Veterans commission honors Lowell Reiser's decades of service
On Monday, Sept. 24, the Veterans Assistance Commission of Kane County honored its longtime delegate Lowell "Whitey" Reiser at its quarterly meeting.
Reiser passed away at age 87 at his Hampshire home Aug. 6. He had served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict.
Fellow delegates, led by commission chairman Dale Dopkins, presided over the meeting and presented his widow, Arlene, with a plaque honoring Whitey for his decades of service to veterans in Hampshire and in Kane County.
"Whitey was the best friend that the veterans' community could ever have," Dopkins, a fellow Hampshire resident, said. "He is greatly missed by all of us."
Reiser was an active member of the Hampshire Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8043 for many decades and served as its commander among other positions. He was an active member of the post's honor guard and was frequently seen at parades and ceremonies representing the post. He also was a member of the Elgin American Legion Post 57, Burlington/Hampshire Senior Citizens, Hampshire Historical Society, Fox Valley Model T Club, Northern Illinois Steam Power Club, as well as a lifelong and active member of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Hampshire.
In 2013, Whitey and Arlene Reiser won the annual Earl and Hazel Engel Award of Excellence for their service to the Hampshire community. Whitey was honored by the City of Elgin in May 2015 as a Veteran of the Month for community service.
"Every once in a while a 'can-do' guy comes along, and that was Whitey. If a job needed doing, Whitey was always there to do it," Dopkins continued.
Serving in an official capacity, Reiser served as a delegate for the Veterans Assistance Commission of Kane County for many years providing oversight to its staff and formulating policy to enhance Kane County veterans' welfare.
Reiser was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving from November 1951 to July 1953.
"Whitey left a big hole in the veteran's service organizations in northern Kane County, and an even bigger hole in our hearts, farewell Whitey," Dopkins said.