Eight

Jan 23, 2024

Mary Ann Lamm, who served an unprecedented eight terms as Sangamon County Recorder, died at HSHS St. John's Hospital in Springfield Sunday.

Lamm was 84.

A native of East St. Louis, Lamm was first elected to the office in 1976 and retired in 2008.

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Between Lamm and her successor, Joshua Langfelder, Democrats have had a grip on the Recorder's office for 47 years.

Among her political supporters was U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois.

"Mary Ann held the office for 32 years because she poured her heart into it," Durbin said in an email to The State Journal-Register. "It was an honor to campaign by her side."

Lamm "may have been the number one hardest working Democrat in my whole time here in Sangamon County," said party chairman Bill Houlihan, who arrived here in 1979. "She was always helping other candidates for county board, other county offices, taking candidates around the county. Just a peach of a person.

"She was a model of public service."

Langfelder worked in Lamm's office from 1999 to 2004 as chief deputy before taking a job as a mortgage officer at Security Bank.

Langfelder said Lamm was friends with Langfelder's parents, former Springfield Mayor Ossie and Midge Langfelder, and a political supporter of his brother, former Mayor Jim Langfelder.

Lamm approached Joshua Langfelder about running for Recorder in 2008.

"It was truly an honor for her to think I had the capability to do it," Langfelder said Wednesday. "Somebody who has been here for 32 years, I learned from the best. She was passionate about serving the community.

"When I started, there was a staff of over 20 people, and it was microfiche and microfilm. She started the transition to computers and filing (documents) rather than hand stamping documents. She blazed the trail for a lot of recorders on technology. She was the one who spearheaded a lot of legislation with regards to the Recorder's office that we see now."

Langfelder said the Recorder's office envelops were affixed with Lamm's motto "Public service. Working for you."

"I kept that because I agree with that. You're a public servant," he said.

Houlihan recalled that Lamm and her family would help at countless Democratic fundraisers all over the county.

"She would always supply the mostaccioli," he said. "She would make her own sauce and noodles and we never ran out at a fundraiser because she always had enough. She promoted so much good will in the county."

Houlihan said he would tag along with her, especially when he first moved to the county "and I was just amazed at how many people knew her, how many parades we would go to, how many of those club mostaccioli meals she would make. She would come to Auburn, and it was like the governor was showing up.

"She was a prolific vote getter."

Lamm also served as Southern View Village Clerk from 1963 to 1971 and Capital Township Trustee from 1972 to 1976.

Lamm lost to Maralee Lindley for Sangamon County Clerk in 1990. Lindley left halfway through the term to serve in Gov. Jim Edgar's cabinet as the Director of the Department on Aging.

Lamm is survived a son, Robert Lamm of Harrisburg, and two daughters, Therese Sivert of Springfield and Melissa Anderson of New Berlin, along with six grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a son, Steven Lamm, and former husband, John Lamm.

Lamm's visitation is at Butler Funeral Home-Springfield, 900 S. Sixth St. from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. There is a funeral mass at St. Agnes Catholic Church at 10:30 a.m. Monday.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, [email protected], twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.