Full Text of SR0653 103rd General Assembly
SR0653 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | SR0653 | | LRB103 35725 LAW 65805 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION | 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | 3 | | to learn of the death of James E. "Jim" Smith of Biggsville, | 4 | | who passed away on December 3, 2023; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Jim Smith was born to Loren J. and Mona F. Smith | 6 | | in McDonough County on February 3, 1929; he and his family | 7 | | lived in the Prairie City, Kirkwood, and Biggsville rural | 8 | | areas until they permanently moved to Biggsville when he was | 9 | | in grade school; he graduated from Biggsville High School in | 10 | | 1947, where he was the lead scorer for the basketball team his | 11 | | junior and senior years and a key player during the team's | 12 | | successful 1946-47 season with a record 25 wins and five | 13 | | losses; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Jim Smith began working at various jobs after | 15 | | completing high school, including in construction and as a | 16 | | salesman for the McCullough Lumber Company in Monmouth, until | 17 | | he was enlisted into the U.S. Army in 1951; he served as a | 18 | | member of the military police, attaining the civilian | 19 | | equivalent of police sergeant 1, and was stationed in Japan | 20 | | during the Korean War; he was honorably discharged in 1953; | 21 | | and | 22 | | WHEREAS, Jim Smith married Vallie H. Ravenscraft on |
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| 1 | | September 8, 1952; they began to raise their family while | 2 | | residing in Biggsville, where they lived until they moved to | 3 | | the Oak Lane Nursing and Rehab Center in Stronghurst in | 4 | | January 2022; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Jim Smith worked as a salesman, in general | 6 | | construction, and at Gale Products in Galesburg for 25 years | 7 | | before retiring as a janitor/preventative maintenance man at | 8 | | Union High School in 2004; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Jim Smith was a member of the Biggsville | 10 | | Presbyterian Church; throughout the years, he contributed his | 11 | | time towards helping the church in various capacities, | 12 | | including landscaping and repairs; he also served as a | 13 | | volunteer coach throughout the years that his sons, Lyle, | 14 | | Alan, and Stan, played on Little League and Pony League | 15 | | baseball teams; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Jim Smith was an avid gardener, bird watcher, and | 17 | | sportsman; he was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and the | 18 | | Chicago Bears, and he supported all local athletic teams | 19 | | throughout his life; after retirement, he and Vallie enjoyed | 20 | | taking long weekend drives to attend flea markets and taking | 21 | | short trips to visit children, grandchildren, and other family | 22 | | members; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Jim Smith was preceded in death by his wife, | 2 | | Vallie Smith; his parents; his sisters, Katheryn Adair and | 3 | | Rosie Bushong; and his sons, Alan Smith and Stanley Smith; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, Jim Smith is survived by his children, Brenda J. | 5 | | (Keith) Jones, Lyle J. (Carol) Smith, and Teresa M. (Kelvin) | 6 | | Echols; his sisters, Laura Marie Renwick and Margaret Patton; | 7 | | his brother, Robert (Betty) Smith; his grandchildren, Josh | 8 | | Meyer, Heather D. (Josh) Fuchs, Christian M. Walker, Max J. | 9 | | (Reiven) Echols, Grace C. Echols, and Stella R. Echols; eight | 10 | | great-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; and many | 11 | | nieces, nephews, and cousins; therefore, be it | 12 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | 13 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 14 | | James E. "Jim" Smith and extend our sincere condolences to his | 15 | | family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 16 | | further | 17 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 18 | | presented to the family of Jim Smith as an expression of our | 19 | | deepest sympathy. |
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