HR0180 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0180 LRB096 12001 KXB 23745 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, State Representative Monique D. Davis and the members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Marjorie Mae Dutton Perry on the occasion of her 100th birthday; and

WHEREAS, The first child of Ralpheal and Virginia Dutton, was born on November 10, 1908 in Patterson, Louisiana; her father, Ralpheal, worked in the saw mill in Patterson and later the sugar mill in Franklin, Louisiana; her mother, Virginia, was a housewife who took care of Marjorie, her sister, and four brothers; and

WHEREAS, The Dutton home was one of love, togetherness, and prayer; as a family, her father insisted that the family sit down to supper together after he got home from work; they had a long wooden table that would seat the whole family; the family also prayed together every night before they went to bed; the Dutton family always attended Sunday School, and Marjorie Mae was smart even then; as a very young child, she memorized the 23rd Psalm; her father was so proud of her that he would have her recite it often for everyone who came to visit; and

WHEREAS, Marjorie Mae attended Dunbar and Bruce Elementary School in Huston, Texas; she then moved back to Louisiana to attend New Orleans University; while majoring in English Literature at New Orleans University she wrote a poem entitled, "Africa, My Native Country"; her poem won second prize in the English Literature Contest; and

WHEREAS, While the Dutton children were growing up, the girls would play cooking and the boys would play ball, and shoot marbles to entertain themselves; they didn't have video games, television, or computers; later, as a young woman, Marjorie Mae Dutton met Forrest Perry and they were married in 1927; to this union, three children were born, Raymond T. Perry, Forrest Mae Perry, and LaRone T. Perry; and

WHEREAS, Marjorie Mae, like her mother before her, did not work outside the home; she chose instead to guide her children in Christian ethics; she taught them to obey adults, respect their elders, and pray every day; she has always let her light shine; after accepting Christ and being baptized at the age of nine, she has continued her Christian journey throughout her life; and

WHEREAS, As one of the original members of Mt. Ararat Missionary Baptist Church she was an invaluable asset over the years; she was Sunday School teacher of the Beginners Class for over thirty years; she served as President of the Mission Society at Mt. Ararat and 2nd Vice President of the Missionary Society with the Independent Missionary Baptist Association of Texas; in later years she also served as the Coordinator of the Mission, overseeing the Senior Mission, the Junior Mission, and the Youth Auxiliaries; she also sang in the Senior Choir as a soprano until 1990; and

WHEREAS, Forrest and Marjorie Perry often traveled by car during segregation; when they went north to Chicago they were able to eat in the restaurants, but when they traveled in the South they were turned away from most restaurants and were also denied lodging at motels; there were times when they had to sleep in their car, even after segregation they would sit in restaurants for a long time and still not be served; although Marjorie Mae Dutton Perry was not involved in the civil rights movement, she did her part by encouraging others to vote and by being a precinct worker at the polls; and

WHEREAS, She was a loving and dedicated wife to Forrest Perry for 53 years when he left to be with his Heavenly Father; she has six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Marjorie Mae Dutton Perry on this momentous occasion and wish her the best for years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Marjorie Mae Dutton Perry as a symbol of our respect and esteem.