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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Turkey Hill Grange on
4the 150-year anniversary of its founding; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Turkey Hill Grange is a family fraternal
6community service organization with special interest in
7agriculture; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Oliver H. Kelley and six co-founders started the
9Grange movement in the U.S. in 1867; the Turkey Hill Grange was
10chartered in 1874 with 19 members, including 15 men and four
11women, making this Grange the first to require both men and
12women as members; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The first meetings of the Turkey Hill Grange were
14held at the homes of the charter members, and the first Turkey
15Hill Grange hall was built in 1885; and
 
16    WHEREAS, After the first Turkey Hill Grange hall burned
17down on January 28, 1904, a committee quickly drew up plans for
18a second building; the first meeting in the new two-story
19frame structure was held on November 24, 1904; and
 
20    WHEREAS, A fund to build a new third hall was started on

 

 

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1May 23, 1924, and the first meeting in the third and current
2building was held on July 19, 1937; and
 
3    WHEREAS, An elevator, four accessible restrooms, and a
4paved parking lot were added to the building in 2004, and the
5dining room and kitchen were renovated in 2023; and
 
6    WHEREAS, There are over 130 members of the Turkey Hill
7Grange, ranging in age from 14 to nearly 100, with a variety of
8backgrounds; and
 
9    WHEREAS, To assist with finances, the Turkey Hill Grange
10hosts a Wurstmarkt and an annual chicken dinner and ham and
11peach dinner, all of which are major sources of income; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Turkey Hill Grange is an active participant
13in local Farmers' Markets and makes its facilities available
14to the local community for meetings, funeral meals, and other
15events; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Each year, the Turkey Hill Grange recognizes an
17outstanding teacher, law enforcement officer, firefighter, and
18community servant who are all non-members; its quilters also
19typically create 10 Quilts of Valor a year to award to
20veterans; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The Turkey Hill Grange sponsors a 4H Club and an
2American Heritage Troop and supports many Belleville community
3activities and youth sports teams; it makes food donations to
4the Violence Prevention Center in Belleville and donates
5dictionaries to local schools; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
7HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8we congratulate the Turkey Hill Grange on their 150-year
9anniversary, and we commend them on their continuous support
10to the Belleville community; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to the Turkey Hill Grange as a symbol of our esteem
13and respect.