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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
| 3 | learn of the death of Rosie Lee Atchison; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Rosie Atchison was born in Bolivar, Mississippi to | ||||||
| 5 | Rosanna Ford and Henry Liner on August 15, 1911; after her | ||||||
| 6 | mother died when she was an infant, she and her father later | ||||||
| 7 | relocated to Clarksdale, Mississippi; she had a short first | ||||||
| 8 | marriage to Willie Alexander, and they had three children; she | ||||||
| 9 | later married Andrew Atchison, and they had two children; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Rosie Atchison and her two young children migrated | ||||||
| 11 | to Chicago in 1935; she joined the Greater Salem Baptist | ||||||
| 12 | Church, where she was a member of the Dr. Watt's Choir; in | ||||||
| 13 | 1937, she married Andrew Atchison, and for 14 years, they lived | ||||||
| 14 | in what was known as Chicago's Black Metropolis, The Mecca | ||||||
| 15 | Building, where she was known to always help those in need; she | ||||||
| 16 | was hired as a coach cleaner for the Pennsylvania Railroad in | ||||||
| 17 | 1940; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, By 1951, Rosie Atchison's family and all residents | ||||||
| 19 | of the Mecca Building were forced out of their homes for the | ||||||
| 20 | purpose of building what is now the Illinois Institute of | ||||||
| 21 | Technology; she and her family lived in several locations, | ||||||
| 22 | after seeking shelter at City Hall, and she eventually moved | ||||||
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| 1 | into the Robert Taylor Homes with her eldest daughter and eight | ||||||
| 2 | grandchildren following the passing of her husband in 1963; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Rosie Atchison purchased a two flat building in | ||||||
| 4 | Chicago's Englewood community on November 20, 1970; after 30 | ||||||
| 5 | years of service with the railroad, she retired from what is | ||||||
| 6 | now known today as Amtrak; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Rosie Atchison was affectionately known as "Big | ||||||
| 8 | Ma"; she helped to keep her community a safe place for every | ||||||
| 9 | resident young and old in her neighborhood; her door was always | ||||||
| 10 | open to those in need, and she was truly a pillar in her | ||||||
| 11 | community and well-respected; she will especially be | ||||||
| 12 | remembered for setting an example for her family of the | ||||||
| 13 | importance of hard work, determination, and perseverance; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Rosie Atchison was preceded in death by her | ||||||
| 15 | husband, Andrew; two children; two grandchildren; two | ||||||
| 16 | great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, Rosie Atchison is survived by two children; 16 | ||||||
| 18 | grandchildren; 58 great-grandchildren; 94 | ||||||
| 19 | great-great-grandchildren; and 24 | ||||||
| 20 | great-great-great-grandchildren; therefore, be it
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| 21 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | ||||||
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| 1 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 2 | Rosie Lee Atchison and extend our sincere condolences to her | ||||||
| 3 | family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it | ||||||
| 4 | further
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| 5 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 6 | presented to the family of Rosie Atchison as an expression of | ||||||
| 7 | our deepest sympathy.
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