HR0934 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0934 LRB102 28949 LAW 40844 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Stanford family and the Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery on the occasion of its 75th anniversary, marked in April 2022; and

WHEREAS, The Stanford family and the staff and volunteers of Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery work extraordinarily hard to patriotically provide the veterans buried there an honorable place to rest in peace; and

WHEREAS, Each year, The Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery, located at 6449 East Illinois Highway 15, has celebrated and honored the veterans buried there by placing small flags on each veteran's grave on Veterans Day and by erecting flags and crosses with the names of the deceased veterans on Memorial Day; and

WHEREAS, The Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery will also be participating in its fourth annual National Wreaths Across America Day, a nationwide movement that aims to cover all veterans' grave markers with a wreath; and

WHEREAS, The National Wreaths Across America Day has been observed annually on the second Saturday in December for the last 28 years; and

WHEREAS, The Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery's goal for 2022 is to cover every veteran's gravestone with a memorial wreath; in the last two years, wreaths were placed on every veteran's grave; in the first year, 350 wreaths were placed; and

WHEREAS, To reach its goal, the Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery is taking donations from individuals and charity groups to honor its yearly commitment to National Wreaths Across America; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery on its 75th anniversary, and we commend it for its efforts in joining National Wreaths Across America Day and for providing the veterans buried on its hallowed grounds an honored final resting place; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we thank Eugene and Cathy Stanford, their daughter, U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Stanford, and all the staff and volunteers who work to maintain the Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Stanford Family and the Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens Cemetery as an expression of our esteem and respect.