H.R. No. 548 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, On October 1, 1994, the owners of Mathews Cleaners 1-2 in DeKalb closed the doors of this esteemed dry cleaning 1-3 establishment for the last time, bringing to an end 76 years of 1-4 outstanding service to their community; and 1-5 WHEREAS, The first dry cleaning business in DeKalb, Mathews 1-6 Cleaners was founded on July 3, 1918, by the late T. D. Mathews, 1-7 who took advantage of the era's low transportation rates in the 1-8 early days of the operation to send the dry cleaning to Sherman, 1-9 more than 100 miles away; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Mr. Mathews soon gained a loyal following in DeKalb 1-11 by offering excellent dry cleaning and alteration services at his 1-12 shop, and the sterling reputation he earned for himself within the 1-13 community enabled him to overcome an early setback that occurred 1-14 when a fire devastated his store and most of the downtown business 1-15 district in 1925; and 1-16 WHEREAS, After the tragedy, this resourceful entrepreneur set 1-17 up shop next to his home on Mill Street in northwest DeKalb until 1-18 he was able to reopen downtown, where he personally continued to 1-19 run the business until his retirement in the early 1960s; and 1-20 WHEREAS, A familiar and cherished landmark in DeKalb, the 1-21 cleaners remained in the Mathews family for three generations and 1-22 prospered as a friendly mom-and-pop establishment under the expert 1-23 direction of Jim and Iris Mathews; and 1-24 WHEREAS, The Mathewses added to the business's loyal 2-1 clientele through the years, bringing in new customers and friends 2-2 from throughout the community who appreciated the prompt, friendly 2-3 service and quality workmanship they received from the shop at its 2-4 original and subsequent locations; and 2-5 WHEREAS, At its most recent Runnels Street location, Mathews 2-6 Cleaners tailored its services to meet the changing needs of its 2-7 clientele by offering for sale a line of men's and women's apparel, 2-8 as well as custom-made men's outerwear, while maintaining the 2-9 high-quality dry cleaning and alteration services that served as 2-10 the cornerstone of the original shop; and 2-11 WHEREAS, The key to the success of this extraordinary 2-12 business through the years has been the remarkable dedication of 2-13 the Mathews family and the loyalty of their many customers, whose 2-14 steadfast support and friendship made every day of this prosperous 2-15 enterprise's operation worthwhile; in light of the unparalleled 2-16 service this family-owned business provided to its community for 2-17 more than three quarters of a century, Mathews Cleaners is indeed 2-18 deserving of special praise and legislative recognition at this 2-19 time; now, therefore, be it 2-20 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-21 Legislature hereby honor Mathews Cleaners and its owners, Jim 2-22 Houston Mathews and Iris Alicia "Bitsy" Mathews, for a truly 2-23 exemplary record of service to the citizens of DeKalb; and, be it 2-24 further 2-25 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-26 prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Mathews as an expression of highest 2-27 regard by the Texas House of Representatives.