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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate were saddened
3 to learn of the death of Georgia Ann Pillow Rountree of
4 Springfield, who passed away on May 26, 2008; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Georgia Rountree was born on March 14, 1920 in
6 Nashville, Tennessee; she was the daughter of Robert Armstead
7 and Flora (Collier) Pillow II; she married Alvin Lester
8 Rountree on November 17, 1945 in Corinth, Mississippi; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Georgia Rountree received her bachelor's degree
10 from Tennessee State University and her master's degrees from
11 Western Illinois University and Sangamon State University; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Georgia Rountree began her career as a vocational
13 home economics teacher at Cranes High School in Brownsville,
14 Tennessee; she moved on to serve as a Home Demonstration Agent
15 in Pulaski, Tennessee for the University of Tennessee; and
 
16     WHEREAS, In 1946, Georgia Rountree and her husband moved to
17 Springfield, where she was employed as a nursery school
18 teacher; in 1955, she worked as an Assistant Dietitian,
19 teaching Diabetic and Special Diets to patients at St. John's
20 and Memorial Hospitals in Springfield; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, As a secretary of the YMCA, Georgia Rountree was
2 responsible for organizing the first black Y-Teen for young
3 girls, which participated in the desegregation of the YMCA's
4 swimming pool; and
 
5     WHEREAS, After 10 years of attempts, Georgia Rountree
6 eventually became a teacher for Springfield School District
7 186, one of the first in a group of black teachers to be hired
8 by the district; she went on to serve for 37 years at Edison
9 and Lanphier Schools as a language arts, social studies,
10 civics, consumer education, and American history teacher; she
11 also taught African-American History in summer school classes
12 and taught for several semesters at Blackburn College; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Georgia Rountree was a member of Grace United
14 Methodist Church for over 62 years; as a member of the church,
15 she served as President of the United Methodist Women for two
16 terms; she was a member of the choir and was a lay speaker; she
17 served as a Church School teacher; she also served as
18 Chairperson of the Pastor Parish Relation Committee, among many
19 others; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Georgia Rountree held many positions within the
21 United Methodist Conference; she served as Chairperson of the
22 Race Relations Committee on Ethnic Local Concerns; she served
23 as Secretary of the United Methodist Women's Commission on

 

 

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1 Archives and History; she served on numerous commissions,
2 including the Commission on Status Role of Women and the
3 Commission on Nominations, among many others; she taught in the
4 Conference Schools of Christian Mission; she was appointed by
5 Bishop White as a trustee to Wiley College in Marshall, Texas;
6 she also served in numerous positions in the Springfield
7 District level, including Lay Delegate at Large for the Annual
8 Conferences and Certified Lay Speaker; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Georgia Rountree was an active member of her
10 community; she served as President of Urban League Guild; she
11 was a member of the Human Relation Commission and the
12 International Visitors' Sister Cities; she was an elected
13 Regional Director for the National Urban League Guilds' Central
14 Region; she served as President of the Grace Urban Ministries
15 Board of Directors and as Director for the Jessie Rogers Child
16 Development Center; she was also a member of the Alpha Kappa
17 Alpha Sorority; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Georgia Rountree was the recipient of many awards
19 in recognition of her service to her community, including the
20 Teacher of the Year award, a Humanitarian award for Outstanding
21 accomplishments in Education and Community Service, a Wiley
22 College Award for Christian Education and Public Service, a
23 Social Workers and Human Relations of the State of Illinois
24 Humanitarian Award, and a Golden Life Membership award and a

 

 

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1 scholarship in her name from the Nu Omicron Omega Chapter in
2 Springfield, which she founded and served as president; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Georgia Rountree was preceded in death by her
4 parents; her sisters, Ida Sumerall and Flora "Febbie" Majors;
5 and her brother, Robert Armstead Pillow III; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Georgia Rountree is survived by her sister,
7 Bernice Higgins; her son, Dana Alvin Rountree (wife, Carrolyn
8 Delk); her daughter, Janice Lenora Thompson (husband,
9 Anthony); her grandchildren, Devin T. Rountree, Ashley M.
10 Thompson, and Amanda J. Thompson; and her many nieces, nephews,
11 and friends; therefore, be it
 
12     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
13 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
14 her family and friends, the passing of Georgia Rountree; and be
15 it further
 
16     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17 presented to the family of Georgia Rountree as an expression of
18 our sympathy.