Full Text of SR0824 98th General Assembly
SR0824 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Isabella C. "Madear" (nee Connolly) | 4 | | Taylor of Chicago, who passed away on January 5, 2014; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Isabella Taylor was born on August 11, 1909 to | 6 | | Toney and Lena Connolly in Savage, Mississippi; she married | 7 | | Luke Taylor on April 12, 1931; she received her teaching | 8 | | certificate from the State of Mississippi in 1930 and began | 9 | | teaching even before earning her high school diploma, which she | 10 | | received in 1950; she received her bachelor's degree in | 11 | | elementary education in 1959 from Mississippi Industrial | 12 | | College; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Isabella Taylor began her teaching career in a | 14 | | "one room schoolhouse", including Prichard Elementary School | 15 | | in Tunica, Mississippi; she then taught at Rosa Fort Elementary | 16 | | School from 1961 until her retirement in 1973; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Isabella Taylor pledged Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, | 18 | | Inc. in 1974 and became a life-time member; she was the oldest | 19 | | living soror in the State of Illinois and was featured as the | 20 | | cover girl in the March 2013 issue of Zeta Tau Zeta's magazine, | 21 | | and in late 2013, the Isabella C. Taylor Scholarship was | 22 | | created in honor for her services and commitment to education; |
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| 1 | | and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Isabella Taylor settled in Chicago in the | 3 | | mid-1970s and joined the Allen Metropolitan Christian | 4 | | Methodist Episcopal Church, where she was involved in many | 5 | | church auxiliaries, including the Missionary Society, the | 6 | | Young at Heart, and the Stewardess Board; she served as the | 7 | | Stewardess Chaplain of the Third Episcopal District for several | 8 | | decades; she taught Sunday school, authored songs, and traveled | 9 | | regularly to church conferences to deliver speeches and helped | 10 | | to raise funds by entering her great-grandchildren and | 11 | | great-great-grandchildren in the annual baby contest; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Isabella Taylor had an undeniable commitment to | 13 | | her family as well as to education; she attended the graduation | 14 | | ceremonies for all family members from elementary to graduate | 15 | | schools, including medical and law schools; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Isabella Taylor was known for her inspirational | 17 | | words and expressions, which were displayed in churches, | 18 | | schools, newspapers, and on television; her first play was | 19 | | performed at age 16; in 1980, she appeared on PBS to represent | 20 | | her sorority and recite original works of poetry; from 1996 | 21 | | through 2000, she authored 2 poetry books and a book of prose | 22 | | and one of her poems won second-place at the Gwendolyn Brooks | 23 | | Writer's Conference; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Isabella Taylor kept her razor-sharp intellect | 2 | | throughout her years by completing 10 to 12 crossword puzzles | 3 | | daily and playing solitaire and Scrabble regularly on her | 4 | | computer; she also kept active as an Avon representative, a | 5 | | member of the National Association for the Advancement of | 6 | | Colored People, a member of the Mississippi Teachers's | 7 | | Association, a founding member of Tunica's Homemakers Club, and | 8 | | as a Girl Scout Brownie Leader; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Isabella Taylor was preceded in death by her | 10 | | husband, Luke, and her sons, Menrose T. Hall, Vernice T. | 11 | | Brownlee, and Calvin Taylor; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Isabella Taylor is survived by her children, | 13 | | LeeDale Taylor, Marjorie James, Hosea Taylor, CL (Irene) | 14 | | Taylor, Doretha Walker, Eunice Hobbs, and Melvin (Renee) | 15 | | Taylor; her sisters, Ora Mae Rushing and Fannie Taylor; her 35 | 16 | | grandchildren; her 72 great-grandchildren; her 25 | 17 | | great-great-grandchildren; her son-in-law, Thomas O. Brownlee, | 18 | | Sr.; her daughter-in-law, Sonia Taylor; and a host of other | 19 | | relatives, sorors, and friends; therefore, be it
| 20 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | 21 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 22 | | Isabella C. "Madear" Taylor, and extend our sincere condolences |
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| 1 | | to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be | 2 | | it further
| 3 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 4 | | presented to the family of Isabella Taylor as an expression of | 5 | | our deepest sympathy.
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