| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Memories of a life well lived may help to comfort |
|
|
those saddened by the passing of the Reverend Howard Leroy |
|
|
Bloomquist of Weslaco on February 15, 2023, at the age of 80; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Born in Rockford, Illinois, on May 8, 1942, Howard |
|
|
Bloomquist was the son of Elmer and Georgia Bloomquist, and he grew |
|
|
up with the companionship of a brother, George; in 1963, he was |
|
|
joined in marriage to Delores Kraemer, and the couple went on to |
|
|
share a fulfilling union that spanned nearly six decades; they were |
|
|
blessed with four children, Kristine, Kevin, Kirk, and the late |
|
|
Craig Alan Bloomquist, and their family later grew to include five |
|
|
grandchildren, Brittany, Blake, Brock, Brooke, and Braxton, and two |
|
|
great-grandchildren, Averee and Addisyn; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Reverend Bloomquist earned a bachelor's degree in |
|
|
theology from Minnesota Bible College; he began his ministerial |
|
|
career in Concord, Minnesota, and went on to pastor in other cities |
|
|
in the state with additional stops in Illinois and Indiana; along |
|
|
the way, he served as chaplain at a state penitentiary and as an |
|
|
emergency medical technician; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In 1990, Reverend Bloomquist became the minister at |
|
|
First Christian Church in Weslaco; he eventually founded Central |
|
|
Christian Church, which continues to thrive today, and he served |
|
|
the congregation as pastor until his retirement in 2015; for many |
|
|
years, he was the chaplain of the Weslaco Police Department, John |
|
|
Knox Village, and Knapp Medical Center; he gave generously of his |
|
|
time and talents to the community in countless other capacities, |
|
|
including as a Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce "Red Coat" |
|
|
ambassador and as an active member of the Weslaco Rotary Club; in |
|
|
2010, he was selected as the Weslaco Outstanding Citizen of the |
|
|
Year; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Howard Bloomquist lived a rich and purposeful life |
|
|
devoted to his family, his faith, and his community, and he will be |
|
|
deeply missed by all those who held him dear; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Reverend Howard |
|
|
Leroy Bloomquist and extend sincere condolences to his loved ones; |
|
|
and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|
|
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of the |
|
|
Reverend Howard Bloomquist. |