Political Quotes

“it is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Deacon James William Meeks passed away last Christmas Eve at his home in South Holland, IL. A longtime resident of the Chicagoland area, he was 90 years old. James William Meeks was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta town of Carrolton. Before moving to Chicago, James worked as a short-order cook at a hotel in Mississippi. One day, he met a young lady by the name of Esther Mae Smith, who also worked in the hotel. They fell in love and, in 1947, married at the courthouse on their lunch break. When James and Esther migrated north to Chicago, he found work at Kentile Floors as a forklift operator--a job he would hold for the next four decades--but his true passion was an unwavering devotion to his faith. In 1957, James became a deacon at the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and later helped his son, Pastor James T. Meeks, get his start as a preacher at Salem Baptist Church. Deacon Meeks was a father figure to the entire community, and his powerful handshake, from years of farm and manual labor, served as a reminder to the youth at Salem Baptist that, if they were planning on hanging around street corners, getting into trouble, he would be watching. Whether it was at Salem Baptist Church or the streets of Chicago, Deacon Meeks inspired so many young people to preach and simply do good deeds.…”