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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Ruth K. Gordon, who passed away on
4November 23, 2023; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ruth Gordon was born in Momence to Frank and Rose
6Karlock on April 23, 1930; she graduated from Crescent City
7High School and worked briefly at a hotel in Chicago; she then
8decided to start nurses' training at the Mercy Hospital School
9of Nursing in Champaign; she married Maurice A. Gordon II at
10St. Malachy Catholic Church in Rantoul on January 2, 1954; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Ruth Gordon's husband was drafted into the U.S.
12Army, and they started raising their family abroad; after her
13husband was honorably discharged, they returned to the family
14farm in Rantoul, where they lived most of their married life;
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, Ruth Gordon was a devoted wife and mother and
17worked part-time as a nurse when her four children were young;
18she was a creative person, taking millinery classes to make
19hats and woodworking classes to build furniture; she also
20designed the ranch-style house that she and her husband built
21on the home farm in 1972; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ruth Gordon was an active member of St. Malachy
2Catholic Church in Rantoul, volunteering at both the parish
3and diocesan level; she became passionate about the pro-life
4movement in the early 70s and was very involved with Champaign
5County Right-to-Life and Birthright; she became involved with
6the Republican Party and its pro-life platform; she became the
7vice chairman of the Champaign County Republicans and worked
8on numerous campaigns for candidates, including Tim Johnson,
9Ronald Reagan, and Bob Dole; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Ruth Gordon and her husband became snowbirds in
11retirement; they traveled to their condo in Mesa, Arizona and,
12over time, they developed many wonderful friendships at the
13Fountain of the Sun; she became a landlady after she purchased
14and rented two additional condos in the complex; she also
15enjoyed taking trips, especially cruises, to many destinations
16and taking time to be with her grandchildren; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Ruth Gordon was preceded in death by her husband,
18Maurice; her baby sister, Irene; her brother, Frank; and his
19wife, Jean; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Ruth Gordon is survived by her children and their
21spouses, Bernard (Vickie) Gordon, Maurice (Dianna) Gordon,
22Susan (Bruce) Kloth, and Stephen (Rebecca) Gordon; her
23grandchildren and their spouses, Brian (Dee) Gordon, Chris

 

 

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1(Samantha) Gordon, Andrea (Steve) Martorana, Michael
2(Victoria) Gordon, Kate Gordon, Thomas (Mary) Gordon, Daniel
3(Freya) Gordon, Mary T. Gordon, Kevin (Enxhi) Gordon, Joshua
4(Laura) Kloth, Jason (Ronni) Kloth, Krista (Kirk) Vissat,
5Kacie (Dallas) Osterbur, and Devon (Chet) Little; and her
6great-grandchildren, Zabrina Gordon, Sadie Gordon, Jack
7Martorana, Caroline Martorana, Anne Martorana, Nicholas
8Gordon, Iris Gordon, Phoebe Gordon, Zoe Gordon, J.D. Kloth,
9James Kloth, Josie Kloth, Henry Kloth, Coretta Kloth, Thaddeus
10Kloth, Izabella Vissat, Gianna Vissat, Emma Osterbur, Kinsley
11Osterbur, Brynleigh Little, Jameson Gordon, and Faustina
12Gordon; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
15Ruth K. Gordon and extend our sincere condolences to her
16family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
17further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the family of Ruth Gordon as an expression of our
20deepest sympathy.