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HR0687 |
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LRB095 13148 KXB 38804 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of |
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| Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Velma |
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| Louise Carey of Springfield, who passed away on August 11, |
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| 2007; and
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| WHEREAS, Velma Carey was born June 29, 1928, in Selma, |
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| Alabama, the daughter of Priscilla Stewart and Elcanie Page; |
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| she married C. Lee Carey and together they moved first to |
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| Champaign-Urbana and the University of Illinois, and later to |
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| Springfield in the 1950s;
and
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| WHEREAS, Velma Carey was the first black sales clerk hired |
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| at a former downtown Springfield store, Myers Brothers; she |
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| went on to battle for civil rights, fighting against |
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| discriminatory housing policies and testifying against the |
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| City of Springfield during the 1980s voting rights trial, which |
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| led to the current form of aldermanic government in the City; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, Velma Carey became an expert on Springfield's 1908 |
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| race riots; she was a leader in the Springfield Urban League; |
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| she was personnel director at the former Sangamon State |
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| University until her retirement; and she was named one of |
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| twelve women in Springfield who changed the City by radio |
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HR0687 |
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LRB095 13148 KXB 38804 r |
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| station WUIS-FM; and
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| WHEREAS, Velma Carey was preceded in death by her husband, |
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| C. Lee Carey, and her brothers, Ezra Roland and Gardner Page; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, Velma Carey is survived by her daughter, Carolyn |
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| (Robert) Blackwell; her sons, Stephen (Toye) Carey and Arthur |
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| Carey Sr.; her grandchildren, Tracey Meares, Nicole Florence, |
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| M.D., Deanna Blackwell, Arthur Carey Jr., Anthony Carey, and |
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| Erica Townsend; her great-grandchildren, Rosa and Elijah |
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| Florence, Jordan, Jude, and Jonas Meares-Garcia, Arthur Carey |
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| III, and Amaya Townsend; her sisters, Ruthie Gaither and Mattie |
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| Chaney; and her nieces and nephews, including her nephews in |
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| Springfield, Kenneth and James Page; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we |
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| mourn the passing of this great woman and send our condolences |
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| to her family at this time; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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| presented to the family of Velma Carey as a symbol of our |
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| sympathy.
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