Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I am 44 years old; and although that is a short time of life, it has been a time of enormous changes. Yet there have been few things that have been consistent. One thing that has been consistent that I have observed in my life is a friend of mine who just passed away, Carl Schultze. He was Mr. Consistency, Mr. Collinsville, Mr. Holy Cross, Mr. Public Servant, Mr. Community Leader.

The record of public service, love of God and family and community has ended with the death of Carl Schultze. Carl Willoughby Schultze, 73, of Collinsville, Illinois, was born July 31, 1929 in Collinsville. Carl started his working career as a car salesman in 1947 for Norwin Chevrolet in downtown Collinsville, Illinois, and retired in 2001 from Jack Schmitt Chevrolet in Collinsville, Illinois.

Carl was an active member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, the church I attend. He was involved in the church choir. His booming thunderous voice, always on key, served as the foundation of a successful church choir whose sole goal was to glorify God. He was past congregation president, financial secretary, elder, member of the school board and various other boards. He was a past member of the Collinsville Jaycees, was a Collinsville Tepee Adult Board president, and a member of the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Collinsville Progress Board of Directors, having been president for 9 years.

In May 2002, Collinsville Progress renamed the Improvement of the Month Award as the Carl Schultze Improvement of the Month Award, presented by the Collinsville Progress. He was a past board member of CMT YWCA, that is Collinsville, Marysville, Troy YMCA, and a past member of the United Way board, serving as chairman in 1990.

He was on the board of directors of the Collinsville Building and Loan Association for 22 years, having been made a board member emeritus, and was a board member of the Collinsville Chorale. He was a very active and involved member of the Kiwanis, an organization that he got me to join, having served as president for two terms, past lieutenant governor of Division 34 of Kiwanis, and received the distinguished lieutenant governor pin, and was a past board member and received the Kiwanian of the Year Award, Hixon Fellow Honor, and the Amador Fellow Honor.

Carl received other awards: the CHS, Collinsville High School, Alumni Award in 2001, the Spirit of Excellence Award in 2001, and the Irvin Dillard Award by the Collinsville Lion's Club. Over the years, Carl enjoyed singing for weddings and funerals, working outside in his garden, and was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather.

He is survived by his loving wife and high school sweetheart, Mary Lou, and three compassionate and loving daughters, daughter Belinda Schultze, Laura [Page: H6964] Schultze, and Lisa Durham of Collinsville. Lisa is my grade school and high school classmate; and her husband, Chris, and Carl's pride and joy, his grandson, Jacob Schultze Durham.

I have split wood with Carl, I have trimmed trees, I built a swing set, sold oranges, and sold bagna calda, and I have worshipped with Carl. He has been a father figure and a mentor. If I accomplish one-half of the good deeds that Carl Schultze has done, I will leave this life a happy man.

As the Bible says, ``Well done, good and faithful servant.'' END