SR0690 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0690 LRB094 20052 HSS 57610 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of Mellow Lee Beasley on Tuesday, March 21, 2006; and

WHEREAS, She was born on October 15, 1933, to Willie and Laura Brown in McGee, Arkansas; she confessed her life in Christ at an early age; she worked in the hospitality field until her health began to fail; and

WHEREAS, She was an outgoing and outspoken person with a unique personality; her enduring sense of humor kept everyone laughing, even at the most embarrassing moments; she had a very warm and kind heart for others, always giving whatever she could to help anyone in need; and

WHEREAS, Her oldest grandchild, Carmelita, will truly miss her Granny because she constantly provided the inspiration to believe, to dream the impossible, to always trust in God, and to be of good faith; when Carmelita was six years old, Granny advised her to be good at whatever she chose to do in life, as long as it was not a singer; Granny Beasley denied that her first granddaughter was and would always be her favorite grandchild; and

WHEREAS, Granddaughter Janon will always cherish the talks and secrets she shared with her Granny Beasley; she could always rely on Granny to express how much she loved her and count on her grandmother to keep her spirits up during hard times by saying, "Keep your faith, pray, and never stop tithing."; and

WHEREAS, Granddaughter Senator Kimberly A. Lightford was always encouraged by her Granny to "just keep living baby, and ask God to help you" through trials and tribulations; her constant encouragement allowed them to have open discussions about anything and everything; as a result, Senator Lightford was inspired to dream and to live her dreams; and

WHEREAS, Granny always encouraged her one and only grandson, Melvin, Jr., who she affectionately called "Booby", to trust in God and to go to church; and

WHEREAS, She was preceded in death by her parents and Mr. Percy Burnett, affectionately known as "Baby", her loving companion of more than 20 years; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Mellow Lee Beasley has been deeply felt by many, especially her daughter, Barbara A. (Melvin, Sr.) Lightford; her grandchildren, Carmelita Lightford (Eric) Hubbard, Janon (Terry) Porter, Kimberly Lightford, and Melvin (Myriam) Lightford, Jr.; her great-grandchildren, Kevin, Karmell, Erica, Tiarra, Sabrina, Aniya, Terri, and Isaiah; her aunt, Katie Roman; and her many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Mellow Lee Beasley, and we extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

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