By Conley                                            H.C.R. No. 200
       74R11406 PAN-D
                              HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, The Lone Star State lost a distinguished Texan with
    1-2  the passing of former State Representative Lou Nelle Sutton on July
    1-3  1, 1994, at the age of 88; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, A native of Livingston, she lived for a time in San
    1-5  Angelo and completed college in Austin before settling in San
    1-6  Antonio, the city she was proud to call home; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, In 1958, she became the bride of G. J. Sutton and
    1-8  over the course of the couple's happy and rewarding marriage,
    1-9  Mr. Sutton, in 1972, became the first African-American elected to
   1-10  represent the citizens of Bexar County in the Texas House of
   1-11  Representatives; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, Determined to carry on her husband's important work
   1-13  after his passing in June of 1976, Mrs. Sutton won a special
   1-14  election during the 64th Legislature to fill his unexpired term and
   1-15  was so effective in that office that she was subsequently elected
   1-16  in her own right to a full two-year term and was then reelected to
   1-17  five additional terms until her retirement from public office in
   1-18  1989; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, A member of the Appropriations Committee throughout
   1-20  her entire legislative career, this dedicated public servant worked
   1-21  diligently to secure many important projects of benefit to both her
   1-22  community and state during her tenure, including the replacement of
   1-23  the New Braunfels Street Bridge, the renovation of San Antonio's
   1-24  St. Paul Square, and the completion of the G. J.  Sutton State
    2-1  Office Building on the city's east side; and
    2-2        WHEREAS, In addition, Mrs. Sutton helped to obtain millions
    2-3  of dollars in funding that have had a lasting impact on The
    2-4  University of Texas at San Antonio, the San Antonio State Hospital,
    2-5  and the greater San Antonio community; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, Outside the legislative arena, Mrs. Sutton also
    2-7  played an active role in making her community a better place in
    2-8  which to live and raise a family through her service on the boards
    2-9  of many social, civic, educational, and community-based
   2-10  organizations; and
   2-11        WHEREAS, A respected businesswoman as well, Mrs. Sutton was
   2-12  the owner of Sutton-and-Sutton Mortuary, which she had founded with
   2-13  her husband, and in recent years she was instrumental in designing
   2-14  and constructing a new state-of-the-art funeral home to better
   2-15  serve the community; and
   2-16        WHEREAS, The recipient of many accolades for her extensive
   2-17  achievements, Mrs. Sutton was awarded an honorary doctor of laws
   2-18  degree from Huston-Tillotson College, her alma mater,  and honorary
   2-19  membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Links, the
   2-20  PALS, the Progressive Women's Club, and the Business and
   2-21  Professional Women's Club; and
   2-22        WHEREAS, A lifetime member of the NAACP and the YWCA,
   2-23  Mrs. Sutton also was an active churchgoer who served at various
   2-24  times as a Sunday school teacher and usher during her more than 50
   2-25  years of worshipping at St. Paul United Methodist Church; and
   2-26        WHEREAS, In all aspects of her life, Lou Nelle Sutton
   2-27  demonstrated unfailing wisdom, graciousness, and dedication to that
    3-1  which she knew to be right; though her presence will be deeply
    3-2  missed by all who were privileged to know her, the memory of this
    3-3  remarkable woman will surely live on through the wealth of valuable
    3-4  accomplishments she leaves behind; now, therefore, be it
    3-5        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas,
    3-6  Regular Session, 1995, hereby pay tribute to the life of former
    3-7  State Representative Lou Nelle Sutton and extend sincere sympathy
    3-8  to the members of her family: to her stepchild, Jeffrey Dean
    3-9  Sutton; to her three grandchildren; to her niece, Mae Nelle
   3-10  Fleming; to her great-nieces, Regina Fleming and Belinda Fleming;
   3-11  to her great-nephew, Forrest Fleming; and to the many other friends
   3-12  and relatives of this esteemed woman; and, be it further
   3-13        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   3-14  prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas
   3-15  House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in
   3-16  memory of the Honorable Lou Nelle Sutton.