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92_SR0042
LRB9207939RHrh
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3 express their sincere condolences to the family and friends
4 of Dr. Robert H. Rutherford, who passed away on January 28,
5 2001; and
6 WHEREAS, Dr. Rutherford was born on December 4, 1912 in
7 Girard, Illinois to Cecil and Besse Turner Rutherford; as a
8 teenager he received the Carnegie Medal for Heroism in 1931;
9 the medal was given to him for digging his father and another
10 man out of a well that had collapsed around them, saving both
11 of their lives; and
12 WHEREAS, Dr. Rutherford attended Blackburn College and
13 the University of Illinois; he received his education in
14 medicine from Washington University Medical School, where he
15 also met his wife, Dorothy Dickey; he completed his
16 internship in San Francisco; and
17 WHEREAS, Dr. Rutherford and his wife Dorothy were married
18 on December 10, 1937; the couple moved to Carlinville,
19 Illinois where he worked with Dr. Earl Chamness; shortly
20 thereafter, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and traveled
21 to Pasadena for treatment; after he recovered he returned to
22 Carlinville to resume his career; and
23 WHEREAS, Dr. Rutherford was drafted into World War II,
24 but later was discharged due to his medical history; and
25 WHEREAS, With no other hospitals between St. Louis and
26 Springfield, Dr. Rutherford and Dr. Chamness often worked
27 seven days a week to meet the need; he was often paid "in
28 kind" rather than with none which often meant "in tomatoes or
29 in chickens"; and
30 WHEREAS, Dr. Rutherford enjoyed traveling; every other
31 year the Rutherford family would vacation in California;
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1 after the children were grown, he and his wife traveled to
2 Puerto Rico where they spent their vacation working; Dr.
3 Rutherford doctored young people in the back areas while his
4 wife worked in the lab; and
5 WHEREAS, Many people have fond memories of Dr.
6 Rutherford's professional ability and generosity; for 25
7 years he assisted students at Blackburn College, many of
8 whom couldn't afford medical care; he often was known for
9 spending his time in patient's homes or sitting with patients
10 in the hospital; he helped out a fellow nurse, Margaret
11 Bloomfield, who lost her husband in an accident that also
12 seriously injured two of her three children, by adopting a
13 pet goat from their farm that needed a home; and
14 WHEREAS, Dr. Rutherford's work allowed him to deliver
15 many babies, meet many people, visit their homes, and bring
16 the dream of the new hospital to fruition; the hospital
17 opened in July of 1952; On January 1, 1955, he joined with
18 Dr. William Lusk and Dr. Milton Buehrig to form a clinic in
19 the old hospital building on East Main; and
20 WHEREAS, Dr. Rutherford carried on in his capable manner
21 for over 58 years; his invaluable ability showed in his
22 willingness to help new doctors adjust to the demands of
23 working in a rural practice and in his help to his friends,
24 neighbors, professional organizations, and people in far off
25 lands; and
26 WHEREAS, The passing of Dr. Robert H. Rutherford will be
27 deeply felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his
28 wife, Dorothy; his sons, Dick Rutherford, Jack Rutherford,
29 and Paul Rutherford; his daughters, Ann Goetzel and Jill
30 Lambert; his thirteen grandchildren; his seven
31 great-grandchildren; his sister, Helen Rutherford Leasman;
32 and his two nieces; therefore, be it
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1 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
2 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
3 all who knew him, the death of Dr. Robert H. Rutherford of
4 Carlinville, Illinois; and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6 presented to the family of Dr. Robert H. Rutherford with our
7 sincere condolences.