2021 Assembly Resolution 19
ENGROSSED RESOLUTION
Relating to: the life and public service of Ann Marie Hraychuck.
Whereas, Ann Marie Hraychuck was born on July 24, 1951, in Amery, Wisconsin, and died on June 6, 2021, in Ashley, North Dakota; and
Whereas, Ms. Hraychuck graduated from Unity High School in 1969 and later entered into the school's Hall of Fame; and
Whereas, Ms. Hraychuck was elected to the 28th District of the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2006, serving until 2011 while carrying out her promise to legislate in a bipartisan manner on behalf of the people of her district; and
Whereas, then-Representative Hraychuck chaired the Assembly Standing Committee on Fish and Wildlife, and also served on the Assembly Committees on Criminal Justice; Natural Resources; Rural Economic Development; and Tourism, Recreation and State Properties; and
Whereas, during Ms. Hraychuck's tenure in the State Assembly, she advocated for public policies that included, but were not limited to, establishing a hunting mentorship program, improving public safety, increasing funding for rural public schools, expanding recreational outdoors opportunities for people with disabilities and veterans, increasing access to affordable health care, and helping the local economy through expanded job training programs and increased access to capital for small businesses; and
Whereas, prior to her time in the Legislature, Ms. Hraychuck served in the Polk County Sheriff's Department for 32 years, including as Sheriff of Polk County from 2001 to 2006, one of only two women sheriffs in the state, and was awarded the Medal of Valor in 1991 for brave and distinguished service; and
Whereas, Ms. Hraychuck rose through the ranks in the Sheriff's Department before her election as Sheriff, serving as a secretary, then a jailer-dispatcher, and next as an investigator specializing in crimes against children, domestic violence, and homicide cases, as well as a law enforcement educator/trainer statewide for the Wisconsin Department of Justice; and
Whereas, as a law enforcement officer, Ms. Hraychuck was widely respected for her compassion for victims of crimes, but was recognized also for acting fairly in her treatment of the accused; and
Whereas, by the end of Ms. Hraychuck's tenure as Sheriff, she had made huge strides in ridding Polk County of illegal methamphetamine production and trade; and
Whereas, as a skilled angler and hunter Ms. Hraychuck belonged to many outdoors groups, including the Polk County Sportsmen's Club, of which she was the first woman president, and she served also as a hunter safety education instructor and volunteered with the group Deer Hunt for Hunters with Disabilities; and
Whereas, Ms. Hraychuck also was a member of the Polk County Democratic Party, the Wisconsin Sentencing Guidelines Committee, the Violence Against Women Act Advisory Board, and the Polk County Task Forces on Domestic Violence, Elder Abuse, Child Abuse (chair), and Methamphetamine Abuse; and
Whereas, Ms. Hraychuck, as both State Representative and Sheriff, mentored many staff who went on to public service careers in government, law, and law enforcement and who will remember her always with deep devotion and affection; and
Whereas, after her years in the Legislature, Ms. Hraychuck served as a security officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in different parts of the United States; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the
assembly, That the members of the Wisconsin State Assembly commend and are grateful for the many years of public service that Ann Marie Hoehne Hraychuck devoted to her county, state, and nation; express their sorrow at her death; and extend their condolences to her husband, stepchildren, siblings, and countless other relatives, coworkers, and friends; and, be it further
Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide a copy of this resolution to Ms. Hraychuck's husband, David Hraychuck, and her stepchildren, David Hraychuck and Katherine Sperry.
