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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 Dorothy Ann (Little)
4 Harshbarger of Peoria on Monday, January 2, 2006; and
 
5     WHEREAS, She was born on December, 23, 1915, in Oregon,
6 Illinois, to Ralph and Lucy Shroeder Little; her mother
7 preceded her in death in 1918; her father then married Grace
8 Fruin Little; Dorothy married Charles W. Harshbarger on May 29,
9 1936, in Oregon, Illinois; he preceded her death on July 12,
10 1996; and
 
11     WHEREAS, She lived at her home in Peoria County for 62
12 years; she was a homemaker and a woman of strong character,
13 great wisdom, many skills, and great compassion; she was a
14 charter member of the First Church of the Brethren in Peoria,
15 where she had served as a deaconess, secretary of the church
16 board, and a member of the Dorcas Circle and the Senior Brunch
17 Bunch; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Mrs. Harshbarger was honored as the Peoria Area
19 Mother of the Year in 1965 by the Peoria Downtown Progress
20 Committee for her devotion to her family and her involvement in
21 the community and in her church; and
 
22     WHEREAS, She helped start the hot lunch program in the
23 early years of Monroe Grade School and served as secretary of
24 Monroe's PTA; she was a mentor and role model for many new
25 mothers; and
 
26     WHEREAS, Having seven children and many grandchildren
27 attend Limestone Community High School, she and her husband
28 were chosen as grand marshals of the Limestone Homecoming
29 Parade in 1979, a thrill for them; and
 

 

 

SR0562 - 2 - LRB094 17110 HSS 52396 r

1     WHEREAS, After many of their own children were grown,
2 Dorothy and Charles also welcomed others to live with them,
3 many of them students, both local and foreign exchange
4 students; their home was a safe, nurturing place to stay; she
5 was a great cook, especially fresh produce from the garden;
6 whether cooking for her large family or large gatherings at
7 church, school, or the Rural Peoria County Council on Aging,
8 she did it with ease and helped with many fundraiser dinners;
9 and
 
10     WHEREAS, The passing of Mrs. Harshbarger has been deeply
11 felt by many, especially her sons, James D. (Marilyn)
12 Harshbarger, Gerald W. (Sharon) Harshbarger, and Gene A. (Judy)
13 Harshbarger; her daughters, Judy (Charles) Cunningham, Joyce
14 (Melvin) Lauterbach, Joan (Kent) Nelson, and Jane (Dan)
15 Boulton; her sister, Martha Warner; her brother, Richard
16 Little; her 20 grandchildren; her 19 great-grandchildren; her
17 great-great-grandchild; her many step-grandchildren,
18 step-great-grandchildren, and step-great-great-grandchildren;
19 and her nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 
20     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
21 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
22 Dorothy Ann Harshbarger, and we extend our sincere condolences
23 to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be
24 it further
 
25     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
26 presented to her family as an expression of our deepest
27 sympathy.