Full Text of SR0742 95th General Assembly
SR0742 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 |
| learn of the death of Joseph Nathaniel Berry of Alton, who | 4 |
| passed away on May 21, 2008; and
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| WHEREAS, Joseph Berry was born June 30, 1924, in Alton, the | 6 |
| eldest son of Charlie and Violet (Hutchinson) Berry; he | 7 |
| celebrated 61 years of marriage to Roberta E. Berry, whom he | 8 |
| married in April of 1943 in Springfield, Missouri; she died | 9 |
| April 10, 2005; and
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| WHEREAS, He was a 1942 graduate of Alton High School, and | 11 |
| attended Southern Illinois University studying labor | 12 |
| management; he served in the United States Army as an engineer | 13 |
| for a total of 11 years and was employed with Laclede Steel | 14 |
| Company for 40 years, retiring in 1982; after retirement, he | 15 |
| enjoyed collecting antique cars and being a member of the Alton | 16 |
| Antique Car Association; and
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| WHEREAS, He was born and raised in the African Methodist | 18 |
| Episcopal Church and served as trustee and chairman of the | 19 |
| board at Allen Chapel for many years; he worked long and hard | 20 |
| for the merger of the three A.M.E. churches in Alton and was a | 21 |
| charter member of Unity Fellowship Church; and
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| WHEREAS, He was an active member in many organizations his | 2 |
| entire life including, Boy Scout master, neighborhood | 3 |
| commissioner, member of the Piasa Bird Council, George | 4 |
| Washington Carver Hi Y and president for a number of years; he | 5 |
| was inducted into the Association of Iron and Steel Engineers | 6 |
| in 1979; he was a charter member of American Legion Post 354 | 7 |
| and received a Certificate of Appreciation Award; as a young | 8 |
| man, he became a member of Dunbar Lodge 97 Masons and served as | 9 |
| head of all houses, receiving a 50-year pin; he served as | 10 |
| Foster Township Precinct 2 committeeman, was a member of the | 11 |
| Foster Township Board and worked on the present water system; | 12 |
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| WHEREAS, He was a member of the Fosterburg Fire Department, | 14 |
| was the last charter member with his name on the roll, chairman | 15 |
| of the trustee board, and was involved in planning and building | 16 |
| the department into a two-house fire department; he served as a | 17 |
| member of the Regional School Board of Trustees for Madison | 18 |
| County for 25 years, retiring in 1995; he was president of the | 19 |
| NAACP for two years during the passing of the Civil Rights Bill | 20 |
| and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; he was a | 21 |
| life member of the NAACP, and worked with the desegregation of | 22 |
| Alton Public School System and the integration of many | 23 |
| industries in Alton; in 2002, he received the 100 Black Men | 24 |
| Living Legend Award; and |
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| WHEREAS, In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death | 2 |
| by his parents and two brothers, Charles "Gene" Berry and | 3 |
| George "Link" Berry; and
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| WHEREAS, Joseph Berry is survived by his four sons and | 5 |
| their spouses, Robert and Sandra Berry, Nathaniel G. Berry, | 6 |
| George and Janet Berry, and Richard and Kimberly Berry; his 13 | 7 |
| grandchildren, Darrell, Kaela, Janell, Tonya, Tiara, Karen, | 8 |
| Michael, Stephanie, Theresa, Angela, Wendy, Tiana, and | 9 |
| Gabrielle; his 22 great-grandchildren; his | 10 |
| great-great-grandchild; and a host of nieces, nephews, | 11 |
| cousins, and friends; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 13 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 14 |
| his family and friends, the passing of Joseph Berry; and be it | 15 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 17 |
| presented to the family of Joseph Berry as a symbol of our | 18 |
| sympathy.
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