Illinois State Senator James H. Rupp and his lovely wife Florence (Jim and Floss) have been participating in Unification community activities for over 10 years. Sen. Rupp was mayor of Decatur, Illinois (an industrial town of 100,000 people) for 10 years and then served for an additional 10 years as its state senator. While mayor of Decatur, Jim would go out to the mall on Friday night with his entire family so that the people of the city could meet with him. Jim is truly a man of the people. Often we would have to meet him in another town in order to have a serious business meeting without interruption.

In the early 1980s, during the CAUSA era, Sen. Rupp answered an invitation for a program in Decatur. He was very inspired, and when the American Freedom Coalition was formed in 1987, he became the founding chairman of the American Freedom Coalition of Illinois, along with Major General Ted W. Sorensen and Dr. Jakie Roberts. His experience at the American Leadership Conference inspired him to become fully involved with AFC. Mrs. Rupp strongly supported his work in this area, because she knew that the American Leadership Conference stood for all the ideals that Sen. Rupp had believed in and worked for all of his life.

Sen. Rupp diligently served the AFC for many years. He hosted a sold- out Oliver North event in the Decatur Civic Center in which Dr. Robert Grant, president of the AFC, and Robert Owen, Oliver North's special assistant, each spoke to the capacity crowd. Sen. Rupp attended American Leadership Conferences in Washington, D.C. and Miami and this past February, Mrs. Rupp flew to Washington, D.C. to attend the International Women's Friendship Conference.

Strong Christians who emigrated to Illinois from New Jersey, the Rupp's have two married sons and an ever-growing number of grandchildren.

Recently our Unification brother and sister Greg and Chizuru Quigley, who live in Urbana, Illinois about 30 miles from Decatur, visited with the Rupps and arranged for them to attend the Blessing of 360,000 couples. However, one week before the event, Sen. Rupp became sick and was forced to go to the hospital. Even in his hospital room, Sen. Rupp expressed the desire to participate in the Blessing Ceremony. Therefore Greg and Chizuru made all the necessary arrangements with the hospital and with the senator's family in attendance, the Rupp's were able to fully participate in the ceremony from their hospital room. Mrs. Rupp looked stunning in her beautiful white dress and the senator's son and grandson enjoyed the ceremony very much.

When I called the senator, on the afternoon before the ceremony, he was excited and anxious, since he thought the ceremony was at 7am, but he persevered, and along with Greg and Chizuru and the hospital staff (Chizuru showed the IWFC video between the Holy Wine Ceremony and the simulcast of the Blessing), a wonderful time was had by all.

Through the years Sen. and Mrs. Rupp have been such conscientious public servants, good friends of our True Parents and all whom they touch, and faithful children of Heavenly Father. I am sure that God must feel such joy as this special couple was able to participate in the Holy Wedding in such a unique way.

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