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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Martha Ann (Mealer) Smith of Danville,
4who passed away on June 3, 2021; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Martha Smith was born in Danville to Homer Eugene
6and Bessie Ola Edwards Mealer on April 22, 1932; she was a
7lifelong resident of Danville; she attended Oaklawn, Cannon,
8and Lincoln Grade School, where she was a member of the girls'
9city champion basketball team; she graduated from Danville
10High School in 1950, and she continued to chair and work on all
11class reunions; she married Donald Lee Smith at Central
12Christian Church on October 26, 1968, and he preceded her in
13death on September 17, 2008; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Throughout her life, Martha Smith was employed in
15the offices of Sears Roebuck, Illinois Power, and General
16Electric; she also served as the assistant marketing director
17for Liberty Village; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Martha Smith served as state director for the
19Miss National Teenager Scholarship Pageant for Illinois and
20Wisconsin for 14 years; she was a former director of the
21Vermilion County Fair Pageant, where she trained girls for
22competition; she judged many local, state, and national

 

 

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1pageants; she was named Ms. Illinois Senior America in 1997
2and was 5th runner-up for the National Senior America Pageant
3in 1997; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Martha Smith was active in many civic
5organizations and was known as "Clipboard Martha" for always
6being in the process of organizing some charity activity; she
7served on the Salvation Army Auxiliary Board, where she was
8president for three years; she developed and chaired the
9Kettle Golf Tournament for the Auxiliary and the Elks Golf
10Tournament; she chaired the Toys for Tots Program for over ten
11years; she served on the former USMC Hospital Auxiliary Board;
12she was a lifetime member and the past president of the
13Danville Symphony Orchestra; she was an active member of the
14Danville Elks, and she was named District Elk Lady of the Year
15in 2004 and Lady of the Year for the State of Illinois Elks in
162004; she was previously active with the Red Mask Players and
17was the former president of the Red Mask Women's Guild; she was
18a member of the Danville Boat Club and the Danville Garden
19Club; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Martha Smith was a member of St. James United
21Methodist Church, where she served on numerous committees for
22the United Methodist Women, the 3M Sunday School Class, and
23the Christian Women's Club; she traveled to Israel, where she
24was baptized in the River Jordan alongside her husband; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Martha Smith loved sewing, gardening, golfing,
2and researching her family genealogy; she was a devoted wife,
3mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Martha Smith was preceded in death by her
5parents; her husband, Donald; her sisters, Bette Ruth Mealer
6(Andrew) Hunt and Nancy Mealer (Robert) Butler; her brother,
7Farrell Eugene Mealer; and her nephews, Farrell E. Mealer Jr.
8and Robert Butler; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Martha Smith is survived by her daughters,
10Cynthia Ann Phillips (Robert) Minor and Kimberly Ann Smith
11(Ted) Silvey; her grandsons, Robert (Jessica) Minor III, Marc
12(Medina) Minor, and Matthew (Molly) Minor; her granddaughters,
13Maria Ann (Alex) Minor Rus and Rachel Nicole Silvey; her
14great-grandchildren, Jonah Minor, Eli Minor, Mae Minor, Zoe
15Minor, Noah Minor, Blaise Minor, Aria Minor, Brielle Minor,
16and Emila Rus; and her nieces, Pamela Mealer (Fred) Parker,
17Kathleen Hunt (Steve) Arthur, and Donna Butler (Paul) Rogers;
18therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
20ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
21Martha Ann (Mealer) Smith and extend our sincere condolences
22to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be

 

 

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1it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to the family of Martha Smith as an expression of our
4deepest sympathy.