Married on December 28, 1947
to Peggy Ann nee' Fife
Father of Mary Cecille (1952)
Father of Jo Ann (1957)

ILLINOIS SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to express their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Joseph E. McNaughton, who passed away on March 5, 2002; and
WHEREAS, Joseph E. McNaughton, former publisher of the Effingham Daily News and former owner of WCRA/WCRC in Effingham, was a man who dedicated his life to strengthening his community, loving his family and being an astute businessman; and
WHEREAS, Born in Bicknell, Indiana, in 1919, Joseph E.
McNaughton was the son of Foy F. and Cecille McNaughton; he married Peggy Ann Fife in 1947 and moved to Effingham; she preceded him in death on April 30, 2001; and
WHEREAS, Joseph McNaughton's father was a newspaperman
who wanted to purchase the Effingham newspaper, but when the family couldn't work out a deal at that time, Joseph McNaughton started up radio station WCRA, which went on the air in June 1947 and, in June 1948, he became president and general manager of the station; in 1949, the Effingham Daily News was purchased by the McNaughton family and Joseph McNaughton became president and general manager; the radio station later expanded to include an FM station, and for 50 years Mr. McNaughton was president of the Effingham Broadcasting Co; in addition, he served as publisher of the Effingham Daily News for 43 years; and
WHEREAS, From his start in Effingham, Joseph McNaughton
began to branch out; in 1952, he became president and general manager of the Elgin Broadcasting Co. and from there, Mr. McNaughton bought daily newspapers and radio stations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and California; and
WHEREAS, In his early radio and newspaper days, Joseph
McNaughton played a pivotal role when Effingham's St. Anthony Hospital burned on April 4, 1949, killing 77 people, including 12 infants; he set up his radio station on a table outside the hospital, broadcasting throughout the night, a first in Effingham history since AM stations were not allowed to broadcast after dark; not only did his radio station become a connection for families and community members that night, Mr. McNaughton also played a very personal role in the relief effort since he was the Effingham County Red Cross 11 disaster chairman; and
WHEREAS, After the fire, Joseph McNaughton was instrumental in raising funds to build a new hospital, which proudly stands today as a memorial to those who lost their lives; in addition, he headed eight fund drives, including a drive in 1974 to raise $1 million for the hospital; and
WHEREAS, Mr. McNaughton was always aware that giving back
to one's community was the greatest feat a man could accomplish, and throughout his life, he concentrated on making contributions that would strengthen the area's foundation, included leading the effort in 1953 to build Lake Sara to ensure Effingham had a sufficient water supply in the future; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Mr. McNaughton quietly built his
radio stations and newspaper to become the voice of the area people; he served at one time as the president of the Illinois Daily Newspaper Markets; at the same time, he continued to contribute to community efforts, often behind the scenes, where he was active in the local Chamber of Commerce, was chairman of the United Fund Drive and served as chairman of the Effingham County Mental Health Board; and
WHEREAS, Joseph McNaughton had a full life outside of business and community ties; he enjoyed history, traveling and hunting; he attended the 1936 Berlin Olympics when he was 17 years old and sat very close to Adolph Hitler, which made a huge impression on him; from that day on, he loved history and became a voracious reader; he also visited every Civil War battle field; and
WHEREAS, The passing of Joseph E. McNaughton will be deeply felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his daughters, Mary Cecille McNaughton Feezel(husband, Mark Feezel) and Jo Ann McNaughton-Kade (husband, Christopher Kade); his brother, Dean McNaughton; his sister, Lou Edith (husband, Donald) Soldwedel; his grandchildren, Sara Ingersoll, Adam Helmer, Patrick Mansfield, Stephen Mansfield McNaughton, Zachary Kade, Kevin Kade, Katie Kade, Chris Kade, Amanda Kade, Rachel Kade, Molly Kade, Danielle Kade, Suzie Kade, Joseph Kade, Ellen Kade, William Feezel, and Thomas Feezel; and his great-grandsons, Ross Mansfield, and Ethan Mansfield; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with all who knew him, the death of Joseph E. McNaughton of Effingham, Illinois; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Joseph E. McNaughton with our sincere condolences.

Illinois Senate Resolution 92_SR0363 LRB9216468RHrh