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SR0928 |
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LRB094 22246 RAH 60933 r |
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate were saddened |
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| to learn of the passing of Joyce Lauretta (Gill) Robinson on |
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| January 1, 2007; and
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| WHEREAS, Born on October 18, 1939, in Alton, Joyce Gill was |
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| the daughter of Harl A. Gill and Mary Lee (Watts) Gill Johnson; |
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| she was the stepdaughter of Edmond B. Johnson and was formerly |
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| married to the late Ralph Preston Robinson; and
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| WHEREAS, Influenced by her teacher Lula Mae Simms, Mrs. |
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| Robinson was educated as a teacher after graduating from the |
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| Alton School District and received her bachelor's and master's |
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| degrees in education from Southern Illinois University in |
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| Edwardsville; and
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| WHEREAS, As a student teacher in 1960, she was one of the |
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| first African Americans to teach at the integrated Alton High |
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| School and taught at the former St. Joseph's School of Nursing; |
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| in 1999, she retired from the state of Illinois after more than |
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| 35 years as a social worker at the Alton Mental Health Center; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, From 1980 to 1995, she was a member of the Alton |
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| School Board as its first and only African-American woman |
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| member; for four years she served as the school board's |
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| president where she oversaw |
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| passage of the first bond issue in |
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| Alton in almost 20 years; and
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| WHEREAS, Mrs. Robinson chaired the Eva McDonald Women's |
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| History Coalition, was a founder, life member, and membership |
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| chair of the National Council of Negro Women, Alton Section, |
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| and served as secretary and was a life member of the Elijah P. |
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| Lovejoy Memorial; she was a third-generation member of the |
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| Federated Unity Club of Alton and was a member of the Riverbend |
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SR0928 |
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LRB094 22246 RAH 60933 r |
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| Belles Red Hats; and
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| WHEREAS, A former member of Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, she |
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| was active in Christian education and taught Sunday school for |
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| 40 years; she subsequently joined Unity Fellowship Church and |
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| was active in the Mary L. Johnson Missionaries; and
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| WHEREAS, Mrs. Robinson received many awards for her |
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| community service, including the YWCA of Alton Women of |
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| Distinction Award and the Elijah P. Lovejoy Human Rights Award; |
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| she was an early recipient of the Lovejoy Memorial Scholarship; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, Mrs. Robinson was known for her independence, |
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| sense of humor and devotion to human rights; and
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| WHEREAS, Lauretta Johnson is survived by her three sons, |
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| John Eric Robinson, Ralph Preston Robinson and his wife, |
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| Stephanie, and Reginald Robinson and his wife, Lissette; her |
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| grandchildren, Preston Pierre, Kyle, Kerry, Kory, Keenan, |
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| Eliana, and Preston Jay; her niece and nephew who were like her |
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| children, Sylvia Flowers and Dwight Flowers; her sister, Joan |
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| Flowers, and her husband, Dwight; and her aunts, uncles, |
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| cousins, nieces, nephews and friends; she was preceded in death |
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| by her parents, stepfather and a brother, John Gill; therefore, |
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| be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL |
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| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with |
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| her family and friends, the death of Joyce Lauretta Robinson; |
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| and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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| presented to the family of Joyce Lauretta Robinson as a sign of |
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| our condolences.
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