HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, The family and many friends of Hallie C. Stillwell
 1-2     were greatly saddened by her passing on August 18, 1997, at the age
 1-3     of 99, and we join them in mourning the loss of a true Texas
 1-4     legend; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, Born October 20, 1897, in Waco, Mrs. Stillwell moved
 1-6     to the Big Bend area with her parents in 1910, and by the age of 20
 1-7     she was teaching school in Presidio, armed with a pistol to protect
 1-8     her students from Pancho Villa's men, who were known to make raids
 1-9     across the border; and
1-10           WHEREAS, In 1918, she met and married rancher Roy Stillwell,
1-11     and the couple enjoyed a relationship that continued to grow in
1-12     mutual affection, admiration, and respect until his death in 1948;
1-13     and
1-14           WHEREAS, At that time, Mrs. Stillwell took over the
1-15     management of Stillwell Ranch, performing whatever jobs were
1-16     necessary; a crack shot with a pistol, she broke broncos, branded
1-17     cattle, built fences, and killed coyotes to keep the operation
1-18     running throughout the drought-plagued 1950s; and
1-19           WHEREAS, To bring in extra income, she set up camps of
1-20     laborers to extract wax from the desert plants that grew wild on
1-21     her ranch, and she continued to sell wax gathered in this fashion
1-22     until the 1960s; and
1-23           WHEREAS, She also took work as a journalist, writing for the
1-24     Alpine Avalanche, the San Angelo Standard-Times, and the El Paso
 2-1     Herald-Post for more than two decades, and she put her literary
 2-2     talents to work again in 1990 by publishing her autobiography,
 2-3     entitled I'll Gather My Geese; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, In 1962, declaring herself "too old to break
 2-5     broncs," Mrs. Stillwell ran for and won the office of justice of
 2-6     the peace for Brewster County, a position she held for 15 years;
 2-7     and
 2-8           WHEREAS, Well known far beyond the borders of the Lone Star
 2-9     State, she came to epitomize Texas for many people, and her unique
2-10     role in the state's history was underscored  when she was inducted
2-11     into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Texas
2-12     Women's Hall of Fame in 1994; and
2-13           WHEREAS, Texans are known throughout the world for their
2-14     hardy resourcefulness and generosity of spirit, and these qualities
2-15     found their truest expression in the life of Hallie Stillwell;
2-16     although she will be greatly missed, she will live on in the hearts
2-17     of all those who had the good fortune to know her; now, therefore,
2-18     be it
2-19           RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-20     hereby pay tribute to the life of Hallie Crawford Stillwell and
2-21     extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to her
2-22     daughter, Dadie Stillwell Potter; to her sons, Roy Stillwell and
2-23     Guy Stillwell; to her sister, Glen Harris; and to her
2-24     grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren;
2-25     and, be it further
2-26           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-27     prepared for the members of her family and that when the Texas
 3-1     House of Representatives and Senate adjourn today, they do so in
 3-2     memory of Hallie C. Stillwell.
                                                                     Gallego
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 169 was unanimously adopted by a
         rising vote of the House on April 16, 1999.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.C.R. No. 169 was unanimously adopted by a
         rising vote of the Senate on April 23, 1999.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _______________________
                            Date
                    _______________________
                          Governor