SR0834 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0834 LRB104 13068 MST 25002 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Willie Mae (Frazier) Hemphill, who passed away on March 25, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Willie Hemphill was born in Little Rock, Arkansas to Fred and Ethel Lee Frazier on October 4, 1942, the sixth of 15 siblings; she attended Hayti Central School in Hayti, Missouri; she married James "Teddy" Hemphill in 1961, becoming stepmother to his sons, Anthony and Derrick, and eventually mother to Carlos, Sedrick, and Timothy; and

WHEREAS, Willie Hemphill's family moved to Chicago, where she managed several restaurants; she returned to Little Rock after her sons graduated from high school and pursued a career in the medical field, where she worked as a lab technician and phlebotomist; she also worked as a substitute teacher for the Little Rock School District and eventually retired from the State of Arkansas; and

WHEREAS, Willie Hemphill had a passion for service and served as assistant caretaker for Daisy Bates, the prominent activist and leader of the Little Rock Nine, who played a pivotal role in ending school segregation; and

WHEREAS, Willie Hemphill was affectionately known as Willie Mae, Willie, or Mae; she was a member of St. John's Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock and then Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Willie Hemphill returned to Chicago and volunteered with the Community Table until October 2025; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Willie Mae (Frazier) Hemphill and 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 the family of Willie Hemphill as an expression of our deepest sympathy.