Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR1352
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Full Text of HR1352  100th General Assembly

HR1352 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


  

 


 
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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of the
4Reverend James Bass of Chicago, who passed away on November 27,
52018; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Rev. Bass was born in Ruleville, Mississippi to
7Frank and Hattie Bell Bass, the oldest of six children, on May
87, 1920; he began school at the age of six in a little church
9house near Sunflower River Road; his favorite games were
10marbles and throwing horseshoes; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Rev. Bass was called into the ministry at the age
12of six; the children from neighboring farms gathered in one
13house on Sunday evenings to play church; he would conduct the
14service, rendering the sermon, the prayer, and the singing;
15tithes and offering were pieces of broken glass; he ministered
16at the funeral of anything that died and was repeatedly
17referred to as "The Preacher Boy"; every Sunday, he attended
18church with his parents in their only transportation, a mule
19pulled wagon; he first attended Mt. Laton Baptist Church in
20Sunflower County during the 1920s and 1930s; and
 
21    WHEREAS, At the age of 14, Rev. Bass became the custodian
22at his church; from 1934 through 1936, he attended Ruleville

 

 

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1Jr. High School; in 1938, he preached his first sermon at Mt.
2Laton Baptist Church entitled Preaching as the Fire Burns; he
3graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1941; and
 
4    WHEREAS, On December 7, 1941, Rev. Bass was drafted into
5the U.S. Army, where he served his country for three years
6during World War II; he continued his ministry during this
7time, speaking and teaching to fellow soldiers; he was promoted
8to Corporal in 1944 and was sent with his division to the South
9Pacific, India, and New Guinea, where his division was joined
10by the 92nd infantry amidst fierce fighting; he became the
11chaplain on the field and conducted worship services and
12delivered the mail; he was discharged on June 7, 1945 and
13received an array of medals; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Rev. Bass began his freshman year at Tugaloo
15College in 1948, majoring in history; he attended the
16Mississippi Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi in 1951 and became
17pastor of the Mt. Israel Baptist Church in Clarksdale,
18Mississippi, where he sponsored a broadcast for the senior
19citizens, the sick, and shut-ins; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In December of 1955, Rev. Bass was invited to
21Detroit to conduct a revival at Mt. Canaan Baptist Church; he
22made a stop in Chicago to visit his brother, Harry, and his
23sister, Mamie; he preached at the Greater Open Door Baptist

 

 

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1Church while there; and
 
2    WHEREAS, In August of 1956, a small mission was started and
3rapidly grew in numbers; the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist
4Church was organized in September of 1956; in February of 1957,
5Rev. Bass returned to Chicago; he commuted between Chicago and
6Mississippi, but soon permanently relocated to Chicago; he
7served six years as a pastor in Mississippi; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In 1967, Rev. Bass married Helyn Maxcine Julius;
9the couple was blessed with their first child on May 3, 1968, a
10son, Vincent, and on January 16, 1970, they were blessed with a
11daughter, Vikkeda; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
13HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
14mourn the passing of the Reverend James Bass and extend our
15sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew
16and loved him; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18presented to the family of Rev. Bass as an expression of our
19deepest sympathy.