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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened 
3to learn of the death of Ellen M. Whitney of Springfield, who 
4passed away on July 14, 2021; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Ellen Whitney was born to Reverend C.H. and Irene 
6Whitehurst Todd in Evanston on March 13, 1920; she graduated 
7from Greenville High School; she married Francis A. Whitney in 
81940; she attended Southern Illinois University and finished 
9third in the class of 1941; and
  
 
10    WHEREAS, Ellen Whitney worked for the International News 
11Service as a reporter and as a teacher at Feitshens High 
12School; she worked for 32 years at the Illinois State 
13Historical Library; she was a historical research editor of 
14the papers of the late Dr. George E. Black, which required more 
15than a year of work; she noted that her most difficult 
16assignment was editing the library's exhaustive collection of 
17the Black Hawk War papers, which required many years of work 
18and filled four volumes; as part of her work, she was called to 
19Washington, D.C. to serve as an expert witness in a very 
20difficult American Indian claims case from the Black Hawk War 
21of 1832, which ended with a rare Native American victory; for 
22her last major project, she was a compiler of Illinois 
23History: An Annotated Bibliography with Janice A. Petterchak 
 
 
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1and Sandra Stark; and
  
 
2    WHEREAS, For her work on the Black Hawk War papers, Ellen 
3Whitney earned a national reputation and awards from the 
4American Association for state and local history and from the 
5State Historical Society of Wisconsin; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Ellen Whitney was preceded in death by her 
7husband; her parents; her brother, Harold Todd; and her 
8sister, Grace Todd; and
  
 
9    WHEREAS, Ellen Whitney is survived by her one son, Blair 
10(Rita) Whitney; her two grandchildren, Ruth (Ken) Antonoff  and 
11Helen Whitney; and her four great-grandchildren, Zachary and 
12Chelsea Marek and Eva and Joseph Antonoff; therefore, be it
  
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL 
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of 
15Ellen M. Whitney 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 Ellen Whitney as an expression of 
20our deepest sympathy.