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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois
3 learned with regret of the death of William Allen Rain of Alton
4 on Sunday, September 18, 2005; and
 
5     WHEREAS, He was born in Alton on October 6, 1921, to
6 Clifford and Eleanor (Rice) Rain; he married the former Nadine
7 E. Hissrich of East St. Louis on February 9, 1946; they shared
8 almost 60 beautiful years together; and
 
9     WHEREAS, He attended Alton schools and William Jewel
10 College in Liberty, Missouri, where he was a member of the
11 football team and Sigma Nu fraternity; he enlisted in the Army
12 Air Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor; he received
13 training as an armorer, parachute rigger, and graduated as a
14 pilot at La Hunta, Colorado; later, he was based in Lincoln,
15 Nebraska, as a B-25 pilot when World War II ended; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Following his honorable discharge, he returned
17 home to join the family grocery store, Rain and Rain, located
18 in North Alton; when the store closed in 1988, the Rain family
19 had been in business for 111 years; after his retirement, he
20 joined the advertising staff of the Advantage for a short time;
21 and
 
22     WHEREAS, He was very involved for many years with the Boy
23 Scouts of America; in 1946, he started Troop 7 of Elm Street
24 Presbyterian Church, which is still active today; he served as
25 a Scout Leader, institutional representative, and camp
26 inspector; for his dedicated service, he was awarded the Scout
27 Statuette and also one of the highest honors, the Silver
28 Beaver; he was a charter member of the Alton Volunteer
29 Emergency Corps, serving as the commander at one time; he was
30 made a life member of that organization; and
 

 

 

SR0463 - 2 - LRB094 14418 HSS 49351 r

1     WHEREAS, In 1993, Mr. Rain was elected to serve as one of
2 the village of Godfrey's trustees; he held that position for
3 four years; in 1996, his creative writings were made into a
4 book entitled "Buffalo"; this western novel was published a
5 year later and sold more than 3,000 copies; he was a member of
6 Main Street Methodist Church and served as an usher for many
7 years; he later joined the Emmanuel Free Methodist Church; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The passing of William Allen Rain has been deeply
9 felt by many, especially his wife, Nadine; his children and
10 their spouses, William A. "Bud" and Cheryl Rain Jr., Charles A.
11 "Tony" and Wanda Rain, and Amy R. and Mick Monahan; his
12 grandsons and a spouse, Nathan and Jennifer Rain and their
13 daughter, Emma, Jeremy Rain, and Scott and Patrick Monahan; his
14 brother and his wife, Jack and Betty Rain; his sister-in-law,
15 Helen (Mrs. William) Wimmer; and his other extended family
16 members and many dear friends; therefore, be it
 
17     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
18 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
19 William Allen Rain, and we extend our sincere condolences to
20 his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
21 further
 
22     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
23 presented to his family as an expression of our deepest
24 sympathy.