093_HR0532
LRB093 13608 RAH 18983 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of
3 the State of Illinois wish to honor retired educator and
4 public servant L. Goebel Patton of West Frankfort on the
5 occasion of his 90th birthday on October 24, 2003; we wish to
6 recognize him for his valuable service and contributions to
7 West Frankfort and the entire State of Illinois; as he often
8 says, "The definition of service is the rent you pay to
9 occupy this Earth."; and
10 WHEREAS, L. Goebel Patton worked 52 years in education,
11 most of which was with the West Frankfort school system and
12 as Director of Public and Professional Relations for the
13 Illinois Education Association; he became principal of the
14 now-closed Logan Elementary School at age 19; he also served
15 as superintendent of the grade school district and then moved
16 to the high school after the 2 districts merged; he has the
17 distinction of being the first superintendent when the unit
18 school district was formed in West Frankfort; and
19 WHEREAS, Mr. Patton has been an active member of the West
20 Frankfort Second Baptist Church for over 75 years; at the age
21 of 88, he served as chairman of the building committee,
22 following a fire that destroyed the church in 2000; He also
23 was chairman of the building committee more than 5 decades
24 earlier when the church sanctuary was built in 1950; he was
25 the church's Sunday Superintendent for 29 years and served as
26 a Sunday School teacher for over 50 years; and
27 WHEREAS, L. Goebel Patton was a member of the Franklin
28 County Salvation Army Advisory Board for over 60 years and
29 was responsible for helping put up the Christmas Tree for the
30 Tree of Lights campaign; he has also been actively involved
31 with the American Cancer Society, the West Frankfort Lions
32 Club, the West Frankfort Men's Prayer Breakfast, the Masonic
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1 Lodge, and the Franklin-Williamson Human Services and John A.
2 Logan College Foundation boards; and
3 WHEREAS, L. Goebel Patton has been actively involved with
4 the Southern Illinois Schools Credit Union (SISCU) and has
5 served as its chairman; SISCU was organized over 50 years ago
6 and has been a valuable tool for thousands of teachers,
7 helping them to buy dependable transportation, purchase their
8 first homes, and pay college tuition; and
9 WHEREAS, Because of his dedication and contributions to
10 the West Frankfort community, L. Goebel Patton was named
11 Citizen of the Year by the West Frankfort Chamber of Commerce
12 in 1977 and in 1999 for his fundraising campaign for a new
13 swimming pool and community center; therefore, be it
14 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16 we recognize L. Goebel Patton on the occasion of his 90th
17 birthday; he is a pillar in his community and widely
18 respected; he has truly paid his rent to occupy this Earth;
19 and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21 presented to L. Goebel Patton as an expression of our respect
22 and esteem.