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91_SR0372
LRB9114324KBkbA
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3 to learn of the death of Bessie Mae Spencer of East St.
4 Louis, Illinois; and
5 WHEREAS, Bessie Mae Spencer was born in Fernbank, Alabama
6 on January 19, 1926; she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior
7 at Brownlee Methodist Church in Columbus, Mississippi; she
8 later joined the Wesley Bethel United Methodist Church in
9 East St. Louis, Illinois, where she served in the missions
10 area, the United Methodist Women, Sunday School, Vacation
11 Bible School, Cherub Choir, and as a Communion steward; and
12 WHEREAS, Bessie Mae Spencer married Sylvester Spencer on
13 June 20, 1953; and
14 WHEREAS, Bessie Mae Spencer attended Mary Holmes Junior
15 College, Harris Stowe Teachers College, and Washington
16 University; she received her Bachelor's degree from McKendree
17 College and her Master of Arts in Education from St. Louis
18 University; she served as an elementary school teacher in
19 East St. Louis School District 189 for 30 years, retiring in
20 June of 1989; and
21 WHEREAS, Bessie Mae Spencer was the first Metro-East
22 resident to receive a Daily Point of Light from President
23 George Bush and the Good Neighbor Excellence Award for
24 organizing a series of Mother's March Against Drugs; she was
25 an international host parent for students from China,
26 Zimbabwe, Indonesia, and Nigeria; and
27 WHEREAS, Bessie Mae Spencer was active with the NAACP,
28 the American Red Cross, the Cancer Society, MECCO,
29 Neighborhood Block Unit, Operation New Spirit, and many other
30 organizations; she worked in her garden, growing okra,
31 onions, pole beans, tomatoes, sage, and collard greens; and
-2- LRB9114324KBkbA
1 WHEREAS, The passing of Bessie Mae Spencer will be felt
2 by all who knew her, especially her daughters, Ninette
3 Spencer and Bernadette (Mark) Lucas; her sons, Darrell Smith,
4 Andre Spencer, Fredric (Tanya) Spencer, and Monte Spencer;
5 her sisters, Ethel Smith and Jan Smith; her brother, F.L.
6 (Mary) Smith; her grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins,
7 and many others; therefore, be it
8 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIRST GENERAL
9 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
10 all who knew her, the death of Bessie Mae Spencer; and be it
11 further
12 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13 presented to the family of Bessie Mae Spencer.