By Hilbert H.C.R. No. 42 75R3314 JTR-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, On November 24, 1996, the congregation of Salem 1-2 Lutheran Church gathered for the dedication of their new worship 1-3 center, and this historic milestone in the church's history is 1-4 indeed worthy of praise and special recognition; and 1-5 WHEREAS, The oldest Lutheran Church in Texas, Salem Lutheran 1-6 Church was originally established in 1852 by German immigrants, and 1-7 the hard work and dedication of those founding parishioners 1-8 resulted in the construction of a new church building in 1880; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Having created a firm foundation on which to build, 1-10 the young church's congregation began to grow, and as the century 1-11 unfolded, Salem Lutheran Church established itself as the spiritual 1-12 touchstone of its parishioners' lives; and 1-13 WHEREAS, In 1964 the church was beset by tragedy, first 1-14 suffering the loss of Pastor Paul Eifert and his wife in a car 1-15 accident and then enduring the destruction of the 84-year-old 1-16 church building in a devastating fire; and 1-17 WHEREAS, In confronting this crisis, the congregation 1-18 displayed the same resolve and constancy as their predecessors, 1-19 and, by dint of their firm commitment to their community of 1-20 worship, the church was rebuilt in 1967; and 1-21 WHEREAS, On November 21, 1995, calamity struck again in the 1-22 form of a four-alarm fire that ravaged the church's sanctuary, but 1-23 the indomitable faith of the congregation was aptly demonstrated by 1-24 the record turnout for Thanksgiving services the following night, 2-1 and this steadfast family of worshipers immediately set about the 2-2 task of rebuilding the church; and 2-3 WHEREAS, A year later, Salem Lutheran Church's extended 2-4 family gathered to celebrate the dedication of a new worship 2-5 facility, and the rebuilding of this venerable institution is not 2-6 only a fitting tribute to the strength and faith of previous 2-7 generations but also a vibrant expression of the church's ongoing 2-8 ministry; now, therefore, be it 2-9 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-10 hereby congratulate the clergy and congregation of Salem Lutheran 2-11 Church on the occasion of the dedication of their new worship 2-12 facility; and, be it further 2-13 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-14 prepared for Salem Lutheran Church as a token of high regard by the 2-15 Texas House of Representatives and Senate.