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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Doris Arline Edwards of Macomb, who
4passed away on January 19, 2016; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Doris Edwards was born in Emmet Township to Philip
6and Anna (nee Doran) Lewis on August 11, 1919; she graduated
7from Western Academy in 1937 and Western Teachers College; she
8also held a master's degree from Western Illinois University;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, Doris Edwards started her teaching career at
11Lombard, a one-room school in northern McDonough County, where
12she taught for 3 years; she then moved to Muddy Lane, where she
13taught from 1942 to 1947, and where in addition to teaching
14multiple grades and multiple subjects, she was responsible for
15janitorial work, hauling water in from outside, and keeping the
16stove fired; she did this while completing her bachelor's
17degree in 1950; she also taught soldiers at Fort Sheridan and
18worked at Camp Ellis during World War II; she continued her
19studies while teaching full-time and obtained her master's
20degree in 1956; with the consolidation of country schools, she
21went to Pekin, where she taught for 4 years before moving to
22Beardstown for the 1951-52 academic year; she was the founder
23of the Beardstown Head Start program, coordinator of Chapter I

 

 

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1and II programs, and served as Chapter I director; she spent
2many of her years teaching first grade but throughout her
3career taught every grade; she often taught and was a principal
4at the same time or was the principal over two schools
5simultaneously; she worked in 4 of the 5 Beardstown grade
6schools; she was known throughout the community for the
7wonderful Christmas programs she helped orchestrate and for
8teaching the children (and a few teachers) to square and
9ballroom dance; she was honored by the Illinois Board of
10Education in 2014 for holding the record for 73 years of
11service in the State of Illinois; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Doris Edwards was active in the Beardstown
13community as a member of St. Alexius Catholic Church and
14several service and professional organizations; she was a
15lector, eucharistic minister, and managed the CCD program at
16the church for many years; she founded and was a member of the
17Business & Professional Women organization; she was also a
18member of the Rotary Club and was a founding member of the
19Beardstown Ladies Investment Club; she helped in the writing
20and publication of the book series "Beardstown Ladies"; she
21spearheaded fundraising to refurbish the grand piano used in
22the high school auditorium; she was a member of the Illinois
23Retired Teachers Association, the Illinois Principal
24Association, the National Association of Elementary School
25Principals, and the National Education Association; while

 

 

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1residing in Macomb, she was a member of St. Paul Catholic
2Church; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Doris Edwards traveled to McDonough County on a
4weekly basis to visit with family on Sunday afternoons; she was
5often found at ball games, watching her brother Ed or his sons
6coach; she also enjoyed watching her nieces and nephews play
7and being a Tiger booster; she was honored by Beardstown as the
8Grand Marshal of the 2015 Fall Festival Parade and the
9playground at Gard Elementary School is named in her honor; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Doris Edwards was preceded in death by her
11parents; her 3 brothers, Edward, John, and Bernard; and her 2
12sisters, Helen Lewis, and Mary Williams; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Doris Edwards is survived by her sister, Joann
14(Lewis) Moore; her sister-in-law, Margaret (Hinman) Lewis; her
1521 nieces and nephews; her 41 great-nieces and nephews; and her
1643 great-great-nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
18ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
19Doris Arline Edwards, and extend our sincere condolences to her
20family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
21further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the family of Doris Edwards as an expression of
3our deepest sympathy.