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| | SR0838 | | LRB104 13489 MST 25935 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened |
| 3 | | to learn of the death of Joane Margaret Watkins; and
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| 4 | | WHEREAS, Joane Watkins was born in Chicago to Parks and |
| 5 | | Louise (Thompson) Watkins on August 15, 1935; she graduated in |
| 6 | | 1953 from John Marshall High School and attended Roosevelt |
| 7 | | University while working as a caseworker for the Department of |
| 8 | | Human Services in the Austin, Garfield, and Lawndale |
| 9 | | communities; and
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| 10 | | WHEREAS, Joane Watkins was the matriarch of the |
| 11 | | Thompson-Watkins Family Tree and a descendant of the freed |
| 12 | | slave, Wade Watkins from Halls, Tennessee; and
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| 13 | | WHEREAS, Joane Watkins enjoyed volunteering, family |
| 14 | | events, music, dancing, and traveling; and
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| 15 | | WHEREAS, Joane Watkins received a birthday resolution from |
| 16 | | President Obama for her 80th Birthday; she received the 2025 |
| 17 | | President's Lifetime Achievement Award and a congratulatory |
| 18 | | award letter from President Biden for serving over 50,000 |
| 19 | | volunteer hours in the Austin community as a board member of, |
| 20 | | Diondai's Place Breast Cancer Support; she enjoyed mentoring |
| 21 | | and participating in events at the Austin Branch Library and |
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| | SR0838 | - 2 - | LRB104 13489 MST 25935 r |
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| 1 | | the Goodman Theatre, as well as Lupus walks, the Juneteenth |
| 2 | | Peace Walk, and many others; and
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| 3 | | WHEREAS, Joane Watkins was preceded in death by her |
| 4 | | parents; her children, Louis Michael and Barbara; and her |
| 5 | | siblings, Lawrence and Lorraine Watkins, Lillian Broussard, |
| 6 | | Laura Harden, Lenora Godwin, Lois Davis, Barbara Harden, and |
| 7 | | Nancy Bains; and
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| 8 | | WHEREAS, Joane Watkins is survived by her children, Sheila |
| 9 | | (Ronald) Smith, Sharon Cobbs, Diondai (Edwin Jr.) |
| 10 | | Brown-Whitfield, Joseph (Karen) Veal, Judith Stroger, and G. |
| 11 | | Sean Crittleton; 17 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; 12 |
| 12 | | great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, |
| 13 | | cousins, extended family, and friends; therefore, be it
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| 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL |
| 15 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of |
| 16 | | Joane Margaret Watkins and extend our sincere condolences to |
| 17 | | her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it |
| 18 | | further
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| 19 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
| 20 | | presented to the family of Joane Watkins as an expression of |
| 21 | | our deepest sympathy. |