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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
| 3 | learn of the death of Bernard Francis "Bernie" DeVries of | ||||||
| 4 | Antioch, who passed away on August 2, 2018; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Bernie DeVries was born at home on the farm in Rib | ||||||
| 6 | Falls, Wisconsin to Sam and Effie (Andringa) DeVries on | ||||||
| 7 | December 29, 1925 and grew up in Sparta, Wisconsin; he left | ||||||
| 8 | high school in 1943 during his junior year and enlisted in the | ||||||
| 9 | U.S. Navy, serving as a shipfitter/hull technician; he married | ||||||
| 10 | Helen Margaret Sands in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania on June 21, | ||||||
| 11 | 1947; he served onboard the USS Saipan and was stationed at a | ||||||
| 12 | variety of locations, including Cuba, Philadelphia, Norfolk, | ||||||
| 13 | Key West, Great Lakes, and Pearl Harbor; he retired from the | ||||||
| 14 | Navy in 1963 after 20 years of service and settled in Antioch; | ||||||
| 15 | and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Bernie DeVries continued his welding career first | ||||||
| 17 | in Trevor, Wisconsin and then in Libertyville until he retired | ||||||
| 18 | in 1987; he was a member of UAW Local 1643; and
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| 19 | WHEREAS, In 2002, Bernie DeVries received his high school | ||||||
| 20 | diploma with the Sparta High School graduating class; it was a | ||||||
| 21 | proud moment as he accepted his diploma and a certificate of | ||||||
| 22 | recognition from the commander of the Fort McCoy Army Garrison | ||||||
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| 1 | in Tomah, Wisconsin; and | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, Bernie DeVries was a member of Antioch American | ||||||
| 3 | Legion Post 748, serving in many capacities, including post | ||||||
| 4 | commander numerous times; he was also a member of the Fleet | ||||||
| 5 | Reserve Association, the Retired Enlisted Association, VFW | ||||||
| 6 | Sequoit Post 4551, and the United Methodist Church of Antioch; | ||||||
| 7 | he and Helen volunteered for Meals on Wheels for many years and | ||||||
| 8 | were active in the USO at the Great Lakes Naval Base; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Bernie DeVries was an active beekeeper for over 35 | ||||||
| 10 | years and was a member of the Lake County Beekeepers | ||||||
| 11 | Association; in 2014, he received the Illinois Beekeepers | ||||||
| 12 | Association Pioneer Award for his work in promoting beekeeping; | ||||||
| 13 | and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Bernie DeVries was preceded in death by his wife, | ||||||
| 15 | Helen; his parents; his brothers, Morris, Harvey, and Thomas; | ||||||
| 16 | his son-in-law, David J. Valentine; and his grandson, Jack | ||||||
| 17 | Bernard Valentine; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Bernie DeVries is survived by his daughters, | ||||||
| 19 | Margaret (James) Cole, Christine (Kenneth) Smith, Colleen | ||||||
| 20 | Valentine, and Dianna (Jack) Baseley; his brother, Gordon | ||||||
| 21 | DeVries; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; | ||||||
| 22 | therefore, be it
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| 1 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | ||||||
| 2 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 3 | Bernard Francis "Bernie" DeVries and extend our sincere | ||||||
| 4 | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved | ||||||
| 5 | him; and be it further
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| 6 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 7 | presented to the family of Bernie DeVries as an expression of | ||||||
| 8 | our deepest sympathy.
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