By Maxey                                              H.R. No. 1361

         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, May 17, 1997, was indeed a special day for Ercyle S.

 1-2     Tipton, for on that day, she celebrated her 86th birthday; and

 1-3           WHEREAS, A native of Shelby County, Texas, Mrs. Tipton has

 1-4     lived in different sections of our state from the Deep East Texas

 1-5     of her birth to her home now in Jacksboro, and in those communities

 1-6     she has always been a vital and valued member of local society; and

 1-7           WHEREAS, Over the years, she has given freely of her time and

 1-8     talent to better the world in which she lives, especially through

 1-9     her over four decades of membership in the Order of the Eastern

1-10     Star; and

1-11           WHEREAS, She has passed that tradition of service onto her

1-12     granddaughter Karen Martin Thornton, who was elected in May as a

1-13     member of the board of trustees of the Jacksboro Independent School

1-14     District, and her grandson Hugh L.  Strange, who is acknowledged

1-15     for his great political acumen and firm grasp of legislative

1-16     strategy as a legislative assistant to Representative Glen Maxey of

1-17     Austin; and

1-18           WHEREAS, A discriminating woman of taste, Mrs. Tipton has

1-19     always demonstrated great acumen in the decorative, domestic,

1-20     culinary, and fine arts, beginning as a young girl when she painted

1-21     in oil, without formal artistic training, scenes of wildlife and

 2-1     nature; and

 2-2           WHEREAS, She and her late husband, L. E. "Red" Strange, a

 2-3     civil engineer of renown and World War II veteran, passed their

 2-4     equally great talents on to their children, Virginia Anne Strange

 2-5     Martin and the late James Stephen Strange; and

 2-6           WHEREAS, Mrs. Tipton delights in the affection of her loving

 2-7     family, including her daughter; son-in-law Robert Lee Martin;

 2-8     grandson Keith I. Martin and his wife Tamara; Mrs. Thornton and her

 2-9     husband Mike; Mr. Strange and his brother Gregory Stephen

2-10     Strange-Hart; and her great-grandchildren Worth Thornton, Carter

2-11     Thornton and Kayla Martin; and

2-12           WHEREAS, Ercyle S. Tipton, a woman of grace, style, and

2-13     charm, is truly an inspiration to her fellow Texans in an era that

2-14     is bereft of civility; she has made the world a better place simply

2-15     by being that rarest of all creatures, a Southern lady; and

2-16           WHEREAS, She is indeed deserving of special legislative

2-17     recognition at this time; now, therefore, be it

2-18           RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the State of

2-19     Texas, that the House hereby honor Ercyle S. Tipton by recognizing

2-20     May 17th annually as Ercyle S. Tipton Day at the Texas Capitol and

2-21     extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success and

2-22     happiness in the future; and, be it further

2-23           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-24     prepared for Mrs. Tipton as an expression of high regard by the

2-25     Texas House of Representatives.