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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate David E. Elder on
4 the occasion of his 80th birthday on October 28, 2007; and
 
5     WHEREAS, David Edward Elder was born to David Samuel Edgar
6 Elder and Clara Alice Robertson Elder in East St. Louis on
7 October 28, 1927, one of six children; and
 
8     WHEREAS, David Elder grew up in the hills of southern
9 Illinois near Cobden, 16 miles south of Carbondale; he received
10 his elementary education in a one room country school in Union
11 County; and
 
12     WHEREAS, David Elder worked hard as a child during the
13 Great Depression on the family farm, learning early to handle a
14 plow and mule; he worked in the family's 12-acre asparagus
15 field, where he planted, plowed, picked, and processed food for
16 shipping in the family's truck garden and learned how to hunt
17 for food by the age of eleven; and
 
18     WHEREAS, David Elder graduated from Cobden High School in
19 1945 with a 4.0 grade point average in a non-weighted system;
20 and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, David Elder served during the occupation of Japan
2 when he was drafted into the Army upon turning 18; he was
3 turned down for service before the Second World War concluded
4 because of blindness in one eye, which was due to a farm
5 accident; and
 
6     WHEREAS, After David Elder returned from his military
7 service, he entered Southern Illinois University on the G.I.
8 bill, excelling academically and receiving a B.A. in Zoology
9 with a 3.9 plus GPA and his first M.A. in Zoology with a 4.0
10 GPA, studying fish and wildlife management; and
 
11     WHEREAS, David Elder was a zoology research and teaching
12 assistant at SIU while performing graduate work from 1950 to
13 1952; and
 
14     WHEREAS, David Elder married Elsie Irene Wheetley on
15 December 26, 1948; to them were born a daughter, Claudia Lynn,
16 who died shortly after birth, followed by four wonderful
17 children, Vicki, Dave, Patti, and Steve; and
 
18     WHEREAS, David Elder moved his family to St. David and
19 Canton from 1952 to 1955, in order to work in land reclamation
20 as a marine biologist for the Truax Trayer Coal Mine Company;
21 and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, David Elder taught math, science, and first aid at
2 Canton Junior High School from 1955 to 1959; and
 
3     WHEREAS, David Elder subsequently moved his family to
4 Springfield in 1959 to work for the Illinois Education
5 Association, where he worked for 13 years in educational
6 research, professional development, legislation, and political
7 education and action; and
 
8     WHEREAS, David Elder excelled academically, while
9 receiving a M.S. Ed in Public School Administration with a 4.0
10 GPA from Western Illinois University and did post graduate work
11 at Bradley University in Economic Education; and
 
12     WHEREAS, David Elder was widowed in March of 1971; he then
13 met Tana Lorraine Horine, whom he married on July 1, 1972;
14 together, they had another wonderful daughter, Katherine; and
 
15     WHEREAS, David Elder moved his family to a 21 acre home in
16 rural Menard County, where they have resided for the past 33
17 years; and
 
18     WHEREAS, David Elder supervised and worked in the
19 construction of a real log house, which the family moved into
20 in 1981; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, David Elder has been an avid and successful
2 lifelong gardener, having maintained the same asparagus bed for
3 33 years; and
 
4     WHEREAS, David Elder has been a lifelong avid hunter and
5 has enjoyed the sports of golf and bowling; and
 
6     WHEREAS, David Elder has enjoyed the nicknames of "Debbard
7 Debbard" and "Mutt" and, in the southern tradition, is often
8 referred to by family members as "David Edward"; and
 
9     WHEREAS, David Elder worked as a legislative assistant to
10 Representative Gene L. Hoffman; and
 
11     WHEREAS, David Elder was employed by the Illinois State
12 Senate as an educational finance consultant; and
 
13     WHEREAS, David Elder was employed as Executive Director of
14 the Illinois School Problems Commission in 1978; and
 
15     WHEREAS, David Elder returned to the Illinois State Senate
16 staff upon the abolishment of the Commission System; and
 
17     WHEREAS, David Elder participated in and wrote legislation
18 for many important school laws, which have greatly benefited
19 the children of Illinois at large; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, David Elder retired from his long working life of
2 public service in 1992; and
 
3     WHEREAS, David Elder wrote legislation in 1985 to establish
4 The Community and Residential Services Authority; he continues
5 to serve in an active guiding role in retirement on the
6 authority which benefits the most disadvantaged children of
7 Illinois; and
 
8     WHEREAS, David Elder has been a lifelong Christian and
9 church member, having taught Sunday School and served as church
10 moderator, deacon, choir member, greeter, and all around church
11 volunteer; and
 
12     WHEREAS, David Elder has been an active community
13 volunteer, contributing his time and expertise to the Cub and
14 Boy Scout troops, Brownie and Girl Scout troops, the Enos Grade
15 School PTA, as a founding organizer of PATT, a new
16 parent/teacher group in Petersburg, and to teaching AARP
17 courses on safe driving habits to senior citizens; and
 
18     WHEREAS, David Elder is well known as a all around
19 wonderful person and is very much loved and adored by his wife,
20 children, children-in-law, 8 grandchildren, 8
21 great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces,

 

 

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1 nephews, and in-laws, as well as his many friends; and
 
2     WHEREAS, David Elder is deserving of all honor that is due
3 to him; therefore, be it
 
4     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
6 congratulate David E. Elder on the occasion of his 80th
7 birthday and wish him many more happy and healthy years to
8 come; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10 presented to David E. Elder as a symbol of our esteem and
11 respect.