By Zbranek                                             H.R. No. 707
       74R11145 WMS-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The recent passing of Judge Dempsie Henley on April
    1-2  16, 1995, has brought a great loss to the many friends and
    1-3  relatives of this esteemed Liberty public servant and businessman;
    1-4  and
    1-5        WHEREAS, A native of Clark, this exceptional individual's
    1-6  forebears were among the state's earliest colonists, having settled
    1-7  in the Big Thicket area of north Liberty County in 1835; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, Judge Henley answered his country's call to arms
    1-9  during World War II, serving the cause of freedom with unflinching
   1-10  bravery as a member of the United States Army while stationed in
   1-11  France and Germany and earning rapid promotion to become one of the
   1-12  Army's youngest first sergeants; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, His exemplary record of public service includes four
   1-14  consecutive terms as mayor of Liberty, 13 years as chairman of the
   1-15  Texas Indian Commission, and four terms as county judge of Liberty
   1-16  County, and in each of those difficult and demanding roles he
   1-17  labored ceaselessly to provide a brighter future for those he was
   1-18  sworn to serve; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, During his accomplished tenure as chairman of the
   1-20  Texas Indian Commission, Judge Henley championed the development of
   1-21  the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation near Livingston as well as
   1-22  reservations for the Tigua Tribe in El Paso and the Kickapoo Tribe
   1-23  in Eagle Pass; and
   1-24        WHEREAS, Renowned for his exceptional business acumen as a
    2-1  real estate broker and developer, Judge Henley carried to his
    2-2  efforts in the private sector the same tireless work ethic that was
    2-3  the hallmark of his endeavors as a public servant; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, A talented author, he brought to life the land where
    2-5  his family first settled in the highly acclaimed book, The Big
    2-6  Thicket Story, and he also penned The Murder of Silence; and
    2-7        WHEREAS, Honored as a Man of the Year by the Liberty/Dayton
    2-8  Chamber of Commerce, Judge Henley earned many other well-deserved
    2-9  accolades during his lifetime of community service, including the
   2-10  Trinity Valley Exposition Favorite Son Award, the Veterans of
   2-11  Foreign Wars Distinguished Service Award, the Cleveland Chamber of
   2-12  Commerce Government Service Award, the People Against a
   2-13  Contaminated Environment Outstanding Service Award, and others too
   2-14  numerous to mention; and
   2-15        WHEREAS, Judge Dempsie Henley was a man of rare talent and
   2-16  wisdom; although his presence is gone from us now, his spirit will
   2-17  surely live on in the hearts of the many people whose lives he
   2-18  touched during his time on this earth; now, therefore, be it
   2-19        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-20  Legislature hereby honor the life of Judge Dempsie Henley and
   2-21  extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife,
   2-22  Pat Emanuel Henley; to his children, Scott Henley, Jerry Henley,
   2-23  Holly Henley, and Jade Morris; to his sister and brother-in-law,
   2-24  Quida and Bill Cauthorn; to his half-brother, Buck Henley; to his
   2-25  six grandchildren; and to the many other friends and relatives of
   2-26  this beloved gentleman; and, be it further
   2-27        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
    3-1  prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas
    3-2  House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of
    3-3  Judge Dempsie Henley.