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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Joseph W.
4Freelon, the first African American mayor of Maywood; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon was a Chicago school teacher and
6real estate salesman; he was elected mayor of Maywood on April
77, 1981 after defeating newspaper publisher, Ronald Saunders,
8by just 23 votes in an eight-person race; the recount, and
9other, related legal battles, lasted more than a year after
10election; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon served two terms as mayor from 1981
12to 1989; he won a third term as mayor in the 1993 election; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon was active in his community; he
14headed up the deacon's board at Second Baptist Church in
15Maywood; in 2014, he was appointed to the Maywood fire and
16police pension board; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon's wife, Gladys, established the
18Maywood Village beautification committee; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon had two children, Gawana Freelon,
20and Joseph Freelon Jr. VFP; therefore, be it
 

 

 

HR1539- 2 -LRB099 24208 MST 51929 r

1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3mourn the passing of Joseph W. Freelon, and extend our sincere
4condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
5him; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to the family of Joseph Freelon as an expression of
8our deepest sympathy.