Full Text of HR1019 94th General Assembly
HR1019 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the | 3 |
| State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Jerry | 4 |
| Russell Simmons on Friday, February 24, 2006; and
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| WHEREAS, He was born on June 21, 1926, in Grantsburg, the | 6 |
| son of Oliver Simmons & Laura (Deasel) Simmons; he attended | 7 |
| Grantsburg School from 1932 to 1940, obtained his GED, and | 8 |
| attended Aurora College in Aurora, where he received his degree | 9 |
| in business management; and
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| WHEREAS, He valiantly served his country as a member of the | 11 |
| U.S. Army during World War II in the Pacific Theater as a 155 | 12 |
| Howitzer Cannoneer and in the army of occupation in Japan; he | 13 |
| received several medals, including the Asiatic Pacific Theater | 14 |
| Ribbon with one Bronze Star, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon | 15 |
| with one Bronze Star, the Victory Medal, the Good Conduct | 16 |
| Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal - Japan; he received an | 17 |
| honorable discharge on November 17, 1946; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Simmons married Jane (Sanders) on November 25, | 19 |
| 1948, in Piggott, Arkansas; he received his privet pilot | 20 |
| license for single engine planes on November 29, 1949; he was | 21 |
| employed for 21 years at All Steel Equipment in Aurora from | 22 |
| 1953 to 1974; he started as a machine operator and was promoted | 23 |
| to foreman and General Foreman before leaving in 1974; and
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| WHEREAS, He moved to Vienna, Illinois, where he owned and | 25 |
| operated a small business, Simmons Home Furnishings, from 1974 | 26 |
| until 1992; he was elected Johnson County Clerk and Recorder in | 27 |
| December of 1986 and served in that office until his retirement | 28 |
| on November 30, 1994; and
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| WHEREAS, He was a member of the County Line Baptist Church | 30 |
| in the Flatwoods community and was a faithful member of the New |
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HR1019 |
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| Columbia Masonic Lodge #336 AF&AM at Ganntown for over 53 | 2 |
| years; he was an avid fisherman and enjoyed gardening, bowling, | 3 |
| and collecting and repairing antique clocks; he was an avid | 4 |
| Chicago Cubs fan and an active member of the Johnson County | 5 |
| Democratic Party; and
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| WHEREAS, The passing of Jerry Russell Simmons has been | 7 |
| deeply felt by many, especially his wife, Jane; his daughter, | 8 |
| Terri McKenzie, and her husband Nick; his grandchildren, Scott | 9 |
| and Mindy McKenzie and Sara Jane McKenzie; his | 10 |
| great-grandchildren, Sam, C.J., Christopher, Kaitlynn, Aaron, | 11 |
| and Angel; his sister-in-Law, Ludean Shoemaker-Simmons; and | 12 |
| his many nieces and nephews; he was preceded in death by his | 13 |
| parents; his sister, Mary Morgan; his brothers, Joe Simmons and | 14 |
| Junior Simmons; and his half-sisters, Peggy Arnold and Nell | 15 |
| Goodgoin; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 17 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 18 |
| we mourn the passing of Jerry Russell Simmons, and we extend | 19 |
| our deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all who knew | 20 |
| and loved him; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 22 |
| presented to his family as an expression of our sincerest | 23 |
| condolences.
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