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1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to |
3 | | learn of the death of Elder Willie Gates of Alton, who passed |
4 | | away on October 28, 2013; and
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5 | | WHEREAS, Willie Gates was born in Hollywood, Mississippi; |
6 | | his parents were Dewitt and Almeater (nee Armstrong) Gates; he |
7 | | married Mary Ann (nee Hardin) Gates; and
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8 | | WHEREAS, Willie Gates was drafted into the United States |
9 | | Navy in July of 1943; he received an honorable discharge in |
10 | | December of 1945; in 1955, he moved to Alton after his dear |
11 | | friend, Pastor Cornelius Brown, offered to move him and his |
12 | | family from Arkansas; and
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13 | | WHEREAS, Willie Gates was employed at Owens Illinois Glass |
14 | | and retired from there after many years of employment; during |
15 | | his career, he served as President of the local union and |
16 | | attended many years of college at the University of Missouri to |
17 | | retain this position; he also worked as a life insurance agent; |
18 | | and
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19 | | WHEREAS, Willie Gates accepted the Lord at an early age and |
20 | | was a member of Belle Street Temple Church of God in Christ |
21 | | under the leadership of Superintendent R.J. Monroe; he served |
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1 | | as the District Young People Willing Workers President for many |
2 | | years; he was also the founder of Bibleway Church of God in |
3 | | Christ and he kept the church until he became ill; and
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4 | | WHEREAS, Willie Gates was preceded in death by his parents; |
5 | | his brothers, Douglas and Johnny Gates; his sisters, Susie |
6 | | Johnson and Mary Ann Gates; and his sons, Ralph and Samuel |
7 | | Gates; and |
8 | | WHEREAS, Willie Gates is survived by his children, Harold |
9 | | (Jean) Gates, Bobby (Eloise) Gates, Louis Gates, Donna Turner, |
10 | | Doris (Robert) Douglas, Gregory (Grace) Gates, and Yvonne |
11 | | Gates; his 24 grandchildren; his 26 great-grandchildren; his 6 |
12 | | great-great grandchildren; his brothers, Seymour (Betty) |
13 | | Gates, Elexie (Earline) Gates, Tommy (Coretta) Gates, and |
14 | | Charles Gates; his sisters, Dorothy Moody, Mary Gates, and |
15 | | Shirley Smith; and his many nieces, nephews, cousins, and |
16 | | friends; therefore, be it
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17 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL |
18 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his |
19 | | family and friends, mourn the passing of Elder Willie Gates; |
20 | | and be it further
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21 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
22 | | presented to the family of Willie Gates as an expression of our |