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| 1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 69
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| 2 | WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General | ||||||
| 3 | Assembly pays honor and respect to
individuals who gave their | ||||||
| 4 | lives in the line of duty; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Layton T. Davis was born on June 18, 1925 in | ||||||
| 6 | Watson Township, Effingham County,
the fifth child and only son | ||||||
| 7 | of Alonzo and Lola Davis; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Trooper Davis grew up on his family farm across | ||||||
| 9 | from Salt Creek School, where
he attended school for 8 years; | ||||||
| 10 | he later attended Watson's 3-year high school and then attended
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| 11 | Effingham High School's 4-year program graduating in 1943; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Trooper Davis joined the United States Army in | ||||||
| 13 | July of 1944, seeing combat in the
Philippines and then serving | ||||||
| 14 | in Japan until his honorable discharge in 1946; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, Trooper Davis married his high school sweetheart, | ||||||
| 16 | Helen Becker; he worked their small farm
and raised 3 sons, | ||||||
| 17 | Louis, Alan, and Troy, who all grew up on the farm in Watson; | ||||||
| 18 | and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Trooper Davis worked at the Illinois Department of | ||||||
| 20 | Transportation in road
maintenance before attending the | ||||||
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| 1 | Illinois State Police Academy in 1957; and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, After graduating from the Illinois State Police | ||||||
| 3 | Academy, Trooper Davis honorably
served and protected the | ||||||
| 4 | people of the State of Illinois for 19 years; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, During a routine traffic stop on Interstate 57 | ||||||
| 6 | near Effingham on March 18, 1976, Trooper Davis was notified by | ||||||
| 7 | radio that one of the car's 2 occupants was wanted on a Cook | ||||||
| 8 | County
warrant; the two men attacked Trooper Davis, shooting | ||||||
| 9 | and killing him in the line of duty; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Trooper Davis had served with the Illinois State | ||||||
| 11 | police for 19 years and was
assigned to District 12; he was | ||||||
| 12 | survived by his wife and 3 children; he is fondly
remembered | ||||||
| 13 | and appreciated by family, friends, and the public whom he | ||||||
| 14 | dutifully served; therefore, be it
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| 15 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 16 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
| 17 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the section of | ||||||
| 18 | Interstate 57 from the Tri-level north of Effingham to
the | ||||||
| 19 | southern Shelby County line as the "Trooper Layton T. Davis | ||||||
| 20 | Memorial Highway"; and be it further | ||||||
| 21 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | ||||||
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| 1 | is requested to erect at suitable
locations, consistent with | ||||||
| 2 | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | ||||||
| 3 | giving
notice of the name of the "Trooper Layton T. Davis | ||||||
| 4 | Memorial Highway"; and be it further
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| 5 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 6 | presented to the family of Trooper
Layton T. Davis, the | ||||||
| 7 | Illinois State Police, the Effingham Sunrise Rotary Club, the | ||||||
| 8 | Mayor of the City
of Effingham, and the Secretary of the | ||||||
| 9 | Illinois Department of Transportation.
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