A funeral worthy of the 'Rednour Way' brings caring together
The Josh Grobin song "You Raise Me Up" set the tone of Wednesday's two-hour funeral service for Du Quoin State Bank board chairman and 24-year mayor John Rednour.
Mayor Rednour passed away at 1:40 a.m. Sunday at Marshall Browning Hospital and in two day's time--Tuesday night and Wednesday morning--nearly 800 family members and friends came to the First Baptist Church to say farewell..
Longtime friend Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) flew into Southern Illinois from Washington D.C. and shared the Rednour experience with the nearly 500 in attendance at the new Family Life Center Wednesday at the First Baptist Church. The two men enjoyed an historic relationship.
Equally historic was the love affair between Rednour and wife Wanda and as a fitting tribute grandson Calen Campanella added the Brad Paisley song "Waiting on a Woman" to the service.
Durbin spoke alongside Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who proclaimed Dec. 4, 2013 as John Rednour Day in Illinois; longtime friend and retired Sesser Mayor Ned Mitchell; Du Quoin Evening Call publisher and longtime friend John Croessman; and grandsons Calen and Jordan Campanella.
Mitchell rememberd being at an Illinois Municipal League meeting with Mayor Richard Daley, who had to ask where Sesser was. "I told him 400 miles south of Chicago, near Carbondale, near Mount Vernon," Mitchell said. "So, do you know John Rednour?" Daley asked as he got his bearings. "Yes, I know John Rednour." Redour's friendships were global.
A half-century of politics were all around. Retired Congressman Jerry Costello stood with longtime political friend and 12th Congressional District chairwoman Barb Brown and Costello's son, 116th Dist. Rep. Jerry Costello. Longtime Illinois Congressman Ken Gray sat in front on one side. Congressman William Enyart flew in and stood alongside his Chief of Staff, Kevin Kern.
Illinois State Police Master Sergeant Howard Baxter headed an honor guard that included officers and firemen from the City of Du Quoin, who filed to the front of the sanctuary to pay their last respects.
Then, one-by-one, family members stepped to the casket to show their love for arguably one of the most prolific figures in Du Quon's history. Then, the casket was closed.
Calen spoke from his writings when Rednour retired as mayor. Grandson Jordan said "we got him back" out of the public spotlight for a few months before his passing. Jordan made reference to the mayor's belief "don't cry over anything that can't cry over you."
"Today, we cry," said Jordan.
Mitchell said the most important part of the service's memorial program was the dash between 1934-2013. He said it was that space in between that filled our lives with the great accomplishments of John Rednour.
One of the most moving aspects of the service was the soft guitar strings of music director Kevin Wright, who played "I'll fly away." The service eded with the Garth Brooks song, "The Dance."
It was the service that Rednour would have wanted, full of celebration, soft-spoken reflection, and rememberances of a life well-lived.
Du Quoin--and the family--must now go on. Rednour would require nothing less.