More than 60 people receive US citizenship at Springfield naturalization ceremony

In the same room where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famed "House Divided" speech in 1858, a crowd of proud citizens, families and friends convened on Friday for the 71st naturalization ceremony.

Represented by 24 countries, 61 people earned their citizenship — their final step after completing an interview process and demonstrating proficiency in English and U.S. history.

U.S. District Judge Richard Mills and U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen McNaught welcomed all participants to the ceremony, held one day after a similar celebration in Chicago where more than 700 became citizens.

"Today, we welcome 61 new United States citizens from 24 different countries around the globe who have chosen our country over all the other 194 in the world in which to live, work, and raise their families," said Mills, this being the naturalization ceremony that will be presiding. "We are honored."

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Just as these immigrants made their way to Springfield, Mills and McNaught narrated the journey of the city's most-famed resident beginning generations before with Lincoln's great-great-great-great grandfather.

As McNaught explained, Sam Lincoln voyaged from England to Massachusetts in the 1600s as part of the Great Migration when many Puritans left for the New World. There, the Lincolns grew to a fair share of the Hingham population before heading west to Kentucky, she said.

Following their remarks, candidates took the oath of citizenship to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Candidates then received their official certificates, making them citizens, from Mills and McNaught. After the ceremony, citizens could register with Social Security and be registered to vote with the Illinois Board of Elections.

Starting and concluding the ceremony was the Springfield Lawyers Chorus, a collection of seven lawyers with one director and one accompanist on piano.

Roger Holmes serves as director of the chorus and was approached by Mills 35 years ago to put together an ensemble. While not having any directorial credentials at the time, Holmes took on the task and has not looked back since.

Attending so many ceremonies over the years has not made any of them less special, he said, but rather the opposite.

"These celebrations become more special each time," Holmes said.

Contact Patrick Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Citizens naturalized in ceremony at Old State Capitol in Springfield