HR0300 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0300 LRB098 11933 GRL 45294 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Olive Smith of Beardstown, who passed away on November 27, 2011; and

WHEREAS, Olive Smith was born on November 27, 1914, in Beardstown; her parents were Lorenzo and Olive Southwell; and

WHEREAS, Olive Smith moved with her family to western Kansas, where she attended school through the 6th grade; after her mother's health had deteriorated to such a condition that she could no longer cook for the family and farm hands, she became the chief cook and caretaker for her mother; and

WHEREAS, Olive Smith met her husband, World War I Navy veteran Edward M. Smith, and they were married on March 3, 1931 in Gem, Kansas; and

WHEREAS, Dust bowl weather conditions provided enough incentive to move a little farther west, so Olive Smith and her husband moved to eastern Colorado; Colorado blessed Olive and Ed with 2 children, Marie and Victor, and produced enough "no crop" years that they moved to Omaha, Nebraska to find employment with one of Edward's brothers; and

WHEREAS, Omaha blessed Olive Smith and her husband with two more children, Mitchell and Mary, and enough disappointment that they moved back to Beardstown; Beardstown blessed the couple with 4 more children, Alban, Nolan, Ruth, and Sandra; and

WHEREAS, Olive Smith was the inspiration for all 8 of her children to graduate from Beardstown High School; during the kids' school years, her home was always open to any needy child, several of whom moved in to become part of the family; most of the youngsters in the west end of Beardstown were corrected by Olive for wrongdoing; three of her sons joined the United States Navy, while the other son became a river boat captain on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers; one daughter became a nurse, two of her daughters became butchers, and the other daughter a District Avon Representative; all of her children survive her; and

WHEREAS, Following her husband's death in 1968, Olive Smith was employed by the State of Illinois Mental Facility in Jacksonville and moved there; and

WHEREAS, When Olive Smith retired from her employment with the State, she returned to Beardstown, where she was active with Guthrie-Pierce Post 1239 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary; the Auxiliary sponsored Red Cross Blood Drives at the Post every 56 days, wherein she served as the blood drive caller for many years until her health deteriorated too much to continue; and

WHEREAS, Olive Smith was the last surviving World War I widow in Beardstown; her last act gift was for her body to be donated to science; afterwards, she was to be cremated and the ashes returned to be placed with her husband at Camp Butler, where he awaits; and

WHEREAS, Olive Smith's ashes have been returned and arrangements made for her to be interred in Camp Butler on May 8, 2013; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of Olive Smith; and be it further

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