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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Leon
4Conner, who passed away on October 5, 2014; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Leon Conner was born on August 26, 1918 in
6Carthage, Texas; his parents were Marvin and Selma Thomas
7Conner; he married Odie Marie Leary on April 24, 1942 in
8Chicago; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Leon Conner grew up on small farmhouse, where he
10was taught at an early age the importance of faith, family
11values, and education which he carried throughout his life;
12after graduating from high school, he moved to Chicago; in
131941, he settled in Maywood; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Leon Conner was drafted into the United States
15Army in August of 1942 during World War II; during his military
16career, he served as a First Sergeant and was responsible for
17training over 120 soldiers under his command while serving in
18Texas; after his honorable discharge in 1945, he returned to
19Maywood to be with his family; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Leon Conner was employed as a machinist at
21Commonwealth Edison, where he retired after 43 years of

 

 

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1service; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Leon Conner was very involved with the Maywood
3Village Board and local government organizations; he also
4worked with a host of community activists, politicians, and
5volunteer groups and donated to various charities and
6non-profit organizations; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Leon Conner was an organizing member of the
8Maywood branch of the NAACP, the Maywood Bataan Committee, the
9Maywood Zoning Committee, and American Legion Emanuel L. Young
10Post 838; he also served as Treasurer of the Christian Action
11Ministry, committeeman for the Proviso Leyden Council for
12Community Action, and co-founder of the Home and Neighborhood
13Defenders Society with his son, former Mayor Ralph Conner; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Leon Conner was a huge car enthusiast and enjoyed
15restoring old cars, listening to music, and reading classical
16and historical books; he also enjoyed traveling the country in
17his RV with his family; and
 
18    WHEREAS, As a child, Leon Conner attended Mt. Zion
19Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; he and his wife later
20joined Canaan African Methodist Episcopal Church and worshiped
21there for many years under Reverend Higgenbotham and Reverend
22J.W. James; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Leon Conner was preceded in death by his parents;
22 siblings, Inez Jones and Herese Bowman; his wife, Odie Marie;
3and 3 children, Thomas Earl, Ralph Wesley and Alva Cheryl; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Leon Conner is survived by 3 daughters, Joy,
5Marilyn, and Melody; a sibling, Vater Fite; 13 grandchildren;
615 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and
7friends; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of
11Leon Conner; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to the family of Leon Conner as an expression of our
14sympathy.