Full Text of SR1175 100th General Assembly
SR1175 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Reverend Donald Becker of Oak Park, who | 4 | | passed away on July 30, 2017, at the age of 89; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Becker was born in Farley, Missouri to | 6 | | the Reverend Alvin and Martha Oetting Becker on May 28, 1928; | 7 | | he was baptized at St. John Lutheran Church in Farley and | 8 | | confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Campbell Hill; he | 9 | | graduated from St. Paul Lutheran High School and Junior | 10 | | College, a preparatory school for aspiring pastors; he entered | 11 | | Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri in 1948 and spent two | 12 | | years as a vicar in Lutheran churches in Japan and the | 13 | | Philippines; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Becker was passionate about diversity in | 15 | | the church; it was during his time as a vicar that he decided | 16 | | to serve in churches that included diverse racial and cultural | 17 | | groups; he graduated from the seminary in 1954, becoming the | 18 | | pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Emporium, Pennsylvania; | 19 | | from 1958 until 1996, he served as pastor of First Immanuel | 20 | | Lutheran Church on the near west side of Chicago; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Becker married Carolyn Gresens on | 22 | | November 20, 1960 and their parish life and family life became |
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| 1 | | inseparable; his wife supported his lifelong mission to end | 2 | | prejudice along racial and economic lines, working with him as | 3 | | deaconess, superintendent of work with children and youth, and | 4 | | as an administrative assistant for the church; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Becker served as pastoral counselor for | 6 | | more than a dozen inner-city Lutheran congregations; he was an | 7 | | active participant in the 1960s civil rights movement and one | 8 | | of his passions was to help the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod | 9 | | take an active role in racial integration and in civic and | 10 | | political issues that affect the poor; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Becker was the recipient of the Seeds of | 12 | | Hope Award from Wheat Ridge Ministries for his dedicated | 13 | | service to the community; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, After his retirement, Reverend Becker served as | 15 | | the Urban Linkage Coordinator of the Northern Illinois District | 16 | | of the Lutheran Church from 1997 to 2004; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Becker was preceded in death by his | 18 | | parents; his siblings, Elfred (Hildegarde), Paul, Norbert, | 19 | | Irma (Robert) Schmidt, and Leonard Becker; and his | 20 | | brother-in-law, Arthur Crosmer; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Becker is survived by his beloved wife, |
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| 1 | | Carolyn; his children, David and Martin (Laura) Becker; his | 2 | | siblings, Vera Crosmer, Marvin (Jean), and Robert (Gloria); his | 3 | | sister-in-law, Gerry Becker; and many nieces and nephews and | 4 | | great-nieces and great-nephews; therefore, be it
| 5 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | 6 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 7 | | Reverend Donald Becker, and extend our sincere condolences to | 8 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 9 | | further
| 10 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 11 | | presented to the family of Reverend Becker as an expression of | 12 | | our deepest sympathy.
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