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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Residents of Albany, Texas, lost an admired educator |
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with the passing of Winifred Yates Waller on November 2, 2023, at |
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the age of 93; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Henry Elbert and Cozette Hembree |
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Yates, the former Winifred Yates was born in Wilson, Oklahoma, on |
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September 24, 1930; she grew up in Breckenridge, Texas, with a |
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younger brother, John; in 1951, she married Clarence Waller, and |
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they settled in Albany, where they raised three children, Melissa, |
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Stephen, and James; as a rancher's wife, Mrs. Waller was a savvy |
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resource manager and shared in many responsibilities; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Waller completed her bachelor's degree at |
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Hardin-Simmons University in 1968, and she went on to earn a |
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master's degree from her alma mater; as a teacher in the Albany |
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Independent School District, she set high standards for youngsters |
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and inspired them to study diligently; many who once bemoaned the |
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difficulty of her courses returned years later to thank her for |
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spurring them on to greater achievements; a generous mentor and |
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stalwart advocate for her students, she served as a sponsor for UIL |
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competitions and for The Old Timer history magazine, which became |
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affiliated with the Junior Historians of Texas; she was a member of |
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the Texas State Teachers Association, the Joint Council of Teachers |
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of English Advisory Committee, and DKG; and |
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WHEREAS, Dedicated to her community and its heritage, |
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Mrs. Waller was vice president of the Shackelford County Historical |
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Commission; she was involved in Texas Sesquicentennial oral history |
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workshops and the Fort Griffin Fandangle historical musical; among |
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many accolades, she received an Albany Chamber of Commerce Special |
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Award for recording and preserving county history, and she was |
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named Albany's 1983 First Lady of the Year; she was also a member of |
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the Albany Chamber of Commerce and First Baptist Church of Albany; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Above all, Mrs. Waller was devoted to her family, |
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and she was the proud "Grandmommy" to eight grandchildren and seven |
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great-grandchildren; to the very last, she kept up with her |
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relatives daily through phone calls, texts, FaceTime, and Facebook; |
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she was preceded in death by her husband in 2014; and |
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WHEREAS, Winifred Waller lived a caring and purposeful life, |
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and she will forever hold a special place in the hearts of those she |
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left behind; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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4th Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Winifred |
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Yates Waller and extend sincere sympathy to her loved ones; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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Winifred Waller. |