HR1068 LRB096 21741 GRL 39657 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Mary Lou
4 Walker of Carbondale, who passed away on March 17, 2010; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker was born on September 4, 1930, in
6 Hurst; she was the daughter of Eugene "Shine" Shafer and Erma
7 "Keyes" Shafer; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker graduated from Hurst-Bush High
9 School in 1948; in 1965, she became the first woman to graduate
10 from Southern Illinois University with a degree in mortuary
11 science; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker married James W. Walker in 1962;
13 the couple shared 35 years of marriage until his passing on
14 June 19, 1997; Mary continued to operate the couple's funeral
15 home business, Walker Funeral Homes, P.C., until her passing;
16 and
 
17     WHEREAS, Walker Funeral Homes, P.C., was founded in 1950 by
18 James W. Walker; the organization was first established in
19 Carbondale and later expanded to 2 additional locations in
20 Hurst and Alto Pass; and
 

 

 

HR1068 - 2 - LRB096 21741 GRL 39657 r

1     WHEREAS, During her tenure as operator of Walker Funeral
2 Homes, Mary Lou Walker established the first licensed crematory
3 in the Southern Illinois Region by a family-owned funeral home;
4 and
 
5     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker took great pride in operating the
6 funeral business with her husband and her son, Regge, and
7 considered helping families in time of grief her life's
8 passion; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker was a member of the Illinois
10 Funeral Directors Association, the National Funeral Directors
11 Association, CANA, the Egyptian Funeral Directors Association,
12 the Ladies Auxiliary of the Elks Club of Carbondale, the Ladies
13 Auxiliary of the Eagles Club of Carbondale, and the Hurst Lions
14 Club Auxiliary and Rotary; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker was preceded in death by her
16 husband and her son, James Tracy Walker; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker will be sadly missed by her son,
18 Regge Walker; her step-daughter, Illinois State Representative
19 Jil Tracy and her husband, Jim; her brothers, Larry Shafer and
20 Tom Shafer (wife, Sandra); her grandchildren, Rob Tracy, Ben
21 Tracy, Mark and Kelsey Tracy, and Kailey Walker; therefore, be
22 it
 

 

 

HR1068 - 3 - LRB096 21741 GRL 39657 r

1     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3 mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of Mary
4 Lou Walker; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6 presented to the family of Mary Lou Walker as an expression of
7 our sympathy.