HR0980 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0980 LRB097 21179 GRL 68707 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to remember Mary Elizabeth Pierce for her many years of dedicated service to her community, family, and friends; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Pierce was born December 4, 1922, in Chicago; she was the daughter of Henry Harris and Eva Irene Hanes Pierce; in 1928, her family relocated to Richton Park, when the Illinois Central was electrified and her father became responsible for maintaining the switches; she enjoyed relating that, when her family moved to town, the town's population sign read "50"; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Pierce's education started in a one-room schoolhouse on Sauk Trail, just east of the IC tracks; she attended Matteson High School for 3 years, and graduated from Thornton High School; she later attended Chicago Teachers College and, once certified in education, started teaching in 1944 in a one-room schoolhouse in Green Garden Township, west of Monee; and

WHEREAS, In 1947, Mary Elizabeth Pierce taught in the Peotone Elementary School; in 1951, she was employed by Steger Central Junior High, where she taught for 28 years; she retired from teaching in 1979 after being diagnosed with cancer; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Pierce worked as public relations coordinator at Steger Central for 26 years; she was an active member of the Beta Beta chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an educational service sorority, and a lifelong member of the Illinois Education Association and the National Educational Association; and

WHEREAS, In 1991, Mary Elizabeth Pierce was elected village clerk of Richton Park; she was a founding member of the Friends of the Library and co-chair of Richton Park's Bicentennial Committee; she was a co-author of "The History of the Village of Richton Park, Illinois, 75th Anniversary, 1926-2001" and was considered the historian for Richton Park who gladly gave presentations on the development of her community; she served on the Human Relations Commission, the Senior Citizen Commission, the Bill Fleming Scholarship Committee, and was an ardent promoter of her hometown; she was also an avid Chicago White Sox fan; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Pierce was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers; John, Edward, Henry Jr. (Junie), and David; her sister, Nancy Graham; and her nephews, James Graham, Lee Graham, and Robert Pierce, Jr.; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Pierce is survived by her brothers, Robert (Sherryl) Pierce and Roy Pierce; her sisters-in-law, Billie Bednarczyk and Kathleen Pierce; her several nieces and nephews; and her special friends, Jerry and Kathy Corsaro and Tom and Barb Martin; she donated her body to the Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Pierce never married and had no biological children of her own, but her love of teaching filled her life with countless hours of joy and happiness; she will be missed by those who knew and loved her; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Mary Elizabeth Pierce and remember her for her many years of dedicated service to her community, family, and friends; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Mary Elizabeth Pierce as a symbol of our esteem and respect.