Full Text of SR0816 95th General Assembly
SR0816 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 |
| learn of the death of
Edgar E. "Pete" Nicholls of Decatur, who | 4 |
| passed away on June 1, 2008; and
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| WHEREAS, Edgar Nicholls was born on June 22, 1923 in his | 6 |
| family home at the North End of Sunnyside Road; he was the son | 7 |
| of Earl O., a dairy farmer, and Myrtle E. Leonard Nicholls, a | 8 |
| homemaker; and
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| WHEREAS, Edgar Nicholls was a veteran of the U.S. Army, | 10 |
| serving during World War II; after taking airborne training in | 11 |
| 1943, he was stationed at Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall in North | 12 |
| Carolina; he was also deployed to New Guinea, Leyte, Luzon, and | 13 |
| the Philippines; he was the recipient of many decorations for | 14 |
| his service, including the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star | 15 |
| Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, 2 Bronze | 16 |
| Service Stars, 2 Bronze Battle Stars, the Asiatic Pacific | 17 |
| Ribbon, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon; during his tour | 18 |
| in Luzon, he was badly wounded when he covered a live grenade | 19 |
| with his helmet, losing parts of both of his hands and saving | 20 |
| the lives of two soldiers; he was honorably discharged from the | 21 |
| Army on August 21, 1946; and
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| WHEREAS, Edgar Nicholls was employed as manager of the |
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| Standard Veterinary Distributing Company for 30 years; and
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| WHEREAS, Edgar Nicholls was well known for his love for his | 3 |
| country; in 1991, during the Gulf War, he authored a book | 4 |
| titled "Heroes in Our Midst", a compilation of veterans in | 5 |
| Macon County from World War I to Operation Desert Storm; in | 6 |
| January of 2002, he began a drive to place the Blue Star | 7 |
| Service Banners back in the front windows of military veterans; | 8 |
| he was also the inspiration that spearheaded the construction | 9 |
| of the World War II Memorial to be located in Decatur; he loved | 10 |
| the American flag and always had one on display on his person, | 11 |
| house, or car; and
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| WHEREAS, Edgar Nicholls was a Life Member of the American | 13 |
| Legion Post 105, Disabled American Veterans Post 17, Veterans | 14 |
| of Foreign Wars Post 99, and the Military Order of the Purple | 15 |
| Heart; he was a Charter Member of the National World War II | 16 |
| Memorial; he also served as Commander of American Legion Post | 17 |
| 105 in 1955 and as the 19th District Commander of the American | 18 |
| Legion in 1965; and
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| WHEREAS, Edgar Nicholls loved to play many rounds of golf | 20 |
| at Nelson Park and was a life long fan of the Chicago Cubs; and | 21 |
| WHEREAS, Edgar Nicholls was preceded in death by his | 22 |
| brothers, Mervil, Dean, Herb, and Bob; and his step-son, Mark |
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| Mull; and
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| WHEREAS, Edgar Nicholls is survived by his loving wife, | 3 |
| Betty J.; his sons, Mark, David, Peter, and Tim; his | 4 |
| step-daughter, Sue Siburt; his 11 grandchildren and 8 | 5 |
| great-grandchildren; and his step-brothers, Jack and Roger | 6 |
| Zollars; and | 7 |
| WHEREAS, Edgar Nicholls served as a model of hard work, | 8 |
| integrity, and patriotism for the people of the State of | 9 |
| Illinois; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 11 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 12 |
| his family and friends, the passing of Edgar E. "Pete" | 13 |
| Nicholls; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 15 |
| presented to the family of Edgar E. "Pete" Nicholls as an | 16 |
| expression of our sympathy.
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