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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Ina Dews
4of Elgin, who passed away on March 9, 2022 at the age of 85;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ina Dews was born on March 8, 1937; she moved with
7her family from Chicago to Elgin in 1964; she was a longtime
8Elgin resident; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Ina Dews sacrificed her time, talents, and
10financial resources, working to end discriminatory practices
11in Elgin through her involvement with the Elgin Human
12Relations Commission; she served on the commission until
13February 2010; she also worked on various public
14housing-related matters over the decades; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Ina Dews was heavily involved with her local
16community in Elgin, helping at the summer Downtown Harvest
17Market and assisting with the city's annual Martin Luther King
18Day commemorations; she was also instrumental in persuading
19the Elgin City Council to rename Route 20 "Martin Luther King
20Drive"; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Ina Dews was an artist, particularly in making

 

 

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1quilts; she donated three quilts to the Illinois State Museum
2in Springfield in 2008, one of which she made when she was 15
3and the others were made by aunts who taught her quilt-making,
4becoming the first quilts made by Black people to be added to
5the museum's collection; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ina Dews participated in religious missions that
7took her to the Imbabazi Orphanage in Gisenyi, Rwanda in 2007,
8during which she taught crocheting and quilting to children,
9and to Zimbabwe in 1996, where she shared her passion for
10knitting and quilting with street vendors and learned new
11stitches; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Ina Dews was honored by the Illinois House of
13Representatives and the City of Elgin to mark her 80th
14birthday in 2017; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Ina Dews helped others to understand the past,
16teaching timeless lessons of courage and endurance through her
17legacy of community activism, service, and responsibility; she
18served as a role model for younger generations; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Ina Dews was the mother of six children;
20therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE

 

 

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1HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
2we mourn the passing of Ina Dews and extend our sincere
3condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
4her; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6presented to the family of Ina Dews as an expression of our
7deepest sympathy.