Full Text of HJR0059 102nd General Assembly
HJ0059eng 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 59
| 2 | | WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General | 3 | | Assembly pays honor and respect to the truly great
individuals | 4 | | who have served our country; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Earl Williams Riggins was born in Champaign to | 6 | | Carl and Marie Kobel Riggins on November 16, 1924; he | 7 | | graduated from Champaign High School in 1942 and enlisted in | 8 | | the U.S. Marines; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Earl Riggins served aboard the USS Indianapolis, | 10 | | which was torpedoed and sank while out at sea on July 30, 1945; | 11 | | and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Earl Riggins survived for five nights and four | 13 | | days in the shark-infested waters of the South Pacific; he was
| 14 | | one of 317 survivors out of a crew of 1,197; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Earl Riggins married Dorothy Wright of Champaign | 16 | | on March 1,
1947, and they spent much of their lives farming in | 17 | | Newman with their three children, Steve, Linda, and
Judy; they | 18 | | retired to Oakland in 1989, eventually moving to the Primrose | 19 | | Retirement Center in
Decatur; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Earl Riggins was an active member in the USS |
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| 1 | | Indianapolis Survivor Organization and participated in
many | 2 | | reunions and numerous events to tell the "Indy Story"; he was | 3 | | also active in the American Legion
in Newman and the VFW in | 4 | | Oakland, where he developed special bonds with many members of | 5 | | both
groups; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Earl Riggins was a member of the Douglas County | 7 | | Farm Bureau, where he served on the board of directors for
| 8 | | several years; both he and Dorothy were members of the Oakland | 9 | | Methodist Church; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Earl Riggins spent most of his adult life as a | 11 | | horse enthusiast; he was a member of the
Illinois Quarter | 12 | | Horse Association and showed in events throughout the United | 13 | | States from the 1970s to
2000s; he also enjoyed trail riding | 14 | | with friends; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Earl Riggins enjoyed spending time with his | 16 | | family; he loved fishing in Canada, teaching
his children and | 17 | | grandchildren horse riding, and watching his grandchildren | 18 | | play basketball; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, Earl Riggins's stories of the "Indy" and of his | 20 | | life's travels will be remembered and treasured by all; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Earl Riggins passed away on February 23, 2011; |
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| 1 | | and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Earl Riggins was | 3 | | survived by his wife, Dorothy; his children, Steve Riggins and | 4 | | Judy Riggins
Whalen; three grandchildren; two | 5 | | great-grandchildren; and his brother, Richard Riggins; he was | 6 | | preceded in death by his brother, Paul Riggins, and his | 7 | | daughter, Linda Riggins; therefore, be it
| 8 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 9 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 10 | | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate Illinois Route 36 | 11 | | as it travels through Newman as the "Earl Riggins Memorial | 12 | | Highway"; and be it further | 13 | | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | 14 | | is requested to erect, at suitable locations
consistent with | 15 | | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | 16 | | giving notice of the name "Earl Riggins Memorial Highway"; and | 17 | | be it further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to the family of Earl Riggins, the Mayor of Newman, | 20 | | and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of | 21 | | Transportation.
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