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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Dakota | ||||||
| 4 | James Welch, who passed away on October 20, 2025; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Dakota Welch was born in Morris to Sheila and | ||||||
| 6 | Keegan Welch on August 21, 2008 and was a cherished son, | ||||||
| 7 | brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, beloved friend, and member | ||||||
| 8 | of the community; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Dakota Welch, lovingly known as "Baby Dakota", | ||||||
| 10 | was the youngest of five children in a beautiful lineup of | ||||||
| 11 | siblings, which includes Hunter, Mackenzie, Kaden, and Paxton; | ||||||
| 12 | and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Dakota Welch had a special place in his heart for | ||||||
| 14 | children and dreamed of becoming a pediatric mental health | ||||||
| 15 | nurse, a calling that reflected his deep compassion and | ||||||
| 16 | empathy; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, Dakota Welch found solace and strength in his | ||||||
| 18 | faith and found a spiritual home at the Village Christian | ||||||
| 19 | Church in Minooka; his faith was evident in the peace he sought | ||||||
| 20 | and the love he gave so freely; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Dakota Welch enjoyed soccer, fishing, and hockey, | ||||||
| 2 | passions that brought him joy and connection with others; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Dakota Welch's life was filled with laughter, | ||||||
| 4 | friendship, and generosity; with a genuine love for all, his | ||||||
| 5 | gentle spirit and kind heart made him beloved by all who knew | ||||||
| 6 | him, and he offered kindness to everyone he met; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, The Welch family has created the Dakota Welch | ||||||
| 8 | Memorial Fund to honor his memory, which will make grants and | ||||||
| 9 | scholarships available to the community; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 10 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 11 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 12 | we mourn the passing of Dakota James Welch and extend our | ||||||
| 13 | sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | ||||||
| 14 | and loved him; and be it further | ||||||
| 15 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 16 | presented to the family of Dakota Welch as an expression of our | ||||||
| 17 | deepest sympathy. | ||||||