SR0490 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0490 LRB094 14793 AJO 49781 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Lena "Grandma Moose" Sly, age 103, of Wood River, on October 12, 2005; and

WHEREAS, She was born in Jasper County on October 25, 1901, to John and Etta (Kingery) Elliot; and

WHEREAS, As a member of the Retail Clerks Union, she was a seamstress for Miller's Dress Store and Illinois Cleaners for many years; and

WHEREAS, She was a member of the Women of the Moose for more than 50 years and also a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; and

WHEREAS, The Wood River Moose Lodge 1349 played a prominent part in her life and it was there that she was affectionately known to everyone as "Grandma Moose"; Grandma was a fixture at the Moose Lodge, a waitress extraordinaire, and a person described by her friends and customers as friendly, bubbly, inspiring, and spirited; and

WHEREAS, One friend noted that people came to the Moose Lodge just to see Grandma; her friend remembered that Grandma would ask about a customer's family and remember those details, whenever the customer returned; also, "Grandma could tell you things about your family, that you didn't know."; and

WHEREAS, Amazingly, Grandma continued to cook, work in the kitchen, and serve customers at the Lodge, until her declining vision at the age of 101 compelled her to cease working as a waitress; and

WHEREAS, While Grandma will be sorely missed by her family and her many friends at Lodge 1349, her spirit will live on in family stories and at the Moose Lodge in the tales and laughs her memory will evoke; and

WHEREAS, She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Lester and Omar Elliott; a son and daughter-in-law, Johnie and Eloise Sly; and a great-granddaughter, Hillary Lynn Ross; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Lena "Grandma Moose" Sly will be felt by all who knew and loved her, especially her children and their spouses, Lavon and Clinton Cook, Eileen and Lee Klunk, Betty and Lynn Unterbrink, and Harold and Pat Sly; her five siblings and their spouses, Jessie Gephart, Denver and Eleanor Elliott, Myrna Alcoke, Elbert Elliott, and Delbert and Helen Elliot; her grandchildren and their spouses, Tommy Sly, Danny and Donna Sly, Julie and Mike Hopkins, Jim and Christee Cook, Carol Cook, Susie and Ken Brigman, Nancy Stephens, Gail and Ron Deichmann, Marsha and Brian Brueggemann, Linda and Jim Nelson, Cathy and Robert Bablok, and Tammy Long; her thirty-three great-grandchildren; her seven great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Lena "Grandma Moose" Sly and we extend our sincerest condolences to her family, friends, and community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to her family and to Moose Lodge 1349 as an expression of our deepest sympathy.