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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General
3Assembly pays honor and respect to the truly great individuals
4who have served our country; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Earl Williams Riggins was born in Champaign to
6Carl and Marie Kobel Riggins on November 16, 1924; he
7graduated from Champaign High School in 1942 and enlisted in
8the U.S. Marines; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Earl Riggins served aboard the USS Indianapolis,
10which was torpedoed and sank while out at sea on July 30, 1945;
11and
 
12    WHEREAS, Earl Riggins survived for five nights and four
13days in the shark-infested waters of the South Pacific; he was
14one of 317 survivors out of a crew of 1,197; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Earl Riggins married Dorothy Wright of Champaign
16on March 1, 1947, and they spent much of their lives farming in
17Newman with their three children, Steve, Linda, and Judy; they
18retired to Oakland in 1989, eventually moving to the Primrose
19Retirement Center in Decatur; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Earl Riggins was an active member in the USS

 

 

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1Indianapolis Survivor Organization and participated in many
2reunions and numerous events to tell the "Indy Story"; he was
3also active in the American Legion in Newman and the VFW in
4Oakland, where he developed special bonds with many members of
5both groups; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Earl Riggins was a member of the Douglas County
7Farm Bureau, where he served on the board of directors for
8several years; both he and Dorothy were members of the Oakland
9Methodist Church; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Earl Riggins spent most of his adult life as a
11horse enthusiast; he was a member of the Illinois Quarter
12Horse Association and showed in events throughout the United
13States from the 1970s to 2000s; he also enjoyed trail riding
14with friends; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Earl Riggins enjoyed spending time with his
16family; he loved fishing in Canada, teaching his children and
17grandchildren horse riding, and watching his grandchildren
18play basketball; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Earl Riggins's stories of the "Indy" and of his
20life's travels will be remembered and treasured by all; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Earl Riggins passed away on February 23, 2011;

 

 

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1and
 
2    WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Earl Riggins was
3survived by his wife, Dorothy; his children, Steve Riggins and
4Judy Riggins Whalen; three grandchildren; two
5great-grandchildren; and his brother, Richard Riggins; he was
6preceded in death by his brother, Paul Riggins, and his
7daughter, Linda Riggins; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
9HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
10SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate Illinois Route 36
11as it travels through Newman as the "Earl Riggins Memorial
12Highway-Survivor USS Indianapolis"; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation
14is requested to erect, at suitable locations consistent with
15State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs
16giving notice of the name "Earl Riggins Memorial
17Highway-Survivor USS Indianapolis"; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
19presented to the family of Earl Riggins, the Mayor of Newman,
20and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of
21Transportation.