Full Text of SR0736 101st General Assembly
SR0736 101ST 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 William "Bud" Ipema, who passed | 4 | | away on April 14, 2019 at the age of 81; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Ipema was born in Evergreen Park to Dutch | 6 | | immigrants Ben and Gertrude (Venhuisen) Ipema on March 14, | 7 | | 1938; he graduated from high school in 1956; he enrolled in | 8 | | Calvin College and, after his father suffered a heart attack, | 9 | | withdrew for a period of time to help lead his family's | 10 | | construction business; he later re-enrolled and graduated with | 11 | | a master's degree from the Calvin Theological Seminary in 1969; | 12 | | and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, As an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed | 14 | | Church, Reverend Ipema was a trailblazing and compassionate | 15 | | preacher; he joined Young Life in 1968, moving into Chicago's | 16 | | Englewood neighborhood to work with gangs as the organization's | 17 | | National Urban Trainer; he tirelessly created opportunities | 18 | | and raised funds that supported the individuals and communities | 19 | | he was called to serve; he felt that struggling communities are | 20 | | "crowded with people who have good ideas; they just need | 21 | | resources, helping hands, and a chance"; and
| 22 | | WHEREAS, Each summer, Reverend Ipema would take busloads of |
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| 1 | | young people from Chicago's urban communities to a Young Life | 2 | | camp at Star Ranch in Colorado; he gave many of the kids their | 3 | | first experience outside of the confines of their immediate | 4 | | neighborhood, as well as providing many with a faith-filled and | 5 | | life-changing transformation; in 1975, he became the associate | 6 | | pastor of Lawndale Christian Reform Church, a position he held | 7 | | until his death; he also served on the faculty at North Park | 8 | | Seminary, creating a master's degree program for Young Life | 9 | | staff; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Ipema either launched or played a | 11 | | significant leadership role in many organizations, including | 12 | | the founding of the MidAmerica Leadership Foundation, now known | 13 | | as Goodcity, which included over 40 non-profits, the Seminary | 14 | | Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE), the Chicago | 15 | | Orleans Housing, the Council of Leadership Foundations, the | 16 | | Timothy Leadership Foundation (TLTI), where he served as | 17 | | Executive Director, and the Synodical Committee on Race | 18 | | Relations (SCORR), with whom he traveled to South Africa with a | 19 | | delegation sent by SCORR to examine its oppressive apartheid | 20 | | system; afterwards, the delegation made recommendations about | 21 | | the U.S. denomination's continued relationship with the South | 22 | | African church; and
| 23 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Ipema played an important role, along | 24 | | with leaders from a number of area churches, in creating the |
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| 1 | | landmark Atrium Village, a 300-unit housing project located | 2 | | near Cabrini Green, which was one of Chicago's first | 3 | | mixed-income housing developments; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Ipema touched the lives of many people; | 5 | | throughout his life, he befriended and mentored many, making an | 6 | | impression on everyone he met with his strength, faith, wisdom, | 7 | | and sense of humor; he never backed down from a challenge and | 8 | | worked against the race-biased systems that he felt were | 9 | | factors in creating negative environments; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Ipema was a true renaissance man; he was | 11 | | a skilled carpenter who loved woodworking and completed many | 12 | | projects for his extended family; among other things, he | 13 | | enjoyed traveling, 1957 Chevys, British comedies, and a good | 14 | | debate; he relished spending summers at his son's home in | 15 | | Holland, Michigan in the company of his children and | 16 | | grandchildren, whom he loved dearly; at the time of his death, | 17 | | he was finalizing his memoir, which, among other topics, | 18 | | covered his 60-year legacy in urban ministry on Chicago's South | 19 | | and West sides; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Ipema was preceded in death by his wife | 21 | | of 52 years, Donna (Huizenga); his son, Brad; and his brother, | 22 | | Henry; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Ipema is survived by his children, Gardi | 2 | | Wilks and Ben Ipema and their spouses; his daughter-in-law, | 3 | | Kirstin Wells; his seven grandchildren; his twin sister, | 4 | | Annamae (Richard) VanderVelde; and several brothers-in-law and | 5 | | sisters-in-law; therefore, be it
| 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 7 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 8 | | Reverend William "Bud" Ipema and extend our sincere condolences | 9 | | to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be | 10 | | it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 12 | | presented to the family of Reverend Ipema as an expression of | 13 | | our deepest sympathy.
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