SR1157 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1157 LRB103 42057 LAW 75281 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Roger Gerald "Jerry" Belt of Morris, who passed away on August 9, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Jerry Belt, the son of Roger and Jessie (Broderick) Belt, was born in Morris on October 17, 1935; he was raised and educated in Morris, graduating from Morris High School in 1954, where he was a member of the football team; he married Delight Montanus in Morris on December 17, 1960, and she preceded him in death on December 15, 2017; and

WHEREAS, Jerry Belt began working at Wilson Chevrolet in Morris in 1954; he received a draft notice in June 1958; after reporting to the Armed Forces Induction Center in Chicago, he joined the U.S. Army; he underwent basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; over the next two years, he served in a transportation company near Incheon Harbor in the Republic of South Korea; he concluded his required service while stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, where he was honorably discharged on June 10, 1960; and

WHEREAS, After returning to Morris in 1960, Jerry Belt worked as an iron worker on area projects before taking a position as a sheet metal worker at R.L. Lyon Heating and Cooling in Morris in 1965; he then joined the Braidwood Nuclear Power Station in 1985, where he served as foreman of Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 265 until 1994; and

WHEREAS, Jerry Belt and his wife, Delight, were best known for their band, The Jerry Belt Combo, with him playing drums and her serving as vocalist; they performed Dixieland and Big Band music throughout the Chicagoland area for over 30 years, and they regularly performed at the Morris Country Club, the Morris Hospital Ball, the Grundy County Corn Festival, the Morris Fire Department, and numerous veteran events throughout Grundy County; they also regularly donated performances at local nursing homes and local nonprofit fundraising events; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the 1970s and until 2015, Jerry Belt was an active member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 323 in Coal City and, later, Local 37 in Joliet, serving as the recording secretary and a delegate to the state and national conventions; he was also an active member of the Morris Color Guard and past commander of the John Martin Steele Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6049 in Morris; and

WHEREAS, Jerry Belt was an avid fan and a season ticket holder of the Morris High School football team, the Redskins; he later became a fan of the Montini Catholic High School football team, the Broncos, where his grandson, Josh, played on two state championship teams; and

WHEREAS, Jerry Belt was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Donald Belt, Michael Belt, and James Belt; and

WHEREAS, Jerry Belt is survived by his sons, Greg Belt and Scott (Cindy) Belt; his daughter, Joy (Craig Roselieb) Belt-Roselieb; his grandchildren, Tara (Jon) Larson, Jessica (J.T.) Strube, Jenna (Joshua) Finfrock, Monica (Cody) Frank, Joshua (Ella Peterson) Belt, and Abigail Roselieb; four great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Roger Gerald "Jerry" Belt and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

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