Full Text of HR0050 094th General Assembly
HR0050 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HR0050 |
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LRB094 06090 HSS 36812 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the House of
Representatives of the | 3 |
| State of Illinois wish to congratulate Elvesta Topp, an | 4 |
| esteemed resident of Shumway, on the occasion of the | 5 |
| celebration of her 100th birthday on January 23, 2005; and
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| WHEREAS, She was born on January 23, 1905, the daughter of | 7 |
| John and Mary Wetherall Knierim; she was the
seventh child born | 8 |
| and is today the only living child; she
still owns the | 9 |
| farmhouse built by her parents and her brother
in the late | 10 |
| 1800s; and
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| WHEREAS, Elvesta Topp has a wonderful family history; her
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| grandfather was born in Germany and came to Illinois in 1853;
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| he served in the Civil War, as did her Grandfather Wetherall; | 14 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, Elvesta Topp received her education in a
one-room | 16 |
| schoolhouse, where one teacher taught eight grade
levels; there | 17 |
| was a daily walk to school for the children,
except when the | 18 |
| weather was bad and the smallest children
were given a ride in | 19 |
| the buggy by an older brother; and
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| WHEREAS, There were no toys, only rag dolls made by Elvesta | 21 |
| and her sister; mud roads made life hard, with even the
horses | 22 |
| having a rough time going through; laundry was done in
tubs and | 23 |
| with a wash board; kerosene lamps provided the only
source of | 24 |
| evening light until the 1940s; and
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| WHEREAS, Clothing was made from chicken feed sacks; the
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| chores included milking the cows, feeding the chickens and
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| ducks, helping in the field, and collecting eggs; during
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| harvest time, she would help with the raking, hauling, and
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| stacking of hay; she remembers that the neighbors would unite
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| to help one another; and
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HR0050 |
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LRB094 06090 HSS 36812 r |
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| WHEREAS, She remembers when the family doctor made
house | 2 |
| calls, neighbors were neighborly, and life was easier; and
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| WHEREAS, Elvesta worked as a cook at the Central Grade
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| School for many years, as well as at the Steak House in | 5 |
| Effingham; and | 6 |
| WHEREAS, Elvesta is most proud of her large collection of | 7 |
| several hundred elephants that represent her passion and | 8 |
| lifelong loyalty to the Grand Old Party; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 10 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 11 |
| we extend our heartiest congratulations and best wishes to | 12 |
| Elvesta Topp on the occasion of her 100th birthday; that we | 13 |
| commend her for achieving a long and fulfilling life, and we | 14 |
| wish her continued happiness and good health in the future; and | 15 |
| be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 17 |
| presented to Elvesta Topp as an expression of our respect and | 18 |
| esteem.
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