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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to recognize Margaret "Margie" McClain
4and her remarkable life as an advertising representative, a
5Marine and journalist during World War II, a college student, a
6mother, and a painter; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Margie McClain was drawn to journalism at an early
8age; she once interviewed Amelia Earhart after a school
9assembly, eight months before the famous pilot vanished; on
10another occasion, popular violinist Dave Rubinoff offered to
11let her play his $100,000 Stradivarius violin during an
12after-assembly interview; and
 
13    WHEREAS, After high school, a love for advertising found
14her working first as a copy writer and then as the advertising
15manager at Halbach Schroeder; when a Marine Corps recruiter
16came in to run some ads to encourage young women to join the
17Marine Corps Women's Reserve, the ad she wrote was so good that
18she enlisted; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Stationed in Quantico, Virginia, she became a
20combat correspondent and interviewed dignitaries and reported
21the stories of Marines returning home from battle; many of her
22stories were picked up by the Associated Press, United Press,

 

 

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1and the Washington Post; she interviewed the secretary of the
2interior and Winston Churchill's nephew; and
 
3    WHEREAS, After serving in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve
4for two years, she took advantage of the GI Bill and enrolled
5at Quincy College; she had dreams of becoming an advertising
6representative on Fifth Avenue in New York City; however, in
7college, she met Elmo McClain; they married on December 26,
81946 and had eight children; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Margie McClain taught at St. Peter Grade School
10for 14 years, and also took time to focus on her family; she
11has 24 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Seven years ago, Margie McClain transformed the
13back room of her home into a studio and took up oil painting;
14her most prized work is a highly-detailed portrait of her
15mother; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Margie McClain has a deep love for her country;
17she participated in an Honor Flight with her oldest son, Mike,
18in Washington D.C., and she was named marshal of Quincy's 2017
19Veterans Parade; therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
21HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we

 

 

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1recognize Margie McClain, whose love of family, spirit of
2adventure, and dedication to lifelong learning is an
3inspiration to the people of Illinois; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5presented to Margie McClain as an expression of our esteem and
6respect.