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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Mr. Abraham
4Stiggers, Jr. and Mrs. Dorothy J. Stiggers on the occasion of
5their 60th wedding anniversary; and
6 WHEREAS, Dorothy and Abraham Stiggers met in Memphis,
7Tennessee in 1953; a bricklayer by trade, Abraham left Memphis
8to work in Chicago in 1954; and
9 WHEREAS, After arriving in Chicago and finding work,
10Abraham Stiggers sent for his wife; on September 7, 1955, the
11two were joined in holy matrimony; their union has resulted in
128 children, 22 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren; and
13 WHEREAS, Though Abraham Stiggers was a bricklayer since
14around the age of 14, he left the profession and became
15self-employed in 1971, when he became the business owner of Ms.
16Doll's Lounge; and
17 WHEREAS, Answering the call of President John F. Kennedy
18when he asked what she can do for her country, Dorothy Stiggers
19embarked on a career in nursing, where she faithfully served
20for more than 50 years; and

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1 WHEREAS, Initially, Dorothy Stiggers was not accepted into
2nursing school because of her race, but she petitioned the
3President of the United States, the Governor of Illinois, and
4the Mayor of Chicago; her persistence paid off and she was
5admitted to nursing school; and
6 WHEREAS, Dorothy Stiggers has worked at several hospitals,
7including Cook County Hospital (now Stroger Hospital),
8Roseland Community Hospital, and the University of Chicago; she
9served as the Director of Nursing for several facilities and
10programs; for many decades, she has been a member of the
11National Chapter of Black Nurses Association, where she served
12as Treasurer for her chapter; she has also worked for the City
13Colleges of Chicago as an instructor; and
14 WHEREAS, Dorothy Stiggers has been a dedicated member of
15Trinity United Church of Christ since 1995; she has been active
16in a number of ministries, including the Usher Board, the
17Grandparents' Ministry, and Imabasi, a health ministry; she is
18also a member of many service organizations; and
19 WHEREAS, Dorothy and Abraham Stiggers enjoy traveling;
20Dorothy has been to approximately 45 of the 50 states; after
21their 60th anniversary celebration, Dorothy and Abraham will
22visit the remaining states; and

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1 WHEREAS, Dorothy and Abraham Stiggers' 60 years of marriage
2exemplify love in action through their commitment and service
3to each other, to their family, and to the community at large;
4therefore, be it
5 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
6NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
7congratulate Mr. Abraham Stiggers, Jr. and Mrs. Dorothy J.
8Stiggers on their 60th wedding anniversary and wish them many
9happy and healthy years to come; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11presented to Abraham and Dorothy Stiggers as an expression of
12our esteem and respect.