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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
| 3 | to learn of the death of Ada Louise Johnson-Rogers of | ||||||
| 4 | Springfield, who passed away on December 11, 2024; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Ada Johnson-Rogers was born to Richard William | ||||||
| 6 | Johnson and Blanche Mae Lue-Johnson in Springfield on May 24, | ||||||
| 7 | 1937; she committed to her faith at an early age at Pleasant | ||||||
| 8 | Grove Baptist Church in Springfield, where she sang in the | ||||||
| 9 | children's choir; she attended Garfield High School and Mexico | ||||||
| 10 | High School, both in Mexico, Missouri, and she furthered her | ||||||
| 11 | education at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri; | ||||||
| 12 | and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Ada Johnson-Rogers worked as a revenue collector | ||||||
| 14 | for the Internal Revenue Service for several years until her | ||||||
| 15 | retirement; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, Ada Johnson-Rogers was a talented musician, and | ||||||
| 17 | she sang in choirs during her school and college years and | ||||||
| 18 | played the piano, clarinet, saxophone, violin, and organ; in | ||||||
| 19 | 1987, she met her life partner and fellow musician, John T. | ||||||
| 20 | Crisp Jr., and they began their musical journey of traveling | ||||||
| 21 | the country while performing with her band, Chahrm with Ada | ||||||
| 22 | Lou; she performed at The East Side Jazz Festival, Music in the | ||||||
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| 1 | Park, Robbie's Restaurant, Lincoln Land Community College, Dim | ||||||
| 2 | Art House, fundraisers, and family reunions; over the course | ||||||
| 3 | of her career, she worked with a number of talented artists, | ||||||
| 4 | including Bobby Rush, Bobby King, Preston Jackson, Cecil | ||||||
| 5 | Bridgewater, Candy Foster, Joe Boyce, The Crisp Sisters, and | ||||||
| 6 | Big Time Sarah, and she became a local legend in her own right; | ||||||
| 7 | and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, Ada Johnson-Rogers was a member of the Asbury | ||||||
| 9 | United Methodist Church of Springfield, where she supported a | ||||||
| 10 | number of youth programs; she also volunteered at the Tubman | ||||||
| 11 | Anthony Self-Help Center and organized youth choirs on the | ||||||
| 12 | east side of Springfield; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Ada Johnson-Rogers was known the "purple lady" | ||||||
| 14 | for her love of the color; she was usually seen wearing | ||||||
| 15 | something purple and even painted her house purple; she was | ||||||
| 16 | honest and caring to all; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, Ada Johnson-Rogers was preceded in death by her | ||||||
| 18 | parents; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Ada Johnson-Rogers is survived by her sister, | ||||||
| 20 | Patricia Ann Carpenter; her life partner, John T. Crisp Jr.; | ||||||
| 21 | two stepsons; her niece, Sheila Louise (Keith) | ||||||
| 22 | Carpenter-Johnson; her nephews, Vincent Carpenter and Conrade' | ||||||
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| 1 | D. Carpenter; and a host of cousins, friends, and neighbors; | ||||||
| 2 | therefore, be it | ||||||
| 3 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 4 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 5 | Ada Louise Johnson-Rogers and extend our sincere condolences | ||||||
| 6 | to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be | ||||||
| 7 | it further | ||||||
| 8 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 9 | presented to the family of Ada Johnson-Rogers as an expression | ||||||
| 10 | of our deepest sympathy. | ||||||