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<p class="MsoNormal">Joe’s commitment to, and hard work on behalf of, the Iowa Department for the Blind and Business Enterprise Programs are too large to capture properly in words. Not only did he dedicate his time and talents to serving many years on the Iowa
Commission for the Blind and Elected Committee of Blind Vendors, but I saw his advocacy at the Capitol save our appropriation more than once. He never forgot what Kenneth Jernigan taught him and he gave back what he had been given one hundred fold to improve
the lives of blind Iowans who would come after him. He was a farm boy who was not afraid of hard work . He worked hard at his business and he worked hard by going to the capitol and talk to everyone and make sure that they knew how important IDB services
were. He was an inspiration to me and so many other blind Iowans and he will deeply missed. I hope that all of us who knew him and those who have benefited from his work will continue that work with the same passion and sense of urgency that he demonstrated
for so many years. <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From:
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Tall-Corn <tall-corn-bounces@nfbnet.org> on behalf of Dr. Bitrus Gwamna via Tall-Corn <tall-corn@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Date: </b>Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 8:27 PM<br>
<b>To: </b>'NFB of Iowa Internet Mailing List' <tall-corn@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Cc: </b>Dr. Bitrus Gwamna <bgwamna@gmail.com><br>
<b>Subject: </b>Re: [Tall-Corn] Sad news from the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I am so sorry to read this. Joe was a truly amiable person, always willing to lend his knowledge of blindness issues, the federation and the IDB to those of us less informed than he. May the memories<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He has left behind comfort them, and may his soul rest in peace.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bitrus<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Tall-Corn <tall-corn-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of
</b>Scott Van Gorp via Tall-Corn<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 26, 2023 7:53 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> NFBI Listserv <tall-corn@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Scott Van Gorp <svangorp@nfbi.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Tall-Corn] Sad news from the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Good Evening Federation Family:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is with great sorrow that I write to you this evening to announce that Joe Van Lent, a long-time Federationist, BEP/Randolph Shepherd vendor, and former Iowa Commission for the Blind board member, passed away on Wednesday evening, January
25th. Services will be held in Des Moines on April 15, 2023, and we will share full details for those later. For now, let’s keep his wife Laura, and the rest of his family in our thoughts and prayers. Blind people are undoubtedly in a much better place in
Iowa because of Joe’s work and we are forever grateful. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Scott Van Gorp, President<br>
National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<br>
Phone: 515-720-5282<br>
</span><a href="mailto:svangorp@nfbi.org">Email</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nfbi.org/"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Website</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
<br>
</span></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823082570/posts"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Facebook</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
<br>
</span></i><a href="https://twitter.com/nfb_iowa"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Twitter</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
<br>
Live the life you want.<br>
</span></i><br>
The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.<o:p></o:p></p>
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