S.C.R. No. 72
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, It was with great sorrow that the Texas Legislature
1-2 noted the passing of prominent Kilgore civic leader Charles Devall
1-3 on January 28, 1995, at the age of 86; and
1-4 WHEREAS, This distinguished gentleman married the former Lyde
1-5 Willifork in 1939, and they enjoyed a happy home life until her
1-6 death in 1987; and
1-7 WHEREAS, An extremely patriotic man, he served his country
1-8 with valor in the United States Navy and attained the rank of
1-9 lieutenant commander; and
1-10 WHEREAS, Known for over 50 years for a wide range of
1-11 activities, he was a persistent and "unofficial" cheerleader for
1-12 the City of Kilgore; he conceived the idea of making Kilgore
1-13 America's Number One Small City and worked diligently to make this
1-14 concept a reality; and
1-15 WHEREAS, Charles Devall was the publisher of the Kilgore News
1-16 Herald from 1935 to 1979; during that time he held several titles,
1-17 including Kilgore's Man of the Year; his various activities made
1-18 his office an unofficial branch office of the Kilgore Chamber of
1-19 Commerce; and
1-20 WHEREAS, He helped organize the Kilgore Improvement and
1-21 Beautification Association and helped bring about the establishment
1-22 of Kilgore Industrial Foundation, Kilgore Ceramics Corporation, and
1-23 Kilgore Community Hotel-Motel Company; he was also a former
2-1 president of the Kilgore Chamber of Commerce, Kilgore Lions Club,
2-2 American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars; and
2-3 WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Devall were active boosters of the
2-4 Kilgore Rangerettes and the Kilgore Ranger Band and followed them
2-5 to performances at football games and bowl appearances; and
2-6 WHEREAS, He received some of his newspaper experience as a
2-7 child working for his father in Mount Vernon, and the experience
2-8 enabled him to work his way through The University of Texas earning
2-9 a journalism degree; and
2-10 WHEREAS, He was called home in 1931 because of an illness
2-11 that his father had, and within four years he was mayor of his
2-12 hometown and a member of the State Democratic Executive Committee;
2-13 and
2-14 WHEREAS, During the next few years, he acquired newspapers at
2-15 Daingerfield and Hughes Springs and established the weekly Kilgore
2-16 Herald; in 1940 he and Mrs. Devall bought the Kilgore Daily News
2-17 and consolidated the two papers as the Kilgore News Herald; and
2-18 WHEREAS, His paper received numerous awards during the next
2-19 four decades, including winning the Texas Press Association
2-20 Sweepstakes for best all-around daily in cities under 15,000 nine
2-21 times and the same top award seven times for North and East Texas
2-22 Press; the paper also won the East Texas Chamber of Commerce
2-23 Community Service Award six times and the Texas School Bell Award
2-24 two times from the Texas State Teachers Association; and
2-25 WHEREAS, This outstanding gentleman won two awards for
3-1 editorials from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, the
3-2 Holloway Meritorious Service Award from the North and East Texas
3-3 Press Association, and the Texas Daily Newspaper Association's
3-4 Taggart Award for Texas Newspaper Leader of the Year; and
3-5 WHEREAS, The manifold achievements and contributions that
3-6 Charles Devall made to Kilgore greatly assisted the development and
3-7 progress of his city and state; and
3-8 WHEREAS, His wise counsel and good judgment will be greatly
3-9 missed and remembered with gratitude by those who lived and worked
3-10 with him; now, therefore, be it
3-11 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
3-12 hereby extend sincere condolences to his family: his sister, Ruth
3-13 Heywood; his nephew, Charles Lewis; his nieces, Blanche Hamilton
3-14 and Marian Knight; and, be it further
3-15 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared for his
3-16 family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
3-17 Legislature, and that when the legislature adjourns this day, it do
3-18 so in memory of Charles K. Devall.