HR0200

LRB094 11637 HSS 43451 r






1

HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
2
    WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the 
3
State of Illinois wish to honor Floyd F. "Mike" Reed on the 
4
occasion of his 86th birthday on March 26, 2005; and

 
5
    WHEREAS, He was born on March 26, 1919, in Pine Creek 
6
Township, Ogle County, Illinois, the sixth of 11 children of 
7
Henry and Olive "Smice" Reed; he was nicknamed "Mike" at a very 
8
early age, and that name has been with him all his life; and

 
9
    WHEREAS, Mr. Reed enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 6, 
10
1940, along with brothers Kenneth and Robert; they all served 
11
in North Africa and Italy during World War II; he married 
12
Gertrude C. "Unger" Reed on August 11, 1942, in Muskogee, 
13
Oklahoma, prior to being shipped overseas; while serving in 
14
World War II he was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart; 
15
he was discharged in 1945 as a First Sergeant; and

 
16
    WHEREAS, Following his discharge, he was hired as a 
17
carpenter in the late 1940s at Northwestern Steel & Wire Co. 
18
(NWS & W); when the family first moved to Sterling, they lived 
19
in a railroad box car in an area that was nicknamed Silver 
20
City; NWS & W had moved several hundred box cars onto mill 
21
property as living quarters for the newly hired employees of 
22
the expanding company; while living in the box car and working 
23
at the mill, Mr. Reed was building a house in the rural 
24
Sterling area, where he and his wife raised 3 children, Connie 
25
L. Reed, David M. Reed, and Cindy R. Reed; he lived in this 
26
house until his wife passed away in March of 1982; he retired 
27
from the steel mill upon her passing; and

 
28
    WHEREAS, In 1983, Mr. Reed sold his home and moved to 
29
Thomson, where he still resides; he married Barbara J. "Gates" 
30
Reed on March 29, 2003, in Thomson; and

 
 


 






HR0200
- 2 -
LRB094 11637 HSS 43451 r




1
    WHEREAS, He was always an avid fisherman and hunter until 
2
his later years, when he had to give up hunting; he continues 
3
to fish the Mississippi River every day, weather permitting; he 
4
routinely catches many catfish, which he eats, and routinely 
5
gives dressed fish to friends and neighbors; and

 
6
    WHEREAS, During his younger years, Mr. Reed was a very 
7
active volunteer member of the Illinois Clean Streams 
8
Committee, Sterling Little League & Babe Ruth baseball, and the 
9
Coleta Sportsmen's Club; therefore, be it

 
10
    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
11
NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
12
we congratulate Floyd F. "Mike" Reed on the occasion of his 
13
86th birthday, and we wish him many more happy birthdays; and 
14
be it further

 
15
    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
16
presented to Mr. Reed as an expression of our respect and 
17
esteem.