By Kubiak                                               H.R. No. 75
       74R4481 SRD-F
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The 14th annual Snider Family Reunion will take
    1-2  place on June 10, 1995, and the Texas House of Representatives is
    1-3  pleased to recognize this fine Texas family for its exceptional
    1-4  contributions to the cultural and economic richness of our great
    1-5  state; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, Each year the Snider family gathers in Bremond to
    1-7  reflect on its distinctive history, to pay tribute to those family
    1-8  members who have passed away, and to recall the bonds that have
    1-9  united it for generations; descendants attending the reunions are
   1-10  refreshed and strengthened as they celebrate their Polish heritage
   1-11  and reweave the delicate fabric of kinship so easily stretched by
   1-12  time and distance; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, This year's celebration, which is expected to draw
   1-14  more than 150 family members, will begin with a Catholic Mass at
   1-15  Saint Mary's Catholic Church that will be followed by a celebration
   1-16  at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bremond; and
   1-17        WHEREAS, As detailed in The History of the Snider Family of
   1-18  Robertson County, by Dan and Leonard Kubiak, the family has traced
   1-19  its roots back to Poland when, seeking to escape the destitute
   1-20  conditions of their war-torn country, hundreds of families found
   1-21  land and opportunity in Texas in the late 1800s; as news of hope
   1-22  made its way back to Poland, other settlers followed, and through
   1-23  hard work, determination, and an unwavering faith in God, new
   1-24  settlements were soon established throughout the state; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, Two brothers, Tom and Jacob Suchowiak (Snider), were
    2-2  among those who escaped the hardship of their motherland to settle
    2-3  the heavily wooded region near the communities of Bremond and
    2-4  Wooten Wells in Robertson County; overcoming the many obstacles of
    2-5  frontier life, they worked the new land with fervent vigor to make
    2-6  for themselves and their families a future bright with promise that
    2-7  would lead to success and happiness for generations of family
    2-8  members to come; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, Tom and Balbina Snider became prominent citizens of
   2-10  the Wooten Wells settlement and together raised a large family in
   2-11  the warmth of a loving Christian household; their son, Mike Snider,
   2-12  married Veronica Grudziecki on November 15, 1906, and also raised a
   2-13  large family that grew to include John Snider, Willie Snider
   2-14  Storemski, Bill Snider, Connie Snider Kubiak, Bruno Snider,
   2-15  Christine Snider Knapik, Louis Snider, and Lee Snider; and
   2-16        WHEREAS, At the age of 87, John Snider is now the oldest
   2-17  living member of the family, and the other children of Mike and
   2-18  Veronica Snider who are today respected elders and honored guests
   2-19  at each year's reunion include Willie Storemski, Connie Kubiak,
   2-20  Christine Knapik, Louis Snider, and Lee Snider; and
   2-21        WHEREAS, Seeking to revive and preserve the cultural
   2-22  traditions and values that were once so central to the lives of
   2-23  their Polish forefathers, organizers of the Snider Family Reunion
   2-24  emphasize their family's unique history, while at the same time
   2-25  they recognize and extoll the achievements contemporary family
   2-26  members have made over the years; highly educated and extremely
   2-27  motivated, many have attained prominent positions in medicine,
    3-1  business, law, politics, agriculture, construction, publishing,
    3-2  historic preservation, and private industry; and
    3-3        WHEREAS, Against difficult odds, ancestors of the Snider
    3-4  family risked everything they had to journey to a new land, where
    3-5  they labored faithfully and painstakingly to better themselves;
    3-6  they ultimately emerged triumphant, not only improving their own
    3-7  lives, but also contributing to the rich cultural heritage and
    3-8  economic development of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
    3-9        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   3-10  Legislature hereby designate June 10, 1995, as Snider Family Day in
   3-11  Texas and extend warmest best wishes to all family members who
   3-12  attend the festivities for a delightful and rewarding reunion; and,
   3-13  be it further
   3-14        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   3-15  prepared for the Snider family as an expression of highest regard
   3-16  by the Texas House of Representatives.