State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_HR1095

 
                                               LRB9217589RHrh

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS,  The  members   of   the   Illinois   House   of
 3    Representatives  wish  to express their sincerest condolences
 4    to the family and friends of John Harrison  Swearengen,  Jr.,
 5    who passed away on August 2, 2002; and

 6        WHEREAS,  John  Harrison  Swearengen,  Jr., the second of
 7    seven children of  the  Reverend  John  Harrison  and  Willie
 8    Beatrice  Swearengen, was born on January 4, 1931 in Memphis,
 9    Tennessee; and

10        WHEREAS, Nicknames were special to Mr.  Swearengen;  some
11    of  his  nicknames  included "Junior", "Kunte Kinte" (African
12    leader of a tribe), a name which was  given  to  him  by  his
13    siblings after the passing of his father in 1978; other names
14    included "Peanut" and "Much Much Cool and Chilly One Chobby",
15    a  name  that  denotes his special relationship to his nieces
16    and nephews; and

17        WHEREAS, Being the son of a minister and a  very  devoted
18    mother,  Mr.  Swearengen  professed  a hope in Christ and was
19    active at the First Baptist  Church  in  Memphis,  Tennessee;
20    along  with  his  siblings, he was involved in Sunday School,
21    Baptist  Training  Union,  choir,  and  other  youth  related
22    activities; and

23        WHEREAS, From 1950 to 1952, Mr. Swearengen was  a  member
24    of  the  United States Army Reserves and was called to active
25    duty along with his brother, James, and other members of  the
26    community; and

27        WHEREAS, Mr. Swearengen excelled academically, graduating
28    from  Douglass High School as valedictorian of his 1968 class
29    with visions of becoming a doctor; circumstances and finances
30    thwarted this vision, but that did not keep him from becoming
31    a perennial student  who  took  enough  classes  for  several
 
                            -2-                LRB9217589RHrh
 1    degrees   at  many  colleges  and  universities  in  Chicago,
 2    including  Northwestern   University,   the   University   of
 3    Illinois,   the  University  of  Chicago,  and  Chicago  City
 4    College; and

 5        WHEREAS, Never having lost his desire  to  serve  others,
 6    Mr.  Swearengen redirected his focus to community service and
 7    became a community activist; he  worked  with  several  noted
 8    politicians  and  community  leaders,  including the Reverend
 9    Jesse Jackson, Congressmen Bobby Rush, Gus Savage, and  Danny
10    Davis,   State   Representatives   Earline  Collins,  Richard
11    Newhouse, and Monique Davis,  and  Judge  Timothy  Evans;  he
12    served  as  campaign  manager  for City Council Woman Anna R.
13    Lankford's first election to the  Chicago  City  Council;  in
14    addition,  he  directed  the  Chicago  Local Political Action
15    Committee (COPE  Fund)  to  raise  funds  to  assist  in  the
16    election  of  U.S.  Senator Carol Moseley Braun and served on
17    the Local School Council at Calumet High School from 1990  to
18    1991; and

19        WHEREAS,  Mr.  Swearengen was a dedicated employee of the
20    Chicago Post Office for over 40  years;  his  experience  and
21    dedication  were  assets to the American Postal Workers Union
22    (APWU) for more than 24 years; he was one of the founders  of
23    the  Chicago  Local  and first elected president of the newly
24    merged APWU; a skilled mediator, he  was  the  architect  and
25    chief  negotiator  of  the first local APWU contract with the
26    Postal Service; he served as Director of Labor Relations  for
27    APWU,  processing  grievances and reinstating many employees;
28    he received letters of commendation from such people  as  Moe
29    Biller, president of the National APWU; and

30        WHEREAS,  The  passing  of John Harrison Swearengen, Jr.,
31    will be deeply felt by all who knew and loved him, especially
32    his beloved wife of 14 years, Lavern Mitchell Swearengen; his
33    children, Sheila Swearengen Fair, John  H.  Swearengen,  III,
 
                            -3-                LRB9217589RHrh
 1    Kimberly  Walker,  and Rebecca Mitchell; his 9 grandchildren,
 2    Jameta Swearengen, Anthony and Jasmin Fair,  Coolythia  Kyle,
 3    Brianna,  Serena, and Savoy Mitchell, and Terris and Genoline
 4    Walker;  his  4  great-grandchildren,  Ja-onna,  Terrel,  and
 5    Agape' Lyle and Anthony Fair III; his brothers,  Judge  James
 6    E.  Swearengen  and Clarence Swearengen; his sisters, Mildred
 7    Swearengen Hayes, the Reverend Dr. Dorothy Swearengen Strong,
 8    and City Council Woman Evangelist  Barbara  Swearengen  Holt;
 9    his  sisters-in-law,  Catherine Swearengen, Maebell Williams,
10    Jolene Evans, Willie B. (husband,  Jessie)  Kitchens,  Esther
11    Deans, and Charlean Powell; his brothers-in-law, Eddie Hayes,
12    Joseph  Strong,  James  Earl and Michael Mitchell, and Anane'
13    Nigritia; his aunt, Lucile Hawkins; his nephews; his  nieces;
14    his postal union family; and a host of relatives and friends;
15    therefore, be it

16        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
17    NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18    we mourn, along with all who knew  him,  the  death  of  John
19    Harrison Swearengen, Jr. of Chicago; and be it further

20        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
21    presented to the family of  John  Harrison  Swearengen,  Jr.,
22    with our sincere condolences.

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