At a remembrance for him Thursday night, area Republicans said there aren’t a lot of people like Art Havenhill. Former Illinois House member Jeanne Ives said the LaSalle County Tea Party founder believed that citizenship isn’t a spectator sport.
Former St. Rep. John Anthony says not a lot of people intimidate him, but he admiringly says Art Havenhill did. Havenhill founded the LaSalle County Tea Party and wanted to know if Anthony was with it. The two first met at a restaurant to talk politics.
Those who spoke described Havenhill as someone who believed in Illinois, although he spent the last two-and-a-half years of his life in North Carolina. Havenhill was 77 when he died last month. Current Tea Party Chair Dennis Corbin put on the remembrance at Pitstick Pavilion.
Art Havenhill’s picture got the microphone at the LaSalle County Tea Party tribute to him Thursday night.