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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois | ||||||
3 | were saddened to learn of the death of Ms. Fannie G. Jones of | ||||||
4 | East St. Louis on May 21, 2004; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Ms. Fannie G. Jones was born on November 22, 1922 | ||||||
6 | in East St. Louis to the union of Henry and Rosie McGee Jones; | ||||||
7 | she was the youngest child of six children born to this union; | ||||||
8 | and
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9 | WHEREAS, Fannie was a life long resident of East St. Louis; | ||||||
10 | she attended elementary and high school in School District 189 | ||||||
11 | and received a bachelor's degree at Tuskegee University in | ||||||
12 | Tuskegee, Alabama; she continued her education, receiving her | ||||||
13 | master's degree from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri; | ||||||
14 | and
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15 | WHEREAS, Ms. Jones was one of the first Black substitute | ||||||
16 | teachers in East St. Louis' District 189, and one of the | ||||||
17 | youngest; she taught first grade at Franklin Elementary School | ||||||
18 | for many years before joining the administrative staff of the | ||||||
19 | District; she later became Program Coordinator of the | ||||||
20 | District's Title I program until her retirement after 33 years; | ||||||
21 | and
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22 | WHEREAS, Ms. Jones will be forever remembered for her | ||||||
23 | life's work and her dedication to humanity; in addition to | ||||||
24 | being an educator, Fannie entered the political arena as the | ||||||
25 | first African American to run on a statewide ticket for an | ||||||
26 | elected office as the Clerk of the Illinois Supreme Court; in | ||||||
27 | an effort to provide the young people of East St. Louis with an | ||||||
28 | appreciation for God's outdoor wonders, Fannie, along with | ||||||
29 | Canary Humphrey Jefferson, founded a two-week camp that has | ||||||
30 | served the needs of over 15,000 young people, being the only | ||||||
31 | Black group at Camp Ouatoga; and |
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1 | WHEREAS, Fannie affiliated herself with many civic and | ||||||
2 | religious groups in an effort to further her quest to be of | ||||||
3 | service to her fellow man, among which are: Sigma Gamma Rho | ||||||
4 | Sorority, Inc.; East St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners; | ||||||
5 | Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968; | ||||||
6 | National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. as a Delegate and | ||||||
7 | Officer of the Women's Auxiliary; lst and 2nd Vice President of | ||||||
8 | Women's Baptist General State Convention; Southern Area Youth | ||||||
9 | Director of Baptist General State Convention of Illinois; | ||||||
10 | Assistant Director of Youth Camp, National Baptist Convention; | ||||||
11 | the East St. Louis Cable Board; Director of Junior and Senior | ||||||
12 | Red Circle and Young Women's League at Truelight Baptist | ||||||
13 | Church; Head of Culinary Committee and Missionary Board and | ||||||
14 | Youth Director of Missionary Society, and other ministries at | ||||||
15 | the Greater New Hope Baptist Church; President of Paramount | ||||||
16 | Democratic Women; Coordinator for the Illinois State Board of | ||||||
17 | Education Library Systems under the late Paul Powell; and | ||||||
18 | served as a member of the Ethele Scott Section of the National | ||||||
19 | Council of Negro Women, Inc., and the East St. Louis Library | ||||||
20 | Board; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Fannie has been recognized for her service by | ||||||
22 | numerous groups, including the Pro Eight Club, the East St. | ||||||
23 | Louis Park District, the St. Clair County Democratic Party, the | ||||||
24 | Greater New Hope Baptist Church, East St. Louis Alumnae Chapter | ||||||
25 | of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Southern Illinois | ||||||
26 | University, the New Salem District Association; the Alpha | ||||||
27 | Upsilon Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.; and | ||||||
28 | the Illinois State Senate of the 90th General Assembly; and
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29 | WHEREAS, Through it all, Fannie always kept her eye on God | ||||||
30 | and included His teachings in every aspect of her life; she | ||||||
31 | served as church clerk at Truelight Baptist Church for over 25 | ||||||
32 | years before she joined Greater New Hope Baptist Church in | ||||||
33 | 1974; she continued her work with the Women's Auxiliaries and |
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1 | Youth Departments in the New Salem Baptist District | ||||||
2 | Association, Baptist General State Convention of Illinois, and | ||||||
3 | the National Baptist Convention, USA, Incorporated; at Greater | ||||||
4 | New Hope Church, she was the Mission Ministry's Program | ||||||
5 | Chairman; and
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6 | WHEREAS, After assisting several culinary chairmen at | ||||||
7 | Greater New Hope, Fannie was appointed Chairman and enjoyed | ||||||
8 | cooking and overseeing the preparation of meals for bereaved | ||||||
9 | families and for other church fellowship events; and | ||||||
10 | WHEREAS, Ms. Jones represented Greater New Hope at | ||||||
11 | District, State, and National level conventions for twenty-two | ||||||
12 | years until her health began to fail; and | ||||||
13 | WHEREAS, The passing of Fannie Gwendolyn Jones will be | ||||||
14 | deeply felt by many, especially her son, Coach Carlton J. | ||||||
15 | Jones; her granddaughter, Shenise D. Jones; her grandson, | ||||||
16 | Carlton J. Jones, III; her sister-in-law, Harriet M. Jones; her | ||||||
17 | foster brother, Maurice (Helen) Sharp; her nephew, Dr. Aaron | ||||||
18 | (Dr. Rosalyn) Phillips; her three nieces, Tunya P. Robinson, | ||||||
19 | Stephanie E. Jones, and Pamela Jones; her cousin, Ralph Jones, | ||||||
20 | Sr.; her special cousin, Jackie Gandy Johnson; many other | ||||||
21 | cousins and great nieces; and a host of other relatives and | ||||||
22 | friends; and
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23 | WHEREAS, She was preceded in death by her parents; her | ||||||
24 | brothers, S.T. and Fred Jones; and her sisters, Willie Mae | ||||||
25 | Jones Watkins, Lureatha Jones Phillips, and Risbia Jones | ||||||
26 | Randolph; and | ||||||
27 | WHEREAS, Fannie's candle will forever burn in the many, | ||||||
28 | many people
whose lives she touched and impacted with her kind | ||||||
29 | wisdom; therefore, be it | ||||||
30 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL |
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1 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of | ||||||
2 | Fannie Gwendolyn Jones along with all who knew and loved her | ||||||
3 | and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and | ||||||
4 | community; and be it further
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5 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
6 | presented to the family of Fannie Gwendolyn Jones as an | ||||||
7 | expression of our deepest sympathy.
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