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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF BERTHA PURNELL
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27
WHEREAS, Bertha Purnell was born to Bertha and Randolph Purnell Sr. on March 4, 1960, and;
WHEREAS, Bertha confessed a hope in Christ with faith to live again in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, evident in her service to her home church, All Nations Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend Willie Purnell, and;
WHEREAS, Bertha graduated from Dawson Skill Center where she was trained as a Licensed Practical Nurse and transitioned into the natural role of caretaker for family, friends, and loved ones, and;
WHEREAS, Bertha's role as caregiver expanded when becoming mother to her son Terry Lee, her only daughter, Theandelia, and triplet sons; Marcus, Mario and Maurice, and;
WHEREAS, Bertha suffered a devasting loss June 24, 2017 when her son and one of the triplets, Maurice was murdered, and;
WHEREAS, Bertha turned her pain and grief into purpose through Mother's on a Mission, a non-profit she created to support mothers like her who had experience the loss of their children to gun violence, and;
WHEREAS, just as her labor of love as a caregiver expanded, so did her work in advocacy through collaborations with community stakeholders such as Axxon, Nature 120, Moms Demand Action, Crime Survivors of Safety and Justice just to name a few, and;
WHEREAS, Bertha's life, legacy, and commitment to her work will be honored as a recipient of Cook County's Unsung Heroine posthumously during Women's History Month, and;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County, does hereby celebrate the life of Bertha Purnell, and offer condolences to her family; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, a copy of this Resolution be tendered to the family as a token of th...
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