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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Ruthanna L. "Nan" Day of Peoria, who
4passed away on September 26, 2010; and
 
5    WHEREAS, She was born January 11, 1943, in Canton to Harry
6and Virginia (Blewett) Lock; she married John William Day June
711, 1965, in Canton; and
 
8    WHEREAS, She was a schoolteacher for the Peoria and East
9Peoria public schools for 38 years, retiring in 2005; she was a
10member of Salem Lutheran Church in Peoria, where she played a
11Cassavant-Freres Pipe Organ as the church organist; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Her first experience with music was with ballet
13lessons at the age of 3; her keyboard training began with pipe
14organ lessons at the First Federated Church in Peoria when she
15was 8 years old; at age 11, she was appointed church organist
16at the Congregational Church in Canton; during high school, she
17received college credit as her organ training continued at the
18Bradley University School of Music; and
 
19    WHEREAS, She enrolled as a music major at Bradley
20University but switched to elementary education; she graduated
21with a double major in music and education; her first teaching

 

 

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1position was a second grade class at St. Patrick's Elementary
2School in Washington, where she also played for school events,
3followed by a first grade position with the Peoria public
4schools for nine years; and
 
5    WHEREAS, After her son was born, she returned to teaching
6with a kindergarten position at Armstrong Elementary School in
7East Peoria Elementary School District 86; Carson Pirie Scott &
8Company featured her as a model in several style shows and she
9was pictured in clothing magazines; she was a guest artist on
10the Pipes on the Prairie Program on WCBU-FM; during this time,
11she was elected dean of the Organ Guild in Peoria; and
 
12    WHEREAS, She began graduate study at Bradley University and
13completed a master's degree in human development counseling in
142000; she was inducted into Chi Sigma Iota, Counseling Academic
15and Professional Honor Society International, in recognition
16of scholastic and professional excellence; she chose to return
17to her musical roots when she left her first grade classroom at
18Woodrow Wilson Elementary School to assume the position of
19chorus teacher at Woodrow Wilson, Shute, and Lincoln Schools;
20and
 
21    WHEREAS, She was preceded in death by her parents; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Ruthanna Day is survived by her husband; her son,

 

 

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1John William Day Jr.; her brother, Garry (Kathy) Lock; her
2nieces, Ashley and Terri; and her nephew, Brandon Lock;
3therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
5ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
6her family and friends, the passing of Ruthanna Day; and be it
7further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the family of Ruthanna Day as a symbol of our
10sincere sympathy.