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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
3 | learn of the death of Merritt William Sprague of Hull, who | ||||||
4 | passed away on October 4, 2014; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Merritt Sprague was born in Quincy on December 20, | ||||||
6 | 1933 to John W. and Ella L. (nee Long) Sprague; he graduated | ||||||
7 | from Hannibal High School in Hannibal, Missouri, and he earned | ||||||
8 | a degree in agriculture science from the University of | ||||||
9 | Illinois, where he was a member of the FarmHouse International | ||||||
10 | Fraternity; after college, he served in the United States Army, | ||||||
11 | achieving the rank of captain; he married Patricia Ann Paxton | ||||||
12 | on July 3, 1955 in Pittsfield; upon his return to the family | ||||||
13 | farm in 1956, he served as company commander of the Quincy Army | ||||||
14 | Reserve Unit; and
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15 | WHEREAS, Merritt Sprague had a passion for promoting | ||||||
16 | agriculture within his community; he served as a 4-H leader for | ||||||
17 | many years and served as a member of the Pike County Farm | ||||||
18 | Service Board; he was Vice-Chairman of the Illinois Farm Bureau | ||||||
19 | Young Farmers Committee and was also Vice-Chairman of the | ||||||
20 | American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee; in | ||||||
21 | 1969, he was appointed to the chairmanship of the Illinois | ||||||
22 | State Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service | ||||||
23 | Committee; and
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1 | WHEREAS, After 25 years of active farming, Merritt Sprague | ||||||
2 | was called upon to serve as Deputy Administrator for Commodity | ||||||
3 | Operations in the Reagan Administration; he was then called | ||||||
4 | upon to become the manager of the Federal Crop Insurance | ||||||
5 | Corporation; he testified in front of the United States | ||||||
6 | Congress routinely during his tenure in Washington, where he | ||||||
7 | was an advocate for American agriculture; during President | ||||||
8 | George H. W. Bush's administration, he served as the Deputy | ||||||
9 | Director of the Office of Program Analysis for the U.S. | ||||||
10 | Department of the Interior; and | ||||||
11 | WHEREAS, Merritt Sprague returned home to resume | ||||||
12 | management of the family farm; during this time, he served as | ||||||
13 | chairman of the Mid-America Intermodal Authority Port, where he | ||||||
14 | worked tirelessly to promote the development of an intermodal | ||||||
15 | port terminal in the Quincy area, which is ongoing today; and | ||||||
16 | WHEREAS, Merritt Sprague served on the Pike County Mental | ||||||
17 | Health Board; he was an active member of the Hull Lions Club | ||||||
18 | and was a lifelong member of the United Baptist Church of Hull | ||||||
19 | and Kinderhook, where he not only taught many Sunday school | ||||||
20 | classes but also served as deacon; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Merritt Sprague was preceded in death by his | ||||||
22 | parents and his son, Philip Randall "Randy" Sprague; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Merritt Sprague is survived by his wife, Patricia; | ||||||
2 | his 2 sons, Marvin Kent "Mark" (Lisa) Sprague and Merritt | ||||||
3 | Andrew Sprague; his 2 granddaughters, AnnaMarie (Jason) Hanes | ||||||
4 | and Dr. Mallory (Adam) Perrine; his grandson, Marine Lt. | ||||||
5 | Jeffrey (Kelsi) Neese; his great-grandson, Paxton Kent Hanes; | ||||||
6 | his brother, John Kent (Margaret) Sprague; his 2 nephews, James | ||||||
7 | and Paul Sprague; and his niece, Cynthia Dreier; therefore, be | ||||||
8 | it
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9 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | ||||||
10 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
11 | Merritt William Sprague, and extend our sincere condolences to | ||||||
12 | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | ||||||
13 | further
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14 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
15 | presented to the family of Merritt Sprague as an expression of | ||||||
16 | our deepest sympathy.
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