By:  Bivins                                            S.R. No. 221
    1-1                           SENATE RESOLUTION
    1-2        WHEREAS, On February 20, 1995, Jack and Nona Collins of
    1-3  Amarillo will reunite in marriage to celebrate the 50th anniversary
    1-4  of their first wedding; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, Jack and Nona became acquainted in Childress, Jack's
    1-6  birthplace and Nona's hometown at the time, when Jack was 19 and
    1-7  Nona was 13; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, Nona was 14 when Jack first proposed marriage before
    1-9  being shipped overseas as a member of the Army Air Corps, but Nona
   1-10  declined, and there followed a long-distance courtship of letters
   1-11  and pictures between Nona in Oklahoma and Jack "somewhere" in
   1-12  England, Africa, or Italy; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, Jack returned to American soil on February 11, 1945,
   1-14  and he and Nona were married 11 days later, February 22, 1945,
   1-15  waiting a total of two days after his arrival at her home before
   1-16  being married, in order to pay respect to her father's advice to
   1-17  not rush to a decision; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, Their union contributed two sons to the postwar baby
   1-19  boom, first Terry in 1948 and then Steve in 1951, and Terry and
   1-20  Steve were raised in the Panhandle towns of Childress, Borger,
   1-21  Vernon, and Amarillo, the last of which has been Jack and Nona's
   1-22  home for 35 years; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, With the gifts of intellect, self-confidence, and
    2-1  independence given them by their parents, Terry and Steve both
    2-2  became lawyers, Terry a noted energy lawyer in private practice in
    2-3  Washington, D.C., and in corporate practice in Houston, and Steve a
    2-4  longtime counsel to this legislature through his service at the
    2-5  Texas Legislative Council; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, PappaJack and MammaNo, as they are known to their
    2-7  grandchildren and neighborhood children, have been blessed with
    2-8  four wonderful grandchildren--Erin, Ryan, Drew, and Shelley--each
    2-9  of whom in the eyes of loving grandparents is above average; and
   2-10        WHEREAS, Through the 50 years of their marriage Jack and
   2-11  Nona have been blessed with friends and family who have shared
   2-12  their lives and who now wish to honor and congratulate them on this
   2-13  special occasion; now, therefore, be it
   2-14        RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
   2-15  74th Legislature, hereby extend its congratulations to these fine
   2-16  Texans on the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary; and,
   2-17  be it further
   2-18        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
   2-19  prepared for Jack and Nona Collins as an expression by the
   2-20  Texas Senate of its wish for them for many more years of
   2-21  companionship and joy.
   2-22                               ______________________________________
   2-23                                       President of the Senate
   2-24                                    I hereby certify that the above
   2-25                               Resolution was adopted by the Senate
    3-1                               on February 15, 1995.
    3-2                               ______________________________________
    3-3                                       Secretary of the Senate
    3-4                               ______________________________________
    3-5                                        Member, Texas Senate