HR0004 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0004 LRB095 07101 KXB 27227 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor Linda J. Crotchett, Jersey County Clerk, on her retirement; and

WHEREAS, Linda Crotchett was born on July 4, 1939 in Alton, Illinois, to Dudley and Elizabeth Roth; in 1957 she graduated from Jersey Community High School and married Russell "Rip" Crotchett; and

WHEREAS, She was appointed Deputy County Clerk under the Administration of Thomas A. Lock, County Clerk in 1958; at the age of 22, she won the Republican nomination in the primary election, defeating two primary opponents, and was elected Jersey County Clerk in that general election; she was the youngest elected county official in the State of Illinois and the first woman ever elected to county office in Jersey County; she was elected to 11 consecutive terms as county clerk and holds the record as the Illinois county clerk with the longest tenure; and

WHEREAS, Her office motto shows her committment to the people of Jersey County, "Happy to Meet you and Eager to Serve You"; and

WHEREAS, Linda Crotchett has a long record of service to the people of the State of Illinois, including 2 years with the Illinois Tourism Council, 4 years as Treasurer of the Zone II County Clerks & Recorders, 15 years on the State Board of Elections Advisory Committee, 12 years as Chairman of the County Clerk's Tax Manual Committee, and 20 years as a Member of the County Clerk's Tax Manual Committee; she served 22 years on the Program Committee of the Illinois County Clerk's Association; and

WHEREAS, She served 35 years as a Local Government Lecturer (Workshops, Training Sessions), 25 years as an instructor for newly elected County Clerk's Training Seminars, 44 years as a United States Passport Agent, appointed by the United States State Department, and 40 years as Registrar of Births & Deaths, appointed by the Illinois Department of Public Health; and

WHEREAS, Her community activities include serving on the 1964 Jersey County Quasqui-Centennial Committee, on the 1989 Jersey County Sesquicentennial Committee, and the 1994 Centennial and Historic Courthouse Celebration; she served as the Chairman of the Jersey County Heart Fund, the Chairman of the Jersey County Cancer Fund, as a member of the Jersey County Salvation Army Service Board, as Chairman of the "Santa Breakfast" Salvation Army Benefit, as Chairman of the "Kid's Can Drive" Salvation Army Benefit, as a member of the After Prom Committee, and as a member of the Panther Athletic Club at Jersey County High School and Student Government Day Host; and

WHEREAS, Linda Crotchett was the recipient of the Chairman's Award from the River Bend Growth Association in 1995 for her contributions to the Jersey County Courthouse History; and

WHEREAS, Linda Crotchett is the proud mother of Kristen Brown, Janelle Platto, and Cathy Dawn Reynolds; she is the doting grandmother of Emily, Molly, Lydia Witt, Alexis, Andrew Platto, Reagan, and Walker Reynolds; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Linda Crotchett on her retirement as Jersey County Clerk and wish her the best in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Linda Crotchett.