HR1230

LRB096 22282 KXB 41256 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 Annette 
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Mattie Watkins Whiting of Chicago, who recently passed away; 
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and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, Annette Mattie Watkins, the second child of Henry 
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and Louise Watkins, was born on September 8, 1938, in
Port 
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Gibson, Mississippi (West Side); she attended Beachland 
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Elementary
School; in the fall of 1952, Annette entered Alcorn 
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High School, a laboratory school, and played shooting forward 
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on the girls' basketball team; she
graduated at the top of her 
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class in the spring of 1956; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, She enrolled as a freshman at Alcorn State

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University in 1956, majoring in Home Economics; she graduated 
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in three years (1959) with a
Bachelor's of Science degree in 
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Home Economics, and a minor in Elementary Education; she met 
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and dated Leroy Whiting when they both attended Alcorn High 
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School and Alcorn State
University; they married immediately 
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after graduating from college; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, During the 1959-1960 school term, Annette lived

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with Leroy's mother in Rodney, Mississippi, a "Ghost Town",  
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while Leroy worked elsewhere; Annette
traveled daily by school 
 


 






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bus to a high school located in the nearest small town, 
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Fayette, Mississippi, to
work as a Home Economics teacher; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, During the summer of 1960, Annette and Leroy moved 
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to Chicago, where she worked for 37 years as a

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Kindergarten-Primary teacher at Faraday Elementary School, a 
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Chicago Public School, before retiring in
1997; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Annette was a loving and dedicated wife, mother,

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and homemaker; she loved decorating her home; she loved to sew 
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and developed into a master seamstress; she was masterful in 
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her practice of frugality as she pursued these and other 
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hobbies; she became well known for her dressing style, 
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impeccable taste, and sense of personal elegance; and
 
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    WHEREAS, She
demonstrated a tenacious capability to affect 
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others by helping them to build good character; she was
always 
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willing to help in times of need; and she enjoyed many years 
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traveling with her family and friends throughout the United 
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States, the
Caribbean, Central and South America, and Europe; 
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and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, She leaves to hold in precious
memory, her 
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husband, Leroy; her son, Oran (Sarah); her siblings, Irma 
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Scott, George Watkins (Linda), and Mary
Watkins; her doting 
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cousin, Honorable Judge Willie Whiting; and a host of nieces, 
 


 






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nephews, cousins, other
relatives, friends, and former 
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co-workers; therefore, be it
  
 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of 
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Annette Whiting; 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 Annette Whiting as a symbol of our 
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sincere sympathy.