am proud to call my constituents as they reach a 
milestone that has become more and more rare in today's world. Fran and 
Marie Bonner recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Even 
more uncommon is their steadfast dedication to public service, giving 
back to their community and fellow citizens. I am honored to highlight 
the achievements of two people who have contributed so much to 
Northeastern Pennsylvania.
  Francis Peter Bonner and Marie Ann Clatch were engaged on Christmas 
day in 1961. They met in 1959 at The Madison Restaurant in Hazleton 
when Fran was registering Marie to vote. His first words to her were 
``Are you registered to vote?'' When she said no he promptly registered 
her as a Democrat, and she has been both his girl and a Democrat ever 
since.
  Marie, daughter of Fred Clatch and Jenny Corra was married to 
Francis, son of Miles Bonner and Mary Hannigan, on June 23, 1963 by 
Father Thomas Hannigan, at Our Lady of Grace Church in Hazleton. They 
have been Pennsylvania residents all of their married lives. First in 
Secane, then in Berwyn, then in Harrisburg and now in Hazleton. They 
have a daughter, Mary Patricia, who currently resides in Washington, 
DC, with her husband Roy Eichler.
  Marie and Fran have led remarkable lives in the arena of public 
service. Marie has been a homemaker all her life and very active in her 
daughter's school and after school programs. She has done a 
considerable amount of volunteer work for both the Harrisburg School 
system and St. Margaret Mary's Church. She remains a terrific role 
model for the many children she has encountered throughout her 
volunteering career.
  Fran has been extremely active in local and state government, serving 
in a senior position in Governor Milton Schapp's Administration and 
later on the Unemployment Compensation Board during the Governor Robert 
Casey's Administration. He has been extremely active in the Hazleton 
Community serving as the Chairman of St. Joseph's Hospital Board, and 
as a Trustee for the Anthracite Health and Welfare Fund for 15 years. 
It is no surprise he was bestowed the honor of ``Hazletonian of the 
Year.''
  Fran also served on the White House ad-hoc Anthracite committee in 
1980 and was a Member of the Marketing Panel for the Governor's Coal 
Conference that same year. In 1977 he was a member of the United States 
Department of Energy Anthracite Task Force and throughout the 1970s he 
served on both the Governor's Energy Council and the Pennsylvania 
Industrial Development Authority. He has been active in the 
Philadelphia Fellowship Commission and the Hazleton City Planning and 
Zoning board. He was also the Deputy State Chairman of the Democratic 
State Committee and the Assistant Director of the Urban Studies Program 
at the University of Villanova.
  The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recognized Fran for 
directing the recovery efforts of the Kocher mine disaster in 1976. He 
has testified on the advancement of anthracite coal before both the 
U.S. Congress and Pennsylvania Legislature.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to showcase the achievements of these two 
special residents of Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District and ask 
my colleagues to join me both in celebrating their 40 years of marriage 
and in wishing them many more happy years together.

                          ____________________