--- title: SR 277. Arnold, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr277 cite_as: SR 277, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr277 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr277.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr277/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70835 date: 2025-02-27 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr276.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr278.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr277.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 277 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-27 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Donzella James text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR277/2025 upstream_id: 1986180 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - Fairburn Georgia - Georgia Senate - civic leaders --- # SR 277. Arnold, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall; condolences ## Text Senate Resolution 277 By: Senator James of the 28th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold on January 26, 2025; and WHEREAS, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold was born on April 10, 1930, in Newnan, Georgia, a beloved daughter of Essie Mae and Milton Stegall; and WHEREAS, she was baptized at an early age at Dent Chapel A.M.E. Church and remained steadfast in her faith throughout her life, later becoming a devoted member of Saint John A.M.E. Church, where she served as a stewardess, an officer on the Steward Board, and a member of the Missionary Board Society; and WHEREAS, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold dedicated nearly 50 years of her life to serving the City of Fairburn, Georgia, where she worked, volunteered, and contributed to many schools, churches, and nonprofit organizations, enriching the lives of countless individuals in her community; and WHEREAS, she made history as the first African American city councilwoman of Fairburn, serving with distinction for 12 years and earning accolades such as the Council Member Outstanding Service Award and the Legacy Trailblazer Award in recognition of her lasting contributions; and WHEREAS, she was further invited to multiple presidential inaugural ceremonies, including those of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and was the recipient of both the Commemorative Presidential Print Award and the National Resource Defense Council Award; and WHEREAS, a woman of boundless generosity and warmth, she was known for her hospitality, her legendary home-cooked Sunday dinners, and her ability to make anyone feel like family; and WHEREAS, she found joy in nurturing both her community and her garden, winning Yard of the Year multiple times and transforming her front yard into an unwritten landmark in Fairburn; and WHEREAS, she was united in love and marriage to her husband, Lawrence, and together they were blessed with seven remarkable children, Lawrence, Alford Sr., Jane, Shanterria, Cheryl, Bobby, and Kimberly, as well as 22 wonderful grandchildren and four beloved great-grandchildren; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and devoted woman, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold will long be remembered for her love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing her. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold and express their deepest and most sincere regret at her passing. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold of Fairburn, who died on January 26, 2025, and directs a copy be given to her family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal tribute passed by the Georgia Senate to honor Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold, a longtime resident of Fairburn, Georgia, who passed away on January 26, 2025. It recounts her life story, including her decades of service to the City of Fairburn, her role as the city's first African American city councilwoman, her church activities, and her family life. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply expresses the Senate's condolences and directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for delivery to Arnold's family. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Senate's regret over the death of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold and honors her life and legacy. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Arnold's family. - Recites her biography and civic contributions as a matter of official legislative record, including her 12 years as Fairburn's first African American city councilwoman. ### Who it affects This resolution directly affects the family of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold, who will receive a copy of the resolution, and reflects recognition by the Georgia Senate of her civic contributions to the City of Fairburn. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial effect and changes no Georgia law. Its significance is symbolic: it creates an official public record of the Senate's recognition of a local civic leader's life and community contributions. ### Key provisions - The preamble recounts Arnold's life, including her birth in Newnan, Georgia in 1930 and her death on January 26, 2025. - Notes she served 12 years as Fairburn's first African American city councilwoman and received several civic awards. - The resolved clause has the Senate formally honor her memory and express regret at her passing. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to her family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-27) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-27) - Sponsors: Donzella James - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70835 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr277.md?full=1