HR0701 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0701 LRB097 16934 KXB 62122 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Pearl Lucrecia McCoy, "Mama Pearl", was born in Lake Village, Arkansas on January 23, 1912; and

WHEREAS, She received her lower and middle grade education in Lake Village, Arkansas, and attended Sipio Jones High School and Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas; and

WHEREAS, She was teaching other children by the age of 23; and

WHEREAS, She married Fred Mason on August 23, 1933, and they were married 53 years; this union was blessed with 8 children, Freddie Mae, Ozell, Joyce, Carol, Perry, Veda, Cynthia, and Joni; and

WHEREAS, She belonged to St. Matthews Parish, where her youngest 2 children attended grade school; she annually volunteered at the St. Matthews School fundraiser as well as St. Francis Cabrini Schools; and

WHEREAS, She played Bingo weekly at St. Francis Cabrini where her second eldest child, Ozell, was school principal for many years; and

WHEREAS, Her relationship working with noted interior designers and producing exquisitely detailed productions of their designs garnered the attention of one of Chicago's leading newspapers; she was a production supervisor for P. J. Gould and Flexi Mat Corporations until her retirement at 65 years of age; at that time, she was the only Black female production supervisor in the pillow and bedding industry; and

WHEREAS, In 2008, at age 96, she and her 92 year old brother, Isaac, volunteered at the Michigan City, Indiana, Barack Obama Campaign Headquarters; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Pearl McCoy on her 100th birthday and affectionately declare the last century the Century of Pearl Mason; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Pearl McCoy as a symbol of our respect and esteem.