HR0687 LRB095 13148 KXB 38804 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Velma
4 Louise Carey of Springfield, who passed away on August 11,
5 2007; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Velma Carey was born June 29, 1928, in Selma,
7 Alabama, the daughter of Priscilla Stewart and Elcanie Page;
8 she married C. Lee Carey and together they moved first to
9 Champaign-Urbana and the University of Illinois, and later to
10 Springfield in the 1950s; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Velma Carey was the first black sales clerk hired
12 at a former downtown Springfield store, Myers Brothers; she
13 went on to battle for civil rights, fighting against
14 discriminatory housing policies and testifying against the
15 City of Springfield during the 1980s voting rights trial, which
16 led to the current form of aldermanic government in the City;
17 and
 
18     WHEREAS, Velma Carey became an expert on Springfield's 1908
19 race riots; she was a leader in the Springfield Urban League;
20 she was personnel director at the former Sangamon State
21 University until her retirement; and she was named one of
22 twelve women in Springfield who changed the City by radio

 

 

HR0687 - 2 - LRB095 13148 KXB 38804 r

1 station WUIS-FM; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Velma Carey was preceded in death by her husband,
3 C. Lee Carey, and her brothers, Ezra Roland and Gardner Page;
4 and
 
5     WHEREAS, Velma Carey is survived by her daughter, Carolyn
6 (Robert) Blackwell; her sons, Stephen (Toye) Carey and Arthur
7 Carey Sr.; her grandchildren, Tracey Meares, Nicole Florence,
8 M.D., Deanna Blackwell, Arthur Carey Jr., Anthony Carey, and
9 Erica Townsend; her great-grandchildren, Rosa and Elijah
10 Florence, Jordan, Jude, and Jonas Meares-Garcia, Arthur Carey
11 III, and Amaya Townsend; her sisters, Ruthie Gaither and Mattie
12 Chaney; and her nieces and nephews, including her nephews in
13 Springfield, Kenneth and James Page; therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
16 mourn the passing of this great woman and send our condolences
17 to her family at this time; and be it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19 presented to the family of Velma Carey as a symbol of our
20 sympathy.