Carl Soderstrom

STREATOR - Carl Soderstrom, 93, of Streator died Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009, at his home.

Funeral services for Carl Soderstrom will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, at the Elias Funeral Home in Streator. Visitation for Carl Soderstrom will be from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Elias Funeral Home. Burial will be in Riverview Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers will be members of his family and friends.

He was born in Streator on Dec. 14, 1915, and graduated from Streator High School in 1931. He attended the University of Illinois, was a member of the marching band and graduated from there with a B.S. degree in 1937. He obtained his law degree from the University of Illinois Law School in February of 1943. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in March of the same year.

In 1941, he married the former Virginia Merriner of Streator and they had five children, who were born and raised in Streator. Virginia Soderstrom taught German and world history at Streator High School for many years.

During World War II, he worked in the Seneca, Ill., shipyards, where the LST's - Landing Ship Tanks - were built. He worked in the steel procurement department, ensuring a constant supply of steel necessary to keep the ship line in constant production for the 10,000 people who worked there.

After the war, he opened his general-practice law office in Streator, specializing in worker's compensation cases.

He first was elected to the Illinois State Legislature in 1950 and was always proud of the fact that he consistently received strong endorsements from labor, farmers, and educators. While in the Legislature, he sponsored numerous pieces of legislation for the benefit of labor and served as chairman of the House Education Committee. He retired from the Legislature in 1974.

In 1964, due to reapportionment, Illinois held a statewide election. Soderstrom was very proud of the fact that he was the leading Republican and had the most votes of any downstate candidate, tallying over 1 million votes.

In May of 2003, he received a rare invitation from House Speaker Michael Madigan to return to Springfield to address the Illinois House of Representatives. And just this past fall, he was invited by the AFL-CIO to open ceremonies in Peoria commemorating the 50th anniversary of the merger of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

He was preceded in death by his father, Reuben G. Soderstrom, a former state legislator from Streator and president of the American Federation of Labor, and then the AFL-CIO, from 1930 to 1970; his mother, Jeanne Shaw; his brother, Robert; his sister, Jeanne; and his daughter, Jane.

He is survived by his children, Dr. Carl Soderstrom (Cris) of Morton, Virginia Pace (Jack) of Naperville, Dr. Robert Soderstrom (Susan) of Grand Blanc, Mich., and William Soderstrom (Lorna) of Milwaukee, Wis. He is survived by 14 grandchildren, Carl Soderstrom of Dallas, Texas, Robert Soderstrom of Hollywood, Calif., Steven Soderstrom of Morton, Ill., Erik Soderstrom of Chicago, Ill., John Soderstrom of Morton, Ill., Denise Pace of Chicago, David Pace of Chicago, Phillip Pace of Chicago, Sara Soderstrom of Evanston, Ill., Paul Soderstrom of Boston, Mass., Lance Soderstrom of Ann Arbor, Mich., Nathan Soderstrom of New York City, Annie Soderstrom of New York City and Lucas Soderstrom of Madison, Wis. He also is survived by five great-grandchildren, Drew Soderstrom of Dallas, Texas, Mira Soderstrom of Evanston, Ill., Isaac Soderstrom of Evanston, Ill., Dillon Soderstrom of Morton, Ill., and Jackson Soderstrom of Morton, Ill.

He loved Streator and its people and felt it was the ideal town in which to work and raise a family. He considered himself very lucky to be born and raised there.

The family suggests donations to the Soderstrom Family Charitable Trust for scholarships for students at Streator High School and Political Science and Labor and Industrial Relations students in college at One South Stream, Morton, IL 61550.

Online condolences may be made to the family at eliasfh.com.