DuPage County Official Who Protected Homeowners Dies at 71

Fred Bucholz made a big difference in his job by creating the Property Fraud Alert program. This free program sent emails to homeowners if someone tried to put a fake claim on their property. He also helped military veterans who had lost important papers about their service. Bob Grogan, who worked with Bucholz, said he was an expert in an area that most people don't think about much.

Bucholz was born and raised in Elmhurst, Illinois, in 1952. He went to York High School and graduated in 1973. After high school, he went to Knox College where he studied political science and played football. He got his college degree in 1977 and then worked as a bartender for a while.

In the 1980s, Bucholz started working for DuPage County courts as a clerk. His cousin Rick Carney became the county recorder in 1984 and asked Bucholz to be his top helper. They worked together for 20 years and never had a single fight. Carney said Bucholz was friendly and fun to work with, and they traveled to meetings together all over the country.

When Carney decided not to run for recorder again in 2004, he told people to vote for Bucholz instead. Bucholz won the election easily and kept winning for the next 16 years. He worked hard to use new technology to make the office run better. He wanted to treat the government office like a good business that serves people well.