Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor a very important person in my life, who is actually a distant cousin. His mother was actually a Bost, a cousin of my grandfather. His name was Ray Doerr. He is from Vergennes, Illinois. He passed away on July 12 at the age of 98. Ray gave back to his community in big ways and small. He served as a trustee in Vergennes for 67 years and as mayor for 10 years. He was the chairman of the Republican Party of Jackson County for 24 years. He was a friend to Governors and Senators, but he never let politics change who he was. He stayed grounded. He stayed loyal to his roots. Mr. Speaker, I will say, personally, I stand here today because of Ray. He was one of the first people who encouraged me to get into public service. He saw something in me early on and never stopped offering his advice. When I say 'early on,' I was 23 years old when he encouraged me to get involved in local politics. I will always value our friendship. Ray was a proud Navy veteran who answered the call to serve our country during World War II. He enlisted at just 17 years of age, serving in the South Pacific, including during the invasion of Okinawa. When he came home, he married his wife, Ime, and began a life rooted in faith, hard work, and service to others. He worked in the mines. He delivered gas to farmers. He was a sales manager for Massey Ferguson. He farmed. He served as an auditor for the Illinois Secretary of State, and he was an auctioneer for 80 years.”