Full Text of SR0163 96th General Assembly
SR0163 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 |
| learn of the death of Johnnie Mae Strickland, who passed away | 4 |
| on March 17, 2009; and
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| WHEREAS, Johnnie Mae Strickland, the eldest of five | 6 |
| children, was born in DeKalb, Mississippi, on June 30, 1914, to | 7 |
| the union of Westley and Ella (Scott) McCaskill; the family | 8 |
| moved to East St. Louis in 1927; and
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| WHEREAS, She attended schools in Meridian, Mississippi and | 10 |
| East St. Louis; in East St. Louis, the family worshipped at | 11 |
| Wesley Methodist Church;
Johnnie married Roy Mason in 1935 and | 12 |
| together they celebrated the births of four daughters, Audrey, | 13 |
| Marian, Barbara and Beatrice; this marriage ended and Johnnie | 14 |
| later met and married Lamar Strickland in 1964; the couple | 15 |
| moved from Chicago to Detroit, Michigan where they enjoyed all | 16 |
| of the blessings God intended for the marriage relationship | 17 |
| until Lamar's passing; Johnnie was employed by the Detroit | 18 |
| Public School System as a Teacher's Aide and Food Service | 19 |
| Assistant; and
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| WHEREAS, Johnnie was affectionately called 'Johnnie Ma' by | 21 |
| her grandchildren and their offspring or Gretchen, a name given | 22 |
| to her by her youngest daughter Bea; in Detroit, Johnnie was a |
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| member of the Calvary Baptist Church where she faithfully | 2 |
| participated in Bible classes, Sunday school, and church camp | 3 |
| activities; five years ago, Johnnie moved to Chicago to live | 4 |
| with Bea, where they both shared their love of the Lord and | 5 |
| worshipped at Salem Baptist Church of Chicago; Johnnie's | 6 |
| greatest joy was reading scripture and being active in the | 7 |
| church; learning was a life-long endeavor and she sought to | 8 |
| model that virtue to her family and friends when, at the age of | 9 |
| 78, she received her G.E.D; and
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| WHEREAS, As a young mother, Johnnie loved to sew and | 11 |
| delighted in making outfits for her daughters; in later years | 12 |
| she was eternally famous within the family for her "bone-ware", | 13 |
| items such as necklaces and vases fashioned from left-over meal | 14 |
| bones; this beloved child of God found strength and comfort in | 15 |
| music, especially the hymns "In the Garden" and "My Hope is | 16 |
| Built" which were among her favorites; she would often be found | 17 |
| offering expressions of thanksgiving to her God for the many | 18 |
| blessings bestowed upon her; her journey with the Lord was | 19 |
| important to her and to keep others encouraged, Johnnie would | 20 |
| often present Bibles as gifts for graduations, weddings, and | 21 |
| other momentous occasions; and
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| WHEREAS, Her daughter, Barbara Behm, preceded her in death; | 23 |
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| WHEREAS, Johnnie's life was well-lived and she will be | 2 |
| missed; she leaves to cherish her precious memory three | 3 |
| daughters, Audrey (Howard) Brookins, Marian Jackson, and Bea | 4 |
| Sockwell; she also leaves thirteen grandchildren; eighteen | 5 |
| great grandchildren; a brother-in-law, Willie Campbell, Sr.; a | 6 |
| sister-in-law, Artia Mason; and a host of nieces, nephews, | 7 |
| cousins, and friends who will continue as a living legacy to | 8 |
| Johnnie Mae; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL | 10 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 11 |
| her family and friends, the passing of Johnnie Mae Strickland; | 12 |
| and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 14 |
| presented to the family of Johnnie Mae Strickland as a symbol | 15 |
| of our sincere sympathy.
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