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By:  Hunter                                                       H.R. No. 270



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Mr. Wilton Turnerhill, of Abilene, has owned and 
operated Turnerhill House of Bar-B-Que for 40 years; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Turnerhill has sold the restaurant to another 
Abilene resident, Mr. Chris Young, to enter retirement from the 
restaurant business at the age of 81 years old; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Turnerhill grew up as a youth in Rule, Texas, as 
the son of a farmer and a homemaker and overcame at a young age a 
severe case of rheumatic fever - an obstacle that taught him that he 
could overcome his future struggles in life since he fought the 
battle of overcoming the fever; and
	WHEREAS, He moved to Abilene in 1939 where he gained 
experience as a chef working for various catering and restaurant 
businesses such as at the Westwood Club, at a local country club, at 
McMurry University, and at Abilene Christian University; and
	WHEREAS, He opened up the first location of his own 
restaurant - the Turnerhill House of Bar-B-Que - in 1963 on Grape 
Street in Abilene, but later was relocated to North 1st Street, and 
then in to Treadaway Boulevard in 1980 - its current location; and
	WHEREAS, The Turnerhill House of Bar-B-Que is famous for 
serving delicious butter rolls along with pork ribs, barbecue, and 
seafood favorites; the restaurant has served thousands of Abilene 
and Texas residents along with former heavyweight champion George 
Foreman, legendary blues musician B.B. King, and former United 
States President Gerald Ford; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Turnerhill has been an exemplary example of 
success to the community of Abilene through his entrepreneurship 
and his leadership in the African-American community in which he 
has been honored by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce and the Abilene 
chapter of the Texas Restaurant Association; he also is very 
involved in his community where he has cooked Thanksgiving and 
Christmas dinners for the homeless and barbecues for the Ben Richey 
Boys Ranch; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor Wilton Turnerhill on his retirement as 
owner of the Turnerhill House of Bar-B-Que after 40 years of 
operation; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Mr. Turnerhill as an expression of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.