By Walker                                              H.R. No. 518
       74R9350 BNL-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The wedding anniversary of two outstanding Texans
    1-2  who have shared 50 happy and rewarding years of marriage is indeed
    1-3  a memorable occasion worthy of special praise and recognition; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, Garland and Mary Lee Thompson Swann will have the
    1-5  privilege of commemorating such an event in their lives when they
    1-6  celebrate their golden wedding anniversary at a reception in their
    1-7  honor on April 2, 1995; the reception will be hosted by their
    1-8  children's families at the Community Center of Plains; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, The couple began their courtship while Mrs. Swann
   1-10  was working as a bookkeeper for Slaton Motor Company, but their
   1-11  romance was interrupted by the exigencies of World War II;
   1-12  Mr. Swann responded to the dire circumstances of the time by
   1-13  enlisting in the United States Marine Corps, where he attained the
   1-14  rank of master technical sergeant; and
   1-15        WHEREAS, Stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, at the time of
   1-16  the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, Mr. Swann would go on to
   1-17  contribute 48 months of distinguished service to the Allied war
   1-18  effort, serving with valor and courage at the Battle of Midway, the
   1-19  Marshall Islands, and throughout the South Pacific Theater; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, They finally married on March 24, 1945, at the home
   1-21  of Mrs. Swann's parents, and when Mr. Swann completed his military
   1-22  obligations at air bases in California, the young couple moved to
   1-23  Texas and settled on a farm near Plains; and
   1-24        WHEREAS, Their earliest farming efforts were hampered by the
    2-1  dry climate and a plentiful supply of rattlesnakes, but their
    2-2  persistent efforts to establish an irrigation system eventually
    2-3  paid off, and they continue to live on that land today; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, Mr. Swann's agricultural concerns led him to help
    2-5  organize a soil conservation office in the county, and in addition
    2-6  to serving as one of that office's earliest directors, he also has
    2-7  served the Yoakum County Co-op Gin, the local school board, and the
    2-8  area's Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter; admired throughout
    2-9  the county for his culinary skills as a cook for the annual Old
   2-10  Settlers' reunion, Mr. Swann was honored by his neighbors for his
   2-11  support of the FFA program and agriculture in the region when he
   2-12  earned the title of Conservation Farmer of Yoakum County in 1971;
   2-13  and
   2-14        WHEREAS, Despite the many demands of operating a farm and
   2-15  rearing a family, Mrs. Swann has distinguished herself in the
   2-16  community as a member and former president of GFWC Tsa Mo Ga Study
   2-17  Club; both Mr. and Mrs. Swann are longtime members of First Baptist
   2-18  Church, and their enduring relationship has been an inspiration to
   2-19  their many friends in that congregation; and
   2-20        WHEREAS, Their marriage was blessed with four children,
   2-21  Harold Lee, Rex, and twin daughters Gay and Kay, and in recent
   2-22  years this loving family has grown to include seven grandchildren,
   2-23  Kristi, Kari, Jason, Ryan, Fen, Ashley, and Kolten; moreover, the
   2-24  whole family is anxiously awaiting the arrival of an eighth
   2-25  grandchild, and his or her appearance in August 1995 will be yet
   2-26  another grand cause for celebration; and
   2-27        WHEREAS, For half a century, Garland and Mary Lee Swann have
    3-1  shared a marriage filled with many happy times and cherished family
    3-2  memories; built on a foundation of mutual love, trust, and respect,
    3-3  their remarkable union is indeed worthy of highest praise and
    3-4  recognition; now, therefore, be it
    3-5        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
    3-6  Legislature hereby congratulate Garland and Mary Lee Swann on the
    3-7  occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary and extend to them
    3-8  warmest best wishes for many more years of continued happiness;
    3-9  and, be it further
   3-10        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   3-11  prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Swann as an expression of highest regard
   3-12  by the Texas House of Representatives.