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Hampshire farming family among honorees at ECC Foundation celebration

Posted February 15, 2018 12:00 am

Elgin Community College's Founders' Day celebration on Feb. 18 will honor members of the Dumoulin family of Hampshire. Nearly 20 family members are ECC alumni and current students. Matriarch Pat Dumoulin, center, began teaching at the college in 1970 and her late husband, Bill, is an ECC graduate. Courtesy of Pat Dumoulin

For nearly five decades, Patricia and Bill Dumoulin of Hampshire have dedicated their time, money and offspring toward supporting Elgin Community College.

Pat Dumoulin began teaching at the college in 1970. She taught statistics, economics and mathematics for 30 years and developed ECC's online business math course.

Her late husband, Bill Dumoulin, was a hog farmer and an Army corporal stationed in Germany during the Cold War. He left military service to study full time at ECC, and he later earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Northern Illinois University.

The couple's three children and their spouses, and 12 grandchildren are ECC alumni or current students - half played on the college's girls basketball team earning all-conference and All-America honors, several school records and team championships.

For their accomplishments, the Dumoulin family will receive ECC's Lasting Impact Award Feb. 18 during the college's 20th anniversary Founders' Day Celebration and Luncheon.

"I'm very humbled," said Pat Dumoulin, 84. "We're just a regular, ordinary family. ECC is one of the best ways to begin college life."

Twenty-three family members still live on the family farm where they "raise corn, pigs and grandchildren," Dumoulin said adding, five family members live on a neighboring farm.

Four of Dumoulin's granddaughters are freshmen at ECC - two are starters on the basketball team.

All 12 Dumoulin grandchildren were awarded ECC Foundation scholarships - itself an accomplishment, said Katherine Sawyer, ECC's executive director of advancement and foundation.

"The Dumoulins are an upstanding group to be able to honor and we are excited to celebrate that with them," she said.

"I am not aware of us honoring in any way such a big family like this."

Other 2018 honorees are: Distinguished Alumni Award, Ronald Krivosik and Julie Lichtenberg; Friend of Education Award, retirees Polly Nash and Jack Weiss; Exceptional Friend of the ECC Foundation, directors emeritus Carolyn Kirk-Likou, the late Jack Shales and Shales McNutt Construction; and Lasting Impact Award, Eleanor "Ellie" MacKinney, former ECC trustee Carl Lundstrom and foundation board member emeritus Brett Lundstrom.

ECC will host activities throughout next week in honor of Founders' Day focused on sharing stories, giving, being thankful and service.

The Feb. 18 celebration is 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Building C Library and Building B Jobe Lounge, 1700 Spartan Drive.

Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by Friday at elgin.edu/eccfoundation.

Pat and Bill Dumoulin of Hampshire took a picture with two of their granddaughters as they graduated from Elgin Community College. The family will be honored during ECC's Founders' Day celebration Feb. 18. Courtesy of Pat Dumoulin

Members of the Dumoulin family of Hampshire will be honored during Elgin Community College's Founders' Day celebration Feb. 18. Nearly 20 family members are ECC alumni and current students. Matriarch Pat Dumoulin, center, began teaching at the college in 1970. Courtesy of Dumoulin family

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