By: Galloway S.R. No. 820 1-1 SENATE RESOLUTION 1-2 In Memory 1-3 of 1-4 The Honorable Dempsie Henley 1-5 WHEREAS, Citizens in all walks of life were greatly 1-6 saddened by the death on April 16, 1995, of former Liberty County 1-7 Judge Dempsie Henley at age 71; and 1-8 WHEREAS, Mr. Henley was a man of such gifted character, 1-9 who attained so many distinguished accomplishments, that in 1-10 his own person he represented a whole chapter in the history of 1-11 Liberty County; he was born on May 30, 1923, in a two-room shack 1-12 at the edge of the Big Thicket, on land that was part of a Mexican 1-13 land grant to his great-great-grandfather in 1836; large in stature, 1-14 standing 6'6", by the end of his career he had proved himself a 1-15 giant of leadership; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Judge Henley served four terms as Mayor of Liberty 1-17 before becoming county judge for 16 years; he also served as 1-18 president of the Big Thicket Association which strove with powerful 1-19 timber companies to create an 84,000-acre national preserve; out of 1-20 that struggle to preserve a part of Texas heritage, he wrote two 1-21 books, The Big Thicket Story and The Murder of Silence; as a 1-22 further result of his endeavors, he discovered the plight of the 1-23 Alabama-Coushatta Indians and persuaded Governor John Connally to 2-1 create the Texas Indian Affairs Commission; he served for 13 years 2-2 as chairman of that commission, helping the development of the Tigua 2-3 and the Kickapoo tribes, as well as the Alabama-Coushattas; and 2-4 WHEREAS, In World War II, Mr. Henley became the Army's 2-5 youngest first sergeant and earned a battlefield commission as a 2-6 second lieutenant; and 2-7 WHEREAS, He married the lovely Pat Emanuel of Romayor, Texas, 2-8 and the happy couple raised a fine family; they worshipped at the 2-9 First Baptist Church; and 2-10 WHEREAS, He also devoted himself to saving the failing 2-11 Kersting Memorial Hospital and to expanding and streamlining health 2-12 care for all citizens and in bettering all government services; and 2-13 WHEREAS, He was the recipient of innumerable awards, as well 2-14 as becoming the subject of many folklore stories; now, therefore, 2-15 be it 2-16 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 2-17 74th Legislature, hereby extend most sincere condolences to his 2-18 wife, Pat Emanuel Henley; his son, Scott Henley; his daughters, 2-19 Jerry Henley, Holly Henley, and Jade Morris; his brother-in-law 2-20 and sister-in-law, Bill and Ouida Cauthorn; his half-brother, 2-21 Buck Henley; and his six grandchildren; and, be it further 2-22 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for his 2-23 family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas Senate, 2-24 and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of 2-25 Dempsie Henley. 3-1 ______________________________________ 3-2 President of the Senate 3-3 I hereby certify that the above 3-4 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 3-5 on April 26, 1995, by a rising vote. 3-6 ______________________________________ 3-7 Secretary of the Senate 3-8 ______________________________________ 3-9 Member, Texas Senate