SR0167 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0167 LRB096 12077 KXB 24121 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of former Hillsboro Mayor Harold DeWitt Whitten, who passed away on March 5, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Whitten was a 1942 graduate of Coffeen High School; he was born July 1, 1923, in Coffeen, son of the late Jesse and Alta (Elam) Whitten; and

WHEREAS, He served in the United States Army in Europe during World War II; he had a long career in the Hillsboro community, including serving as Supervisor of Assessments at Coffeen, Montgomery County Sheriff from 1958 to 1962, and Montgomery County Treasurer from 1962 to 1964; he served as CEO of the Montgomery County National Bank, now National Bank, for 20 years and had been employed with Production Credit Association; and

WHEREAS, He was employed at the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs for eight years in Springfield; he was elected Mayor of Hillsboro in 1995 and served for eight years; Mr. Whitten held memberships in the Calvary Baptist Church in Hillsboro, the Kiwanis Club, the Sheriff's Association, and the American Banker's Association; he was a lifelong member of Hillsboro Moose Lodge #1377 and a 50-year member of Mt. Moriah Masonic Lodge 51 AF & AM; and

WHEREAS, He married Mary Evelyn Satterlee on July 19, 1947, in Bond County, and she passed away on December 31, 1982; he married Mary Lee Reeves on February 15, 1997, at Calvary Baptist Church, Hillsboro; and

WHEREAS, Harold Whitten was preceded in death by his stepdaughter, Cheri Yaeger; his grandchildren, Neil Pachesa and Jessica Whitten; and his brother, Dwight Whitten; and

WHEREAS, Harold Whitten is survived by his wife, Mary Lee; his children, Harold Dean (wife Linda) Whitten, Mike (wife Cheryl) Whitten, Doris M. (husband Dr. Roger) McFarlin, Mary Lou Whitten, Gayle A. (husband Roy) Harrell, Paula Luebbert, and Jim (wife Pat) White; his stepson, Dale (wife Janet) Reeves; his grandchildren, Jason and Jeremy Whitten, Matt Pachesa, Amy Maedge, Mary Whitten, Nicole and Marissa Harrell, and Jarod and Nick Luebbert; his stepgrandchildren, Tara Reeves, Jason Yaeger and Stacy Kalmbacher; his five great-grandchildren; his sister, Dorothy Lentz; and his sisters-in-law, Clara Mae Whitten and Lavonne Satterlee; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Harold Whitten; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Harold Whitten as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.