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LRB095 12331 GRL 37027 r | 
 
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 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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 |     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of  | 
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 | Representatives are honored to recognize significant  | 
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 | milestones in the lives of the families of this State; and
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 |     WHEREAS, Members of the Welch-Downs family had settled in  | 
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 | McLean County, Illinois and in 1882 two daughters of William  | 
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 | Welch came to Illinois from their home in Kansas to visit their  | 
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 | family; before their return, the family met at the farm home of  | 
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 | Lawson Downs Welch for a dinner to bid the visitors farewell  | 
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 | and Godspeed on their return trip; during that day it was  | 
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 | decided to continue these gatherings; and
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 |     WHEREAS, The Welch-Downs family of McLean County, Illinois  | 
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 | has continued to hold an annual family reunion each year since  | 
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 | 1882; and
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 |     WHEREAS, Members of this family have contributed to the  | 
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 | social fabric of Central Illinois; and
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 |     WHEREAS, Members of this family has been active in their  | 
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 | churches; and   | 
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 |     WHEREAS, Members of this family and have worked in numerous  | 
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 | jobs, including farming; in fact, many family members have  | 
  
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LRB095 12331 GRL 37027 r | 
 
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 | learned the true meaning of hard work detasseling corn and/or  | 
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 | "walking" soybean fields; and   | 
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 |     WHEREAS, Members of this family have proudly served in  | 
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 | different capacities in the Armed Forces of the United States  | 
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 | to defend our freedoms; and   | 
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 |     WHEREAS, While some family members have moved away from  | 
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 | Illinois, many members of the family still reside in Illinois;  | 
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 | and   | 
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 |     WHEREAS, The annual reunion draws family members that have  | 
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 | moved away back to Illinois to visit; and   | 
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 |     WHEREAS, The Welch Downs family will celebrate its 125th  | 
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 | annual reunion during the third weekend of August 2007,  | 
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 | culminating with a traditional family picnic to be held at  | 
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 | Dooley Park in Downs, Illinois, on August 19, 2007; therefore,  | 
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 | be it
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 |     RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE  | 
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 | NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we  | 
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 | congratulate the Welch-Downs family on the occasion of their  | 
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 | 125th annual reunion and their contribution to the social  | 
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 | fabric of Illinois, and we extend to them our sincere best  | 
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 | wishes for the future; and be it further
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