HR1188 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1188 LRB093 23385 WGH 53369 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois were saddened to learn of the death of Charles Johnson Collins of Arthur on Thursday, July 22, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Collins was born on August 24, 1913 near Lovington, the son of Clifton C. and Harriet E. Johnson Collins; he married Margaret Pyle in Rockford on December 12, 1969; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Collins attended the University of Illinois for one year in 1934, but a lack of money during the Great Depression forced him to leave school; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Collins was employed as General Manager of West Chevrolet in Lovington; in January, 1950, the dealership moved to Arthur where he was General Manager until the summer of 1953; he was then employed as a Service Equipment Manager for National Petro Chemical Corp. in Tuscola until the fall of 1954; he returned to Arthur as an employee of Ivan Trulock Chevrolet; in 1955, he and Gayle Daugherty purchased the Chevrolet dealership from Mr. Trulock and formed Collins and Daugherty Chevrolet, which they operated until 1976, at which time Mr. Collins retired; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Collins served on the Dealers Council Peoria Zone during 1973 and 1974; he was an election judge starting in 1994; he was affiliated with the Lovington Christian Church and was a member of the Lovington AF & AM Masonic Lodge; he enjoyed fishing, golf, gardening, trap shooting, and music; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Charles Johnson Collins has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife, Margaret; his daughters, Betty Walthall and her husband Louis, and Susan Starkey and her husband Darrell; his stepsons, Kerry Fitzjarrald and his wife Mary Jo, and Kevin Fitzjarrald and his wife Sheryl; his stepdaughter, Cheryl Blackwell and her husband Bill; his brother, Jack Collins; his grandsons, Gale Starkey and his wife Christine, and Chris Starkey; his granddaughters, Jill Stahl and her husband Rev. Jeff, and Suzanne Walthall; his step-grandsons, Jared Blackwell, Jeremy Blackwell, Joshua Blackwell, Jason Fitzjarrald, and Alex Fitzjarrald; his step-granddaughters, Sami Golliher and Rhendy Fitzjarrald; his great-grandson, Michael Starkey; his great-granddaughters, Sarah Stahl, Cati Walthall, and Emily Starkey; and his step-great-grandson, Caleb Fitzjarrald; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Collins was preceded in death by two brothers and three sisters; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of Charles Johnson Collins along with all who knew and loved him and we extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Mr. Collins as an expression of our deepest sympathy.