Bill Text: IL SR0804 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of B. Don Rankin of Arcola.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Passed) 2019-11-14 - Resolution Adopted [SR0804 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-SR0804-Introduced.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
learn of the death of B. Don Rankin of Arcola, who passed away
on October 25, 2019; and
WHEREAS, Don Rankin was born in Princeton, Missouri to
William Harrison and Mary Zella Busby Rankin on June 6, 1943;
he attended schools in Ravanna, Missouri, where he graduated
high school in 1961; he graduated from Northeast Missouri State
University (Truman State University) in 1965, where he was a
member of the Blue Key Honor Society and president of the Sigma
Tau Gamma Fraternity; and
WHEREAS, Don Rankin taught high school and college prep
English at Benton Community High School in Van Horne, Iowa,
until he began his career in publishing as an editor with the
Webb Publishing Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota; he and his
wife, Linda, purchased the Arcola Record Herald newspaper and a
small trade magazine for broom manufacturers, the Broom and
Broom Corn News, in 1977 and began the Rankin Publishing
Company; he and Linda and their sons moved to Arcola in
December of 1977, where he was a proud citizen and community
supporter; and
WHEREAS, Don Rankin owned and published the Record Herald

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for 25 years, where his column, The Rankin File, was a favorite
of readers; he and Linda added the trade magazines Maintenance
Sales News, Busline, and Discover Central Illinois to the
company and expanded the Broom and Broom Corn News into the
Broom Brush and Mop magazine; during that time, they also owned
and published The Arthur Graphic-Clarion, the Oakland
newspapers, and the Free Press; in 2000, the decision was made
for Rankin Publishing to focus entirely on its trade magazines,
and that business and its dedicated staff continue to publish
these magazines from Arcola; and
WHEREAS, Don Rankin was on the board of the Arcola
Foundation for 30 years, serving as its vice president; he and
Linda were named grand marshals of the Arcola Broom Corn
Festival in 2016; and
WHEREAS, Don Rankin and Linda were lifelong members of the
United Methodist Church, and he served the Arcola United
Methodist Church as a representative on various committees and
boards throughout the years; he was a past president of the
Arcola Chamber of Commerce and The Arcola Sports Boosters; he
was a member of the Arcola Music Boosters and other community
organizations and a willing volunteer for community events; and
WHEREAS, Don Rankin was the grandfather of Sophia Zella
Rankin, Cale Squires, Madison Rankin, and Caden Rankin; he was

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brother-in-law to Dr. Richard Jaspers (Joyce), Keith Jaspers
(Karen), and Marcia Jaspers Hollatz (Richard) and a special
uncle to his nieces and nephews; and
WHEREAS, Don Rankin is survived by his wife of 50 years,
Linda Jane Jaspers; his sons, William Jason (Sarah) and Donald
Chase (Lynn) Rankin; and his brother, Dr. W. Dale (Nancy)
Rankin; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
B. Don Rankin 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 Don Rankin as an expression of our
deepest sympathy.