SR0770 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0770 LRB093 24283 HSS 54557 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of the Reverend Dr. Jesse Lee Wiggins of Bethalto on Sunday, December 26, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Wiggins was born on October 10, 1940, in Augusta, Georgia, to Lester Wallace and Claudia Mae (Shaffer) Wiggins; he married Rachel Lee Corley on May 16, 1959, in Augusta; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Wiggins followed his mother's dying wish that her son be a Pentecostal preacher; his first sermon was at age 13, which began a career consisting of 12 churches, more than 5,000 sermons, and more than 8,700 converts; he had been the pastor at Bethalto Church of God from 1974 to 1982 and from 1991 until 2004; he was a member of numerous State and international boards through Church of God Ministries, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, including the State council, the Church of God Editorial and Publications Board, and the Bethalto Area Ministerial Alliance; he also wrote five books and many articles and booklets; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Reverend Dr. Jesse Lee Wiggins has been deeply felt by his entire congregation and everyone whose life he touched, but especially by his wife, Rachel; his daughter and her husband, Michelle and Duane Rose; his son and his wife, Joseph and Pamela Wiggins; his grandchildren, Jessica Rose, Kyle Wiggins, Tyler Wiggins, Heather Rose, and Michael Wiggins; his sister and her husband, Janice Paulette and Hugh Wendell Thomason; his brothers and their wives, Lester Ranny and Connie Wiggins and Lloyd Fredrick and JoAnna Wiggins; his stepbrother and his wife, Charles Thurston and Shirly Weathers; and his brothers and sisters-in-law, the Rev. H.K. McKnight and Margaret McKnight, Jean and Grady Rhoades, and J.T. Corley; he was preceded in death by his father, Lester Wallace Wiggins, his stepmother, Mary Wiona Weathers Wiggins; and his grandchild, Kari Lynn Wiggins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Reverend Dr. Jesse Lee Wiggins, and we extend our deepest sympathy his family, friends, congregation, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to his family as an expression of our sincere condolences.