Full Text of HR0403 103rd General Assembly
HR0403 103RD 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 Devola | 4 | | Mae Johnson; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Devola Johnson was born to Andrew Jackson and | 6 | | Thelma Hampton in Chicago Heights on June 16, 1939; she | 7 | | committed to her faith at an early age; she attended | 8 | | Washington Elementary School in Chicago Heights, where she | 9 | | began her love for helping people and caring for children; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Devola Johnson married William "Bill" Jones, and | 11 | | their family settled in Ford Heights, where they fought | 12 | | through extreme hardship in one of the poorest communities in | 13 | | the South Suburbs and raised eight of their children in | 14 | | addition to seven other children at their 918 East 15th Street | 15 | | home; after her husband's tragic passing in the winter of | 16 | | 1986, she fought to care for her family, which included caring | 17 | | for her grandchildren and her sister Stella's children, Sharon | 18 | | and Robin Hampton; she was assisted by her daughter, Christel, | 19 | | and they raised 13 children while living in a three-bedroom | 20 | | apartment and surviving on one income; she worked nights and | 21 | | cared for the children during the day; she moved her entire | 22 | | family out of Ford Heights due to increasing violence, which | 23 | | saved her family and allowed them to become the men and women |
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| 1 | | they are today; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Devola Johnson became a nurse at a young age and | 3 | | later acquired the necessary skills to become a certified | 4 | | nurse's assistant (CNA), and she provided excellent care to | 5 | | patients and their families; her nursing career started at the | 6 | | Glenwood Rehab Facility and continued at Woodside | 7 | | Rehabilitation, also known as Bria Rehabilitation, in South | 8 | | Chicago Heights; she retired from nursing in 2001; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Devola Johnson was proud to celebrate alongside | 10 | | her son, Thaddeus Monteleone Jones, upon his election to the | 11 | | Calumet City Council in 1997, where he became the first | 12 | | African American alderman in the 100-year history of Calumet | 13 | | City and later was elected as the city's first African | 14 | | American mayor in 2021; she moved her family to Calumet City, | 15 | | becoming a part of the Calumet City community and continuing | 16 | | her passion for teaching and working with children; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Devola Johnson left her mark on various | 18 | | organizations and elected officials, including Thornton | 19 | | Township Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Devola Johnson was affectionately known as "The | 21 | | Mother of Children"; she nurtured and raised many generations | 22 | | of children, including her own in addition to nieces and |
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| 1 | | nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and countless | 2 | | other children in the family; she will be remembered for her | 3 | | dedication to her family; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Devola Johnson was preceded in death by her | 5 | | parents; her brothers, Albert Wynn and Charles Wynn; her | 6 | | children, Bertha "Tuttie" Johnson and Willie (Sherry) Johnson; | 7 | | and her best friend and sister, Evelyn Powell; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Devola Johnson is survived by her children and | 9 | | their families, Antoine (Wilma) Johnson, Barbara Jean Jones | 10 | | (Kenny Johnson, Rodney Jones, Reggie Jones, and Demetrius | 11 | | Johnson), Willie "Kazoo" Johnson (Brittany Johnson and Reba | 12 | | Johnson), Andre Johnson (Pierre Johnson, Andre Johnson Jr., | 13 | | and Shemia Johnson), Christel R. Johnson (Shanall, Shaquania | 14 | | Ward, and Gentry Johnson), Thaddeus (Saprina) Jones (Thaddeus | 15 | | Monteleone "Monte" Jones Jr. and Preston Jones), Jasmine Jones | 16 | | (Isiah Jones, Caleb Jones, and Joy Jones); her brother, E. | 17 | | Henry "Pee Wee" Hampton; and a host of nieces and nephews and | 18 | | their families; therefore, be it
| 19 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 20 | | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 21 | | we mourn the passing of Devola Mae Johnson and extend our | 22 | | sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew | 23 | | and loved her; and be it further
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 | | presented to the family of Devola Johnson as an expression of | 3 | | our deepest sympathy.
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