| 1 | 1 | | HR0341LRB103 32650 LAW 62348 r HR0341 LRB103 32650 LAW 62348 r |
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| 2 | 2 | | HR0341 LRB103 32650 LAW 62348 r |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION |
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| 4 | 4 | | 2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of |
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| 5 | 5 | | 3 Representatives wish to congratulate MajorBelle (Brown) James |
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| 6 | 6 | | 4 on the occasion of her 100th birthday on May 17, 2023; and |
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| 7 | 7 | | 5 WHEREAS, MajorBelle James was born to Dock and Rosa Brown |
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| 8 | 8 | | 6 in Belzoni, Mississippi on May 17, 1923; she was the only |
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| 9 | 9 | | 7 daughter of five siblings, including Hosea, William, Earl, and |
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| 10 | 10 | | 8 Alfred; and |
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| 11 | 11 | | 9 WHEREAS, MajorBelle James attended Forestville and Willard |
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| 12 | 12 | | 10 grammar schools, and she graduated 8th grade from Willard; she |
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| 13 | 13 | | 11 graduated from DuSable High School in 1941; and |
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| 14 | 14 | | 12 WHEREAS, MajorBelle James married John Velry James on May |
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| 15 | 15 | | 13 3, 1943; they had one child, Rochelle James, who was born on |
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| 16 | 16 | | 14 October 31, 1943; they enjoyed 49 years of marriage until his |
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| 17 | 17 | | 15 passing on August 30, 1992; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | 16 WHEREAS, For 41 years, MajorBelle James was employed at |
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| 19 | 19 | | 17 Curtis Candy, known today as Nabisco, from 1947 until she |
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| 20 | 20 | | 18 retired in 1988; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | 19 WHEREAS, MajorBelle James attended and was baptized at |
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| 22 | 22 | | 20 both Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church and Corpus Christi |
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| 26 | 26 | | HR0341 LRB103 32650 LAW 62348 r |
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| 29 | 29 | | HR0341- 2 -LRB103 32650 LAW 62348 r HR0341 - 2 - LRB103 32650 LAW 62348 r |
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| 30 | 30 | | HR0341 - 2 - LRB103 32650 LAW 62348 r |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 Catholic Church, becoming a member of Corpus Christi Catholic |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2 Church at 15 years old; she formerly attended St. Ambrose |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3 Catholic Church and now attends St. Josephine Bakhita Parish; |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4 she was a member of The Knights of Peter Claver Ladies |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5 Auxiliary; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6 WHEREAS, MajorBelle James has enjoyed cooking, especially |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7 baking cakes, and dancing; her hobbies have included |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8 videography, photography, and astrology; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9 WHEREAS, MajorBelle James is the aunt of well-known singer |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10 Donny Hathaway, the son of her oldest brother, Hosea; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11 WHEREAS, MajorBelle James is the grandmother of four, with |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12 one preceding her in death; the great-grandmother of 10, with |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13 one preceding her in death; the great-great-grandmother of 10; |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14 and the great-great-great grandmother of one; therefore, be it |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16 HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17 we congratulate MajorBelle (Brown) James on celebrating her |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18 100th birthday; and be it further |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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| 50 | 50 | | 20 presented to MajorBelle James as an expression of our esteem |
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| 51 | 51 | | 21 and respect. |
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| 57 | 57 | | HR0341 - 2 - LRB103 32650 LAW 62348 r |
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