R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Texans everywhere are indebted to the fine men and 1-2 women in the law enforcement profession who, by their selfless 1-3 dedication to the public welfare, have enabled us to enjoy the 1-4 benefits of a peaceful and orderly society; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Seldom recognized, often taken for granted by the 1-6 public they so faithfully serve, these gallant individuals daily 1-7 risk their lives in order to ensure domestic tranquility and 1-8 protect the lives and property of others; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Deputy Mark Louis Stephenson of the Atascosa County 1-10 Sheriff's Department exemplified in his personal and professional 1-11 conduct the singular virtues of courage, integrity, and unwavering 1-12 dedication; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Throughout his seven years on the force, his record 1-14 was one of meritorious service, loyalty, personal bravery, and 1-15 self-sacrifice consistent with the high ideals of the law 1-16 enforcement profession; and 1-17 WHEREAS, This brave peacekeeper was killed in the line of 1-18 duty on October 12, 1999, and his untimely death was a tragic loss 1-19 to his family, to his fellow peace officers, and to the entire 1-20 community; and 1-21 WHEREAS, His legacy of heroic dedication and self-sacrifice 1-22 will endure and continue to be a source of inspiration to those who 1-23 follow in this difficult but essential profession; now, therefore, 1-24 be it 2-1 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas 2-2 Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Deputy Mark Louis 2-3 Stephenson of the Atascosa County Sheriff's Department and extend 2-4 deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and fellow officers; and, 2-5 be it further 2-6 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-7 prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas 2-8 House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of 2-9 Deputy Mark Louis Stephenson. Truitt Laney Goodman Merritt Alexander Goolsby Miller Allen Gray Moreno of Harris Averitt Green Moreno of El Paso Bailey Grusendorf Morrison Berman Gutierrez Mowery Bonnen Haggerty Naishtat Bosse Hamric Najera Brimer Hardcastle Nixon Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Noriega Brown of Brazos Hawley Oliveira Burnam Heflin Olivo Callegari Hilbert Pickett Capelo Hilderbran Pitts Carter Hill Puente Chavez Hinojosa Ramsay Chisum Hochberg Rangel Christian Hodge Raymond Clark Homer Reyna of Bexar Coleman Hope Reyna of Dallas Cook Hopson Ritter Corte Howard Sadler Counts Hunter Salinas Crabb Hupp Seaman Craddick Isett Shields Crownover Janek Smith Danburg Jones of Lubbock Smithee Davis of Harris Jones of Bexar Solis Davis of Dallas Jones of Dallas Solomons Delisi Junell Swinford Denny Keel Talton Deshotel Keffer Telford Driver King of Parker Thompson Dukes King of Uvalde Tillery Dunnam Kitchen Truitt Dutton Kolkhorst Turner of Coleman Edwards Krusee Turner of Harris Ehrhardt Kuempel Uher Eiland Lewis of Tarrant Uresti Elkins Lewis of Orange Villarreal Ellis Longoria Walker Farabee Luna West Farrar McCall Williams Flores McClendon Wilson Gallego McReynolds Wise Garcia Madden Wohlgemuth George Marchant Wolens Geren Martinez Fischer Woolley Giddings Maxey Yarbrough Glaze Menendez Zbranek _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 859 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 30, 2001. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House