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92_HR1019
LRB9217325RHrh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of this Body are honored to
3 recognize significant milestones in the lives of the people
4 of this State; and
5 WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that Willene Webb
6 Hill of Chicago is celebrating the 100th anniversary of her
7 birth; and
8 WHEREAS, Willene Webb Hill was born on April 27, 1902 in
9 Carthage, Missouri to the late William Franklin and Sarah
10 Grammer Webb; and
11 WHEREAS, An accomplished concert pianist and organist,
12 Mrs. Hill became interested in the piano at an early age and
13 played for many audiences starting at the age of eight in her
14 church and school; and
15 WHEREAS, Mrs. Hill attended Buchanan School in Topeka,
16 Kansas; after graduation, her family moved to Kansas City,
17 Missouri where she attended Lincoln School and continued to
18 play for the Shiloh Second Baptist Church; and
19 WHEREAS, Willene Webb met and married James Rucker Hill
20 in 1920; to this union three children were born, James
21 William Hill, Maxine Alethea Hill Battle, and Kenneth Webb
22 Hill; she is also the proud grandmother of 11 grandchildren,
23 great-grandmother of 21 great-grandchildren, and the
24 great-great-grandmother of 12 great-great-grandchildren; and
25 WHEREAS, After the death of her husband in 1943, Mrs.
26 Hill was one of the first African-American women to work for
27 the Chicago Post Office; she worked there for 27 years; and
28 WHEREAS, Mrs. Hill attended the Conservatory School of
29 Music and proudly played for Beran Baptist Church and
30 Commonwealth Community Church; in addition, she played with
-2- LRB9217325RHrh
1 the Allen Lane Trio and Umbrian Glee Club, one of the first
2 African-American Male Clubs in Chicago; she continues to be
3 recognized as a history maker at the Dusable Museum and has
4 won many awards for outstanding performances on the piano and
5 organ; and
6 WHEREAS, Mrs. Hill currently resides in Chicago and
7 enjoys working on her daily crossword puzzles; over the years
8 she has developed many special friendships with her loving
9 neighbors, who include Arlenia Edwards, Pearl Long Pitts,
10 Gertrude Ladd, the late Constance Taylor and Leier Joe
11 Devoat; and
12 WHEREAS, Waukegan Township, in conjunction with the
13 Waukegan Exchange Club, will honor Willene Webb Hill and five
14 other Centenarians at the "Celebration of Life" on July 9,
15 2002; therefore, be it
16 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18 we congratulate Willene Webb Hill on the occasion of her
19 100th birthday and extend to her our sincere best wishes for
20 the future; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22 presented to Willene Webb Hill as an expression of our
23 respect and esteem.