Bill Text: IL HR1539 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of Joseph W. Freelon, the first African American mayor of Maywood.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2017-01-09 - Resolution Adopted [HR1539 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HR1539-Introduced.html

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HR1539 LRB099 24208 MST 51929 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Joseph W.
Freelon, the first African American mayor of Maywood; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon was a Chicago school teacher and
real estate salesman; he was elected mayor of Maywood on April
7, 1981 after defeating newspaper publisher, Ronald Saunders,
by just 23 votes in an eight-person race; the recount, and
other, related legal battles, lasted more than a year after
election; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon served two terms as mayor from 1981
to 1989; he won a third term as mayor in the 1993 election; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon was active in his community; he
headed up the deacon's board at Second Baptist Church in
Maywood; in 2014, he was appointed to the Maywood fire and
police pension board; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon's wife, Gladys, established the
Maywood Village beautification committee; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Freelon had two children, Gawana Freelon,
and Joseph Freelon Jr. VFP; therefore, be it

HR1539 - 2 - LRB099 24208 MST 51929 r
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
mourn the passing of Joseph W. Freelon, and extend our sincere
condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
him; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of Joseph Freelon as an expression of
our deepest sympathy.