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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Mrs. Bernice Thompson of Chicago, who
4recently passed away; and
 
5    WHEREAS, She was born in Belzoni, Mississippi, on March 18,
61923, and live there until 1941; she made a public proclamation
7of her love of God at Stranger's Home Missionary Baptist Church
8in Isola, Mississippi; and
 
9    WHEREAS, After moving to Chicago she worked in a government
10defense plant; she later worked for the fashion industry until
11retiring in 1988; she also opened a shop in her home where she
12created designs for weddings, proms, and other occasions; and
 
13    WHEREAS, She was a member of Landmark Missionary Baptist
14Church in Chicago, where she served on the nurse's board and
15the missionary society; she was also a member of the Board of
16Director of the Melvin Powell Sr. Scholarship Fund; and
 
17    WHEREAS, She was especially close to her son and enjoyed
18watching him rise through the ranks of the Chicago Police
19Department and serve as interim alderman for the 9th Ward at
20the request of the Mayor of Chicago, taking a temporary leave
21from the Police Department; and when he was called to be a

 

 

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1Deacon in the church, she was full of pride that he had been
2chosen for that task; she was also close to her grandson,
3Melvin Powell, Jr., whom she lovingly called "Tiger"; and
 
4    WHEREAS, She was preceded in death by her husband, Deacon
5Otis Thompson; her son, Deacon Melvin Powell, Sr.; her parents;
6her 3 brothers and one sister; and
 
7    WHEREAS, She is survived by her brothers, Jose McCoy (Alma
8Jean) and Earnest James; her sister-in-law, Billie McCoy; her
9daughter-in-law, Dian M. Powell; her grandson, Melvin Powell,
10Jr.; her great-granddaughters, Ashley Dian Powell and
11Gabrielle Dyan Powell; her great-great-granddaughter, Taylor
12Diahann Sharon Hunter; her 11 nephews; her 10 nieces, including
13Ollie Bell Butler, Bernice Powell, and Deazaeree Guider; her
14God-daughter, Aretha Walker Morris; the family of her late
15husband; and a host of relatives, friends, and members of her
16church family; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
18ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
19her family and friends, the passing of Bernice Thompson; and be
20it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22presented to the family of Bernice Thompson as a symbol of our

 

 

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1sincere sympathy.