$150.00 - Luxembourg American Heritage Information Center

Soon after arriving in Niles Center, Joe commenced an architectural practice at 4831
Oakton Street. In 1936, he married Frances Blameuser, daughter of Peter Blameuser III and
sister to George E. Blameuser. They had three children. In 1963, he was elected to succeed Paul
Hermes as Recording Secretary of Section 15, a post he would hold until 1975. At the mass
concelebrated by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin and several priests of Luxembourg heritage,
attended by T.R.H. Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte, during their
state visit to America in 1984, Joe was one of three gift bearers. Joe Dockendorff, Sr. is still active
in Section affairs and lives at 7900 Lorel Avenue, Skokie, Illinois.
Joseph J. Witry, Jr. was initiated as a member of Section 15 in 1964. He is the eldest son and
third child of Joseph and Catherine Witry. Born in Skokie in 1941, he was educated at St. Peter's
in Skokie, Notre Dame High School in Niles and graduated from Parsons College, Fairfield,
Iowa in 1964.
In 1965, he was inducted into the United States Army and spent approximately 15 months as
a chaplain's assistant in West Germany. While in Europe in 1966, he toured Luxembourg with his
father. He was discharged from the Army in 1968 and commenced a career in the business forms
industry, beginning with Wallace Business Forms. In 1972, he left Wallace and began his own
business forms company, Unlimited Printing & Systems, Inc. of Arlington Heights, Illinois.
In April, 1965, he married Sharon Armstrong of Rock Island, Illinois. They have two
children, Joseph Dale and Catherine Ashley. They presently reside in Woodstock, Illinois.
Donald J. Hansen was born in Skokie, Illinois in September 19, 1941. The eldest son of H.
John and Mary Hansen, he is the grandson of Hubert Hansen, both of whom were members of
Section 15. He attended St. Peters, Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois and graduated
from Northwestern University in 1964. In 1958 he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and was
discharged in 1978.
Prior to joining Western Savings and Loan Association of Chicago in 1972, he was general
manager of the family's home building business begun by his grandfather. Currently, Don is a
Vice-President of Western Savings and oversees its lending and appraisal operations.
In 1976, Don was elected President of the Section, succeeding his father John. He held
that post for two years and then became Vice-President, switching offices with Joe
Dockendorff, Jr. In May, 1980, Don was appointed to fill the office of Grand Secretary, a post
he still holds, succeeding Don Johanek. He thus became the second Section member to hold
Grand Lodge office.
Don is married and has two children, Dawn, a 1987 graduate of Miami of Ohio, and
Timothy, a student at the University of Wisconsin.
Also in 1964, Victor M. Colling transferred from Section 3 to Section 15. A native of Feulen,
Luxembourg, he is the son of the late Othen Colling and Anne Stempel Colling.
During World War II, the Colling home was used by the Germans as their local post office.
In 1944, the German occupation was replaced by the American Liberation and the kindness of
the Uncle Sam's troops kindled a desire in Victor to come to the United States, a dream he
realized in 1958.
Soon after arriving in the States, he began working at a small Morton Grove bakery.
Thereafter, he moved to Gapers Catering and managed their bakery department for twenty-five
years. He is presently employed by Sara Lee Kitchens. He, his wife Josephine, and their daughter
Bettina live in Glenview, Illinois.
In 1966, Joseph A. Dockendorff, Jr. (married to Beverly Donner) joined Section 15. The
second child of Joseph and Frances Dockendorff, Joe, Jr. was born October 2, 1940 in Niles
Center, Illinois. He was educated at St. Peter's in Skokie, the Holy Cross Seminary in LaCrosse,
Wisconsin and received a B.S. in Business Adminstration from Marquette University in 1962.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1963 and was sent to Nuremburg, Germany as a chaplain's
assistant. While there, he developed a close relationship with an orphanage in Feucht, Germany,
donating excess Army rations to the children.
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