Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the life of Mr. Shelby Harris, from Rock Island, IL. When he passed away on July 25, 2012, at the age of 111, he was the oldest man in the country and the third oldest man in the world. Mr. Harris was born in Indiana on March 31, 1901. That same year President William McKinley was assassinated and Vice President Theodore Roosevelt took over the White House, there were only 45 stars on the American flag, and the life expectancy in this country was just 47 years of age. Throughout his 111 years, Mr. Harris lived a varied and rich life. In Indiana, he worked at a coal mine. He moved to the Quad Cities in 1942 where he enlisted in the Army during World War II. He also worked for the former Union Malleable and the John Deere Foundry in East Moline. He outlived two wives and three daughters. His oldest grandchild is 57 years old, and he was a great-great-great-great grandfather. Mr. Harris was a lifelong Democrat and credited his longevity to his faith in God. Age did not slow him down. Mr. Harris served as a deacon of Second Baptist Church until he was 102 years old and had a bucket list that included getting remarried and playing baseball. A month after his 111th birthday, Mr. Harris was able to cross baseball off his list after he threw out the first pitch at a Quad Cities River Bandits minor league baseball game. Living beyond the age of 110 made Mr. Harris a supercentenarian.…”