Bill Text: IL SR1959 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Pastor Willis Allen Bruce of Alton.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2016-06-30 - Resolution Adopted [SR1959 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-SR1959-Introduced.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
3 | learn of the death of Pastor Willis Allen Bruce of Alton, who | ||||||
4 | passed away on May 26, 2016; and
| ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, Pastor Bruce was born in St. Louis, Missouri to | ||||||
6 | Adelaide Irene (Purcell) and Captain Donald Frances Bruce on | ||||||
7 | August 14, 1921; he was educated in St. Louis and Alton public | ||||||
8 | schools and enlisted in the United States Army shortly after | ||||||
9 | his 19th birthday; he served in World War II with the 3443rd | ||||||
10 | Quartermaster Truck Company until his Honorable Discharge as a | ||||||
11 | Sergeant in 1945; he fought in battles and campaigns in Papua | ||||||
12 | New Guinea, and the East Indies; he was a decorated soldier | ||||||
13 | receiving multiple ribbons and badges for his courage and | ||||||
14 | bravery, including three Battle Stars and six Oversees Bars; he | ||||||
15 | married Juanita Katheryn Merriweather at Campbell Chapel AME | ||||||
16 | Church in Alton on June 2, 1946; and
| ||||||
17 | WHEREAS, Pastor Bruce retired from Laclede Steel in Alton | ||||||
18 | after over 30 years; and
| ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, Pastor Bruce became an ordained minister in the | ||||||
20 | early 1970s; he was Pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Alton for | ||||||
21 | 39 years; and
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | WHEREAS, Pastor Bruce was the youngest of nine children: | ||||||
2 | Francis, Adelaide, Jane, Donald Jr., Irvin, John, Robert, and | ||||||
3 | Melvin; and
| ||||||
4 | WHEREAS, Pastor Bruce was preceded in death by his wife of | ||||||
5 | 64 years, Juanita; and
| ||||||
6 | WHEREAS, Pastor Bruce is survived by his daughters, Ruth | ||||||
7 | Ann Bruce Wilson (William Johnson) and Diane Irene Bruce Ross; | ||||||
8 | his sons, Charles Allen (Sandra) Bruce and Donald Madison | ||||||
9 | Bruce; his grandchildren, Thomas C. Wilson Jr., Jerome M. | ||||||
10 | Wilson, Diane B. Wilson, Delano B. Ross III, Jason B. Ross, | ||||||
11 | Lyndsay N. Bruce, Gerad D. Bruce, and India J. M. Bruce; his | ||||||
12 | great-grandchildren; and a host of friends, neighbors, | ||||||
13 | brothers, and sisters; therefore, be it
| ||||||
14 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | ||||||
15 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
16 | Pastor Willis Allen Bruce, and extend our sincere condolences | ||||||
17 | to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be | ||||||
18 | it further
| ||||||
19 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
20 | presented to the family of Pastor Bruce as an expression of our | ||||||
21 | deepest sympathy.
|