Full Text of HR1522 99th General Assembly
HR1522 99TH 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 Rev. Dr. | 4 | | J.C. Smith, who passed away on October 12, 2016; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith was born in Porters, Alabama to J.C. | 6 | | Sr. and Eliza (Hampton) Smith on July 8, 1930; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith moved to Montgomery, Alabama at the age | 8 | | of 18 and began working for the Atlas Glass Company; he | 9 | | enlisted in the United States Army in 1951, where he served two | 10 | | years during the Korean War and was stationed in Okinawa, | 11 | | Japan; he returned to Montgomery after the war and married | 12 | | Willie Mae Myricks on June 3, 1956; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith was active in the civil rights movement | 14 | | of the 1950s and 1960s; he and his wife took part in the | 15 | | Montgomery Bus Boycott; he was arrested in 1956 for his | 16 | | participation alongside Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks, and | 17 | | Martin Luther King Jr.; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith graduated from Weaver's School of Real | 19 | | Estate in Montgomery in 1958; from 1958 to 1962 he sold | 20 | | insurance for the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, | 21 | | which was the largest company owned and operated by African |
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| 1 | | Americans for most of the 20th century; he owned and operated | 2 | | Smith's Clothing Store; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith moved to Harvey in 1963 near the end of | 4 | | the Great Migration; he became a licensed real estate salesman | 5 | | and a journeyman carpenter; he joined Second Baptist Church in | 6 | | Harvey and delivered his first sermon in November of 1964; he | 7 | | continued his education and his political and civic | 8 | | involvement; between 1966 and 1973, he participated in | 9 | | Operation Breadbasket and was elected to the West Harvey School | 10 | | District #147 board, where he served for 40 years; he graduated | 11 | | from CBI with a bachelor's degree in theology; he started | 12 | | Smith's Carpentry and founded Bethlehem Temple Missionary | 13 | | Baptist Church; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith served as a delegate to the Democratic | 15 | | National Convention in August of 2000; he served two years as | 16 | | Vice-President of the National Caucus of Black School Board | 17 | | Members from 1980 to 1982; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, From the early 1980s, Rev. Smith was active with | 19 | | the Progressive National Baptist Convention, where he served as | 20 | | President of the Moderator's Council from 1992 to 1996; he | 21 | | served in leadership roles in the Progressive Baptist State | 22 | | Congress, the South Suburban Minister's Fellowship, and many | 23 | | other associations; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Over the years, Rev. Smith helped to grow | 2 | | Bethlehem Temple Missionary Baptist church; he was involved in | 3 | | every aspect of the church, including the cleaning; in 1995, he | 4 | | organized the Bethlehem Community Development Corporation, | 5 | | where he served as Executive Director; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith was preceded in death by his parents; | 7 | | and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Rev. Smith is survived by his wife of 60 years, | 9 | | Willie; his brother, Thomas Smith; his children, Jennifer | 10 | | (Euclid) Strayhorn, Jonathan (Rochelle) Smith, Jeffery | 11 | | (Heather) Smith, Jerrold (Crystal) Smith, and Jacques (Carly) | 12 | | Smith; his grandchildren, Cortney Strayhorn, Tenecia | 13 | | Strayhorn, Justin Strayhorn, Chelsea Strayhorn, Chauncey Sims, | 14 | | Darrin Sims, Lauren Smith, Brooke Helburn, Rachel Smith, Mariah | 15 | | Smith, Austin Smith, Amber Smith, Avery Smith, Amaris Smith, | 16 | | Joslyn Smith, Jarrett Smith, and Caymen J.C. Smith; his | 17 | | great-grandchildren, Eliya and Emmanuel Strayhorn; and a host | 18 | | of cousins, nieces, and nephews; therefore, be it
| 19 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 20 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 21 | | mourn the passing of Rev. Dr. J.C. Smith, and extend our | 22 | | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew |
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| 1 | | and loved him; and be it further
| 2 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 3 | | presented to the family of Rev. Smith as an expression of our | 4 | | deepest sympathy.
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