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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Jessie
4Teen (Spurlin) Foster, who passed away on April 7, 2022; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Jessie Foster was born to Olivia and Owen Spurlin
6in Lexington, Mississippi on May 4, 1935; she began her formal
7education in a small, one-room schoolhouse in Lexington,
8Mississippi; she relocated to Chicago with her family when she
9was a teenager and continued her education at Farragut High
10School, where she was voted best dressed in her senior year;
11she attended the Secretarial College in Chicago; she married
12Curtis Foster in July 1954, and they had seven children; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Jessie Foster, early in her marriage, spent her
14time as a devoted wife, mother, and daughter; in addition to
15being a mainstay in her children's lives, she was also an
16integral part of the caregiving her mother received during the
17last years of her mother's life; she later became a proud and
18loving grandmother, ensuring her grandchildren had a
19fulfilling and loving childhood; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Jessie Foster was active in a number of
21organizations, including the Girl Scouts and the PTA; she
22served as chairman of the West End Block Club in Chicago; as

 

 

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1her children grew older, she started working for the Chicago
2Public School across the street from her home; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Alongside her husband, Jessie Foster embarked on
4a new entrepreneurial journey in the 1980s, and their
5business, Foster and Foster Construction, landed multiple
6contracts, which included HUD, ComEd, and the City of Chicago;
7at that time, she also attended Triton College for computer
8programming, which helped with the expansion of the business;
9she retired to spend more time with her family after her
10husband's passing in 1993; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Jessie Foster had a taste for adventure; she
12traveled with her daughters and grandchildren extensively,
13both internationally and domestically; her curiosity and
14adventurous spirit made her ready for anything, from
15parasailing in Hawaii to Segway journeys in downtown Chicago;
16she traveled to a number of places, including Germany, Spain,
17Italy, Greece, Croatia, and Belize; she most recently traveled
18back to Venice; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Jessie Foster committed to her faith at an early
20age; she was affectionately known as "Bae-Doll" as the
21youngest child of her family, a nickname that stayed with her
22throughout her life; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Jessie Foster was the wife of Curtis Foster; the
2sister of Anderson Spurlin (Modell), Owen Spurlin (Lena),
3Amelda Thomas (Lee), Mildred Leonard (Charles), and Amanda
4Watkins (William); the mother of Andre Foster (Barbara), Grace
5Foster, Valerie Deere (Charles), Donna Foster, Dorrie Foster,
6Olivia Foster, and Devon Toliver (Steven); the grandmother of
7Andre Foster, Kristen Clower (Michael), Alicia Denton (Arien),
8Jennifer Davis, Valerie Donoso (Ismael), Curtis Foster
9(Linnea), Raja Zahid (Courtney), Baleace Ashley Foster, Joshua
10Toliver, Elijah Toliver, and Caleb Toliver; the
11great-grandmother of 11; the aunt of a host of nieces and
12nephews; and the friend of many; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
14HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15we mourn the passing of Jessie Teen (Spurlin) Foster and
16extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all
17who knew and loved her; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the family of Jessie Foster as an expression of
20our deepest sympathy.