093_HR0532

 
                                     LRB093 13608 RAH 18983 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members of the House of  Representatives  of
 3    the  State  of  Illinois  wish  to honor retired educator and
 4    public servant L. Goebel Patton  of  West  Frankfort  on  the
 5    occasion of his 90th birthday on October 24, 2003; we wish to
 6    recognize  him  for his valuable service and contributions to
 7    West Frankfort and the entire State of Illinois; as he  often
 8    says,  "The  definition  of  service  is  the rent you pay to
 9    occupy this Earth."; and

10        WHEREAS, L. Goebel Patton worked 52 years  in  education,
11    most  of  which was with the West Frankfort school system and
12    as Director of Public  and  Professional  Relations  for  the
13    Illinois  Education  Association;  he became principal of the
14    now-closed Logan Elementary School at age 19; he also  served
15    as superintendent of the grade school district and then moved
16    to  the  high school after the 2 districts merged; he has the
17    distinction of being the first superintendent when  the  unit
18    school district was formed in West Frankfort; and

19        WHEREAS, Mr. Patton has been an active member of the West
20    Frankfort Second Baptist Church for over 75 years; at the age
21    of  88,  he  served  as  chairman  of the building committee,
22    following a fire that destroyed the church in 2000;  He  also
23    was  chairman  of  the building committee more than 5 decades
24    earlier when the church sanctuary was built in 1950;  he  was
25    the church's Sunday Superintendent for 29 years and served as
26    a Sunday School teacher for over 50 years; and

27        WHEREAS,  L.  Goebel  Patton was a member of the Franklin
28    County Salvation Army Advisory Board for over  60  years  and
29    was responsible for helping put up the Christmas Tree for the
30    Tree  of  Lights campaign; he has also been actively involved
31    with the American Cancer Society, the  West  Frankfort  Lions
32    Club,  the West Frankfort Men's Prayer Breakfast, the Masonic
 
                            -2-      LRB093 13608 RAH 18983 r
 1    Lodge, and the Franklin-Williamson Human Services and John A.
 2    Logan College Foundation boards; and

 3        WHEREAS, L. Goebel Patton has been actively involved with
 4    the Southern Illinois Schools Credit Union  (SISCU)  and  has
 5    served as its chairman; SISCU was organized over 50 years ago
 6    and  has  been  a  valuable  tool  for thousands of teachers,
 7    helping them to buy dependable transportation, purchase their
 8    first homes, and pay college tuition; and

 9        WHEREAS, Because of his dedication and  contributions  to
10    the  West  Frankfort  community,  L.  Goebel Patton was named
11    Citizen of the Year by the West Frankfort Chamber of Commerce
12    in 1977 and in 1999 for his fundraising campaign  for  a  new
13    swimming pool and community center; therefore, be it

14        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
15    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
16    we  recognize  L.  Goebel  Patton on the occasion of his 90th
17    birthday;  he  is  a  pillar  in  his  community  and  widely
18    respected; he has truly paid his rent to occupy  this  Earth;
19    and be it  further

20        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
21    presented to L. Goebel Patton as an expression of our respect
22    and esteem.