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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to recognize the 2007 Jefferson
4 County Senior Saints Hall of Fame inductees; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Edward Percy Atkinson is responsible for starting
6 the little league program in Mount Vernon, delivers Meals on
7 Wheels almost every Sunday, and rings the bells at Epworth
8 Methodist Church in memory of his mother; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Marcus Garvey Blakemore is an assistant pastor at
10 the First Church of God, where he witnesses over the television
11 and radio airwaves, and also visits those in prison; he works
12 with the Ministerial Alliance, the NAACP, the Lion's Club, the
13 Red Cross, the Masonic Lodge, and other organizations that help
14 others; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Arline Dare Howard started her family at the early
16 age of sixteen, worked to support her family after her husband
17 became disabled, and, at 90 years of age, continues to
18 volunteer at Saint Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital and work the
19 polls during elections; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Betty McKenzie and her husband raised three
21 children, and then took in two nephews after their parents died

 

 

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1 and raised them; together with her husband, they raised funds
2 to erect a veterans memorial in Woodlawn; Betty was a teacher
3 and still continues to substitute teach, volunteer at First
4 Baptist Church and Chapman Sports Complex, and cook meals for
5 those in need; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Donna Devea Mestel coached kids in swimming for
7 many years; she also taught gymnastics and tumbling; she helped
8 kids through the 4-H program; in spite of MS and macular
9 degeneration she continues to coach from her wheelchair,
10 amazing the people around her with her determination and drive;
11 and
 
12     WHEREAS, Bruce Miles served as a music director at Logan
13 Street Baptist Church in Mount Vernon; after serving in other
14 states and Japan, he and his family returned to Mount Vernon;
15 he and his wife became involved in Illinois Disaster Relief,
16 aiding people victimized by Hurricane Katrina; they aided
17 people in Mount Vernon following the storm that hit the
18 community in July of 2006; he also serves on the board of
19 Jefferson County Habitat for Humanity, building homes for those
20 in need; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Margaret Nathlich has been involved with Meals on
22 Wheels since its beginnings in the area; she is a member of the
23 Jefferson County Home Extension; she works with the American

 

 

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1 Cancer Society, organizing the annual Relay for Life events;
2 she volunteers at Saint Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital and
3 works through her church, Faith Lutheran Church, at the Twice
4 As Nice resale shop and organizing the annual Holiday Bazaar;
5 and
 
6     WHEREAS, Joe Bob Pierce has served as a pastor for over
7 eighteen years in various churches; he currently serves as
8 President of the Illinois Baptist State Association; he serves
9 on the Board for the United Methodist Children's Home, as a
10 Deacon at Logan Street Baptist Church, on the Chaplaincy
11 Program at Crossroads Community Hospital, and has donated land
12 for future construction to Habitat for Humanity; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Thomas A. Puckett is a local historian and worked
14 to preserve Jefferson County history; he was instrumental in
15 moving the Southern Railroad Depot and beginning the Jefferson
16 County Historical Museum; he served on numerous boards such as
17 the Oakwood and Old Union Cemeteries, Shiloh Township, First
18 Baptist Church, Central Christian Church, the American Legion,
19 and Amvet's; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Jack and Ann Overstreet have both served on the
21 Mount Vernon Township High School Board; they have both
22 volunteered at the Jefferson County Historical Society; they
23 are active members of the Mount Vernon Church of Christ; they

 

 

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1 volunteer for the American Red Cross, working on blood drives
2 throughout the area; in addition, they sing Karaoke to the
3 seniors at Greentree Assisted Living Center and raise money for
4 the Mount Vernon Township High School Gridiron Booster Club;
5 and
 
6     WHEREAS, Earl Spohr has served on various positions in
7 local government, including Mayor of Woodlawn and as a member
8 of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce; he works with
9 various organizations, including the Illinois Department on
10 Aging, the Jefferson County Shrine Club, the Midwest Medicare
11 Advisory Council, and others; he was named by Crossroads
12 Community Hospital as the Volunteer of the Year in 2006; he
13 also transports area children to Shriners Hospital in St. Louis
14 and is a regular volunteer with the American Red Cross blood
15 drives; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Mose Curtis Stokes, Jr. is retired from the United
17 States Navy, where he retired with the rank of Chief Petty
18 Officer after 21 years; he has been a member of Shiloh
19 Missionary Baptist Church for 62 years and serves as a Deacon;
20 he helped develop the food pantry and other community-based
21 programs through his church; he is Vice President of the
22 Illinois State Baptist Brotherhood, and has served on the South
23 Central Transit system; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3 congratulate the 2007 inductees into the Jefferson County
4 Senior Hall of Fame; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
6 presented to each inductee as a symbol of our respect and
7 admiration.