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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Merle C. Bassett, who passed away on
4February 6, 2016; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Merle Bassett was born on November 9, 1928 in
6Fosterburg; his parents were Clyde H. and Nellie E. (nee
7Schmidt) Bassett; he married Norine Burk on March 28, 1948 at
8St. John's United Church of Christ in Wood River; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Merle Bassett attended Alton High School for two
10years and then graduated from East Alton Wood River High School
11in 1946; he attended DePauw University for one and a half years
12and graduated from Washington University in 1950; he later
13graduated from Washington University Law School in 1952, where
14he was awarded the Order of COIF and graduated second in his
15class; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Merle Bassett was an attorney at Bassett Law
17Office in Wood River for 64 years; he was a former special
18Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois from 1965
19to 1999, where he helped condemn the property for Lewis and
20Clark Bridge; he was an Assistant State's Attorney from 1956 to
211964 under Dick Mudge; he was the attorney in the prosecution
22of James Earl Ray in a burglary charge; he was also a Khoury

 

 

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1League coach for many years, an avid golfer and trap shooter,
2and a member of Lockhaven Country Club; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Merle Bassett represented
4the City of Wood River, the Southwest Illinois Development
5Corporation, the Village of Hartford, the Rosewood Heights
6Sanitary District, Wood River Township, Brighton Township, the
7Village of Roxana, the Village of Bethalto, Foster Township,
8and the Wood River Drainage and Levy District; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Merle Bassett was a member of St. John's United
10Church of Christ in Wood River, where he taught the mixed adult
11Sunday School Class for 19 years with Oliver Honke; he was a
1250-year member of the Wood River Masonic Lodge #1062, where he
13was a 32nd Degree Mason; he was a Demolay and a Shriner; he was
14a member of the Wood River Jaycees and chairman of the March of
15Dimes; he served as the president of the Airport Board for the
16State of Illinois; he was also a member of the American Bar
17Association and the Bar Associations of Illinois, Missouri, and
18Madison County, and president of Toastmasters and the East
19Alton Wood River High School Foundation Board; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Merle Bassett was a member of the East Alton Wood
21River High School Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 2009;
22and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Merle Bassett was preceded in death by his
2parents; his stepmother, Velma Bassett; his stepfather,
3Darrell Finley; his son, Gerald W. Bassett; and his grandson,
4Jerrad C. Bassett; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Merle Bassett is survived by his wife, Norine; his
6daughters and sons-in-law, Laura Bassett Friedman and Eric,
7Lynn Bassett and Tommy House, and Rene and Tracy Butler; his
8grandchildren and their spouses, Marina Bassett, Sasha
9Bassett, Kaleigh (Andrew) Rider, Kyle (Val) Bassett, Madison
10Friedman, Tyler Friedman, Kathryn Butler, and Nathaniel
11Butler; his great-grandchildren, Reygan and Jackson; and his
12special friends, Beverly Pohlman, Jeannine Burk, Jennifer and
13Matt Stimac, Matt Barton, Kevin and the staff of Camp Drug
14Store, and the Rosewood Heights Volunteer Fire Department;
15therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
17ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his
18family and friends, mourn the passing of Merle C. Bassett; and
19be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21presented to the family of Merle Bassett as an expression of
22our sympathy.