Full Text of HR0054 101st General Assembly
HR0054 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Vater Mae | 4 | | Fite, who passed away on January 17, 2019; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Vater Fite was born in Carthage, Texas to Marvin | 6 | | and Selma Connor on September 28, 1914; she was baptized at the | 7 | | age of 7 at Mt. Zion CME Church in Carthage; she attended | 8 | | Carthage Colored High School and was a lifelong student; she | 9 | | married J.C. Lilly; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Vater Fite moved to California during World War II | 11 | | and worked as a welder of Navy battleship parts; she was proud | 12 | | of the distinction of being a female welder; she married Grady | 13 | | Fite; in 1950, upon the death of her second husband and the | 14 | | conclusion of WWII, she settled in Maywood to be near her | 15 | | children; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Vater Fite worked for the State of Illinois as a | 17 | | senior caregiver and retired after 30 years of service; she | 18 | | returned to Texas to be a caregiver to her mother until her | 19 | | passing; she then returned to Oak Park to reside with her | 20 | | sister; in 2015, she moved to Plainfield, where she resided for | 21 | | several years with her son and daughter-in-law; she then moved | 22 | | to Alden of Waterford in Aurora; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Vater Fite was a wonderful cook, loved music, and | 2 | | had a wry sense of humor; she pursued many artistic endeavors, | 3 | | including teaching herself to play the violin, sewing, | 4 | | sculpting, wood carving, and painting; she attended courses at | 5 | | the Art Institute of Chicago to master the art of watercolor | 6 | | and oil painting; she participated in local art programs and | 7 | | her work was recognized in the Oak Leaves newspaper; she was a | 8 | | Featured Artist at the New Oak Park Public Library and was an | 9 | | active member of the Oak Park Arms senior group and the Oak | 10 | | Park Arts Council; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Vater Fite was remembered on her 100th birthday by | 12 | | the Governor of Illinois and President of the United States | 13 | | Barack Obama; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Vater Fite was affectionately known as "Grand"; | 15 | | she was an avid reader and loved to travel; she was a lifelong | 16 | | baseball fan and cheered on her favorite team, the Chicago | 17 | | Cubs, as they won the World Series in 2016; she enjoyed family | 18 | | gatherings filled with music, games, debates, and a good nip of | 19 | | gin; she was present at every family milestone, vacation, and | 20 | | holiday; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Vater Fite was preceded in death by her parents; | 22 | | her husband, Grady; her siblings, Herese, Inez, and Leon; her |
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| 1 | | daughters, Vater Jo, Billie June, and Gloria Marvis; and her | 2 | | grandson, Darius LeRoi Lilly; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Vater Fite is survived by her son, LeRoy (Barbara) | 4 | | Lilly; her grandchildren, Jerome Goodman, Iris James, Camille | 5 | | Lilly, Brian Lilly, Karen (Jasmyn) Lilly, Kevin Neal (Jackie), | 6 | | and April Braggs (Vincent); her great-grandchildren, Richard, | 7 | | Darius, Evan, Briana, VJ, Briaja, and Brian II; her | 8 | | great-great-grandchildren, Richard II and Aubrey; her nieces, | 9 | | Joy Bell and Melody Conners; and numerous great-nieces and | 10 | | nephews; therefore, be it
| 11 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 12 | | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 13 | | we mourn the passing of Vater Mae Fite and extend our sincere | 14 | | condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved | 15 | | her; and be it further
| 16 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 17 | | presented to the family of Vater Fite as an expression of our | 18 | | deepest sympathy.
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