HR1044 LRB096 21722 GRL 39411 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Mary Lou
4 Walker of Carbondale, who passed away on March 17, 2010; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker was born on September 4, 1930, in
6 Hurst; she was the daughter of Eugene "Shine" Shafer and Erma
7 "Keyes" Shafer; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker graduated from Hurst-Bush High
9 School in 1948; in 1965, she became the first woman to graduate
10 from Southern Illinois University with a degree in mortuary
11 science; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker married James F. Walker in 1962;
13 the couple shared 35 years of marriage until his passing on
14 June 19, 1997; Mary continued to operate the couple's funeral
15 home business until her passing; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker took great pride in operating the
17 funeral business with her husband and her son, Regge, and
18 considered helping families in time of grief to be her life's
19 passion; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker was a member of the Illinois

 

 

HR1044 - 2 - LRB096 21722 GRL 39411 r

1 Funeral Directors Association, the National Funeral Directors
2 Association, CANA, the Egyptian Funeral Directors Association,
3 the Ladies Auxiliary of the Elks Club of Carbondale, the Ladies
4 Auxiliary of the Eagles Club of Carbondale, and the Hurst Lions
5 Club Auxiliary and Rotary; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker was preceded in death by her
7 husband and her son, James Tracy Walker; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Mary Lou Walker will be sadly missed by her son,
9 Regge Walker; her daughter, Illinois State Representative Jil
10 Tracy and her husband, Jim; her brothers, Larry Shafer and Tom
11 Shafer (Sandra); her grandchildren, Rob Tracy, Ben Tracy, Mark
12 (Kelsy) Tracy, and Kailey Walker; and her close friends, Elyse
13 Crowell, Mono Robinson, and Suzanne Immen; therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
16 mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of Mary
17 Lou Walker; and be it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19 presented to the family of Mary Lou Walker as an expression of
20 our sincere sympathy.