Building for the Future
This fund was started in March of 2025 by Luke’s parents, Daniel & Deborah Hensley, and Melissa (Hensley) Nyman, in memory of their son and brother, Lucas Hensley. The established purpose of the fund is to provide annual grants to support the Village of Bellflower of Bellflower, including, but not limited to support for the Bellflower Fire Protection District, to which Luke volunteered much of his time.
Growing up in Bellflower, IL, is something only those lucky enough to experience can truly understand. For the people who have moved there—whether they decided to stay or eventually moved on—they certainly feel the warmth that the Bellflower community brings to everyone. Many choose to spend their entire lives there.
Luke attended preschool with some of the same friends he later graduated high school with. Several of his teachers were the same ones I had, and even some that our parents had. It’s also not unusual in Bellflower to have a teacher your parents grew up with. This all made “Meet the Teacher” nights at school seem a bit silly.
Summers as a kid were spent playing Little League baseball, riding bicycles until the streetlights came on, playing in the dirt, and fishing in the nearest pond—or sometimes even in a puddle in the alley. He was an Illini basketball fan and a Dallas Cowboys fan. As he grew up, Luke enjoyed the open road on a Harley, making bonfires, spending time with family, and hanging out with his lifelong friends.
Our family was always proud of Luke’s excellent craftsmanship. He spent countless hours in his garage and workshop, and his business, The Dusty Shed Workshop, kept him busy and happy. He was always willing to use his talents to help keep Bellflower looking its best. There always seemed to be something that needed to be repaired or built around town. If someone needed a tool, not only did he probably own it, but he also knew exactly where it was.
Two main community events take place every year: the 4th of July celebration and the Community Christmas Eve program. Both have continued through generations, and when people say, “It takes a village,” they couldn’t be more right.
Luke played a role in so many ways—he made the stage stairs safer at the community center, built boards for the annual bags tournament, created the drop-off box for the library, made wooden animals for the Christmas Eve program, helped with cleanup days, made repairs at the ball diamond, and assisted with anything else that needed some love and attention.
When Luke tragically passed away in a house fire on February 6, 2024, it was not only a devastating loss for our family but also for the entire community. The initial memorial funds collected were donated to the Bellflower Fire Protection District, helping purchase a brush truck to fight fires in the fields and ditches.
Our family decided that the very best way to honor Luke is to honor the Village of Bellflower. The town’s pride runs deep. Luke loved Bellflower, and we want to help ensure that future generations love it too.
As Luke’s sister, I ask you to consider donating in his honor—for a community that is more like family than merely neighbors and friends.
Thank you,
Melissa Nyman
To make a tax-deductible donation to this endowment fund, you can:
Give online by clicking the button below.
Donate by check: Make it payable to Morton Community Foundation and mail it to 135 S First Ave, Morton, IL 61550. Please write “Luke Hensley Fund” on the memo line.
Make a tax-advantaged gift of stock…Visit our stock gifting page by clicking HERE.
Donate grain…Learn how by clicking HERE.
