May 23, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 87 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H4151-H4152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1200
                REMEMBERING VALERIE HORTENSTINE SHELDON

  (Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember 
Valerie Hortenstine Sheldon, a beloved community police officer who 
tragically passed away at the age of 39 in a traffic accident last 
week.
  Valerie was the chief of police in Raymond, Illinois, a small, tight-
knit community just a few miles from my hometown of Taylorville. She 
served as a law enforcement officer in three neighboring communities 
before coming to Raymond in 2007. She was named

[[Page H4152]]

police chief 9\1/2\ years ago by Raymond's mayor, who said she ``fit 
the bill as the perfect small-town officer.''
  Those who worked with her said she was always willing to do what she 
could to help out the village. She oversaw the Neighborhood Watch 
Program in Raymond, and she was a Montgomery County emergency 
management volunteer as well as a member of the Montgomery County 
search and rescue team.
  There was nothing more important to Valerie than the safety of her 
community. Like most law enforcement officers, Valerie loved every day 
of her job, and she loved serving the people of Raymond. She made a 
profound impact on so many, and I know she will be greatly missed.
  My prayers are with her two sons, Jake and Isaac, her family, and the 
entire town of Raymond during this difficult time.

                          ____________________