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