Longtime Algonquin Library Board President, Jeopardy Champ Dies of Cancer at Age 57

A longtime president of the Algonquin Library Board or Trustees died last week after a long battle with cancer.

Lynn Hammerlund, of Lake in the Hills, was known as a “trivia queen," winning $22,000 after appearing on Jeopardy in 2012. Hammerlund died at the age of 57 after being transferred to JourneyCare in Woodstock last week, according to a Facebook post from Hammerlund's daughter.

Hammerlund worked at Judson University as a catalog librarian for over 30 years and also served as an associate professor at the school, teaching Faith and Learning II and I in Judson’s traditional and adult undergraduate liberal arts program. She recruited and led a Judson team that ultimately won The Literacy Connection’s annual Trivia Bee multiple times, according to a Judson press release.

Hammerlund was on the Algonquin Area Public Library Board for 28 years and was the president of the board for 23 years, according to her obituary. She led two successful referenda resulting in the construction of a new 35,000-square-foot central Library and the renovation of an 18,000 square-foot branch Library. From 1988 through 2002, she led the Library District through eight successful annexations of the Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, and Cary communities.

Hammerlund was an active member of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Algonquin where she sang in the choir and was a cantor and a lector, according to her obituary.

At Judson, Hammerlund kept an ever-active pace – well after the doors of the library closed, according to a news release from Judson She served on the General Education Committee (GEC); she scored basketball games; she worked as a faculty sponsor of Alpha Lambda Delta; she led discussions following some of the Reel Conversations film; made presentations in chapel; took voice lessons and participated in Judson recitals; and she appeared in at least two theater productions, including Fiddler on the Roof and Godspell.

In August 2015, Lynn received the Christ-like Servant Award from Judson in honor of her generous spirit.

In 2013, she was named the 26th Illinois Library Luminary. At that time she was described by AAPLD Director, Lynn Elam, as “One of Illinois’ unsung heroes who quietly goes about the business of ensuring that her hometown library functions at the highest level, that her peers are colleagues are taught the principles of librarianship well and that her students are information literacy over-achievers.”

• READ MORE ON PATCH: Lynn Hammerlund Inducted as Illinois Library Luminary

She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in World History from Lake Erie Women's College in Painesville, Ohio. She received her master's degree in Library and Information Studies from Northern Illinois University

Hammerlund is survived by her children, Sarah (Jason) Allen and Bryan Hammerlund and her grandchildren, Colton and William Allen,

A visitation for Hammerlund will be held on Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Judson University Herrick Chapel, 1151 N. State St. in Elgin. A visitation will be held from noon until 1 p.m. at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Algonquin and funeral services for Hammerlund will be held at 1 p.m. at the church. Interment will be in River Valley Memorial Park in West Dundee. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Judson University.

• Full obituary for Lynn Hammerlund

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