United States Senator Richard Durbin to speak at Mother Jones Monument Rededication Ceremony on June 20
United States Senator Richard Durbin will be speaking at the at the Mother Jones Monument rededication ceremony scheduled for 10 AM on Saturday, June 20 at the Union Miners’ Cemetery in Mt. Olive, IL.
Durbin will be joining Illinois State Senator Andy Manar and Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael Carrigan to present the newly renovated Mother Jones Monument. Senator Manar and the Illinois AFL-CIO have been instrumental in leading fundraising efforts for the cemetery improvement and monument restoration which began in October 2013. The committee raised more than $75,000 and received an additional $43,000 matching tourism grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The project utilized more than $10,000 in donated union labor.
Senator Durbin will be attending the event in southern Illinois to honor Mother Jones and to express his sincere gratitude to the working men and women that the monument represents.
The rededication ceremony will include music by folksingers Bucky Halker and Chris Vallillo and a portrayal of Mother Jones performed by Margaret Orner of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. The event is in conjunction with the 150th Sesquicentennial celebration of the city of Mt. Olive (June 17-21) and includes a sneak peek at the newly erected Mother Jones Museum which is a part of the new city office complex in downtown Mt. Olive.
The final resting place of Mother Jones brings in thousands of visitors each year. The restored monument and museum are expected to increase those visits to the small community. The historic landmark celebrates the courage of a woman who fought most of her life for the rights of others and offers a glimpse into the hardships of a coal miner, and the dangerous fight unions waged in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The Union Miners’ Cemetery Board proudly extends an invitation to the public to attend. Flyers are attached:
Mother Jones Monument Rededication Ceremony
June 20, 2015 @ 10:00 AM
Union Miners’ Cemetery, Mt. Olive, IL
Following the rededication, there will be an open house at the newly erected Mother Jones Museum built in downtown Mt. Olive. The museum will be open from 11 am-3 pm on June 20 and will feature plans for future exhibits and education. Both events will take place in conjunction with the Mt. Olive 150th Sesquicentennial celebration. We hope you can join us!