By Maxey H.R. No. 536 75R10234 SAJ-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, With the passing of Mary Frances Baylor on March 16, 1-2 1997, at the age of 67, the city of Austin and its historic 1-3 Clarksville community have suffered a great loss; and 1-4 WHEREAS, She was born August 9, 1929, and lived her entire 1-5 life on the same block in the Clarksville neighborhood where her 1-6 ancestors made their home more than a century ago; she was a 1-7 graduate of Old Anderson High School and also attended 1-8 Huston-Tillotson College in Austin; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Mrs. Baylor will long be remembered for her abiding 1-10 commitment to her community; a valued employee of the City of 1-11 Austin's Health and Human Services Department for 24 years, she 1-12 directed the Clarksville Neighborhood Center, and her knowledge of 1-13 both the area residents and the city's social service agencies made 1-14 her an effective liaison between the two groups; and 1-15 WHEREAS, Active in President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty 1-16 program, she educated the community on a variety of important 1-17 issues, offered assistance to help others overcome life's daily 1-18 hurdles, and also drew on her abundant skills to have the 1-19 neighborhood's streets paved and sewers installed; and 1-20 WHEREAS, In addition, this remarkable woman organized one of 1-21 the nation's first community-based nonprofit development 1-22 corporations to build low-income housing in the area and served on 1-23 the board of the McAuley Institute for low-income housing; she was 1-24 amply rewarded for her stalwart efforts when 18 homes were built, 2-1 allowing low-income African-American families to remain in, or move 2-2 back to, Clarksville; and 2-3 WHEREAS, In all her endeavors, she was sustained by her 2-4 abiding faith as a devout member of Sweethome Missionary Baptist 2-5 Church, where she was both church clerk and an active member of the 2-6 Missionary Society; and 2-7 WHEREAS, Mary Baylor's gentle but adamant stand for justice 2-8 and equal treatment of all races has inspired countless individuals 2-9 to serve the community, and though her presence will be deeply 2-10 missed, her legacy will long endure; now, therefore, be it 2-11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-12 Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Mary Frances Baylor 2-13 and extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to her 2-14 devoted husband of 49 years, Charles E. Baylor; to her three 2-15 daughters, Cynthia, Linda, and Vicky; to her sons, Ronnie and Skip; 2-16 to her five grandchildren, Kevin, Terry, April, Kisha, and Tony; to 2-17 her great-grandchild, "Dusty"; to her aunt and uncle, Artie B. and 2-18 Mack Myers; and to the many other friends and relatives of this 2-19 beloved woman; and, be it further 2-20 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-21 prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas 2-22 House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of 2-23 Mary Frances Baylor.