H.R. No. 178
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The passing of Oscar Louis Henry Mehl at the age of
92 has left a void in the lives of his many friends and family; and
WHEREAS, Born the sixth of 10 children on May 9, 1910, Oscar
Mehl was raised in Sylvan Grove, Kansas, by his parents, Frederick
and Elizabeth Mehl; the family lived on 25 acres, with milk cows,
chickens, and a garden that created ample opportunity for childhood
chores; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mehl graduated magna cum laude as student body
president from Valparaiso University in 1933 with a degree in
electrical engineering; he worked briefly as a county engineer in
Lincoln, Kansas, where he met the love of his life, Garnet Sheets;
and
WHEREAS, In 1935, the Carrier Corporation offered him a job
as one of 20 engineers nationwide, prompting a move to Chicago;
shortly after, Mr. Mehl was transferred to Dallas and on his way to
the Lone Star State, he stopped in Kansas to marry the lovely Miss
Sheets; and
WHEREAS, While in Dallas, Mr. Mehl worked on such buildings
as the Lone Star Gas Building, the Medical Arts Building, the
Magnolia Building, and many others; after 40 years of faithful
service, he retired from the Carrier Corporation as Southern Zone
Manager in 1975; and
WHEREAS, He was a lifetime member of the American Society of
Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers and was also
actively involved with the Park Cities Rotary Club for many years;
and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mehl found many interests after retirement, not
the least of which was expanding and displaying his collection of
about 12,000 beer cans; he also did his best to keep Mrs. Mehl
supplied with wooden parts for the many craft items she produced
over the years; and
WHEREAS, The couple joined Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
shortly after its installation and have had lifelong friends in the
church; an active member, Mr. Mehl served as president, elder, and
on various committees and built a cross from the original wood
flooring that still hangs in the gymnasium; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mehl spent the past five years in independent
living at The Forum retirement home, where he and his beloved wife
made and enjoyed many new friends; the Wednesday night poker group
was particularly gratifying to the venturesome Mr. Mehl; and
WHEREAS, Oscar Louis Henry Mehl was devoted to his wife,
children, and faith and although his love and guidance will be
missed by all who were privileged to know him, his spirit will long
live on in the hearts and minds of the many people whose lives he
touched; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas
Legislature hereby honor the life of Oscar Louis Henry Mehl and
extend sincere sympathy to his family: to his wife, Garnet; to his
children, Jim and wife Judith, Lynette Hilliard and Jim Hearne, and
John and wife Julie; to his grandchildren, Dr. Stuart Hilliard,
Brooke and Mike Mercer, and Laura, Sarah, and Michael Mehl; to his
great-grandchildren, Campbell and Hank Mercer; and to the many
friends of this esteemed gentleman; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Oscar Louis
Henry Mehl.
Goolsby
Craddick
Giddings
Merritt
Allen
Goodman
Miller
Alonzo
Goolsby
Moreno of Harris
Bailey
Griggs
Moreno of El Paso
Baxter
Grusendorf
Morrison
Berman
Guillen
Mowery
Bohac
Gutierrez
Naishtat
Bonnen
Haggerty
Nixon
Branch
Hamilton
Noriega
Brown of Kaufman
Hamric
Oliveira
Brown of Brazos
Hardcastle
Olivo
Burnam
Harper-Brown
Paxton
Callegari
Hartnett
Pena
Campbell
Heflin
Phillips
Canales
Hegar
Pickett
Capelo
Hilderbran
Pitts
Casteel
Hill
Puente
Castro
Hochberg
Quintanilla
Chavez
Hodge
Rangel
Chisum
Homer
Raymond
Christian
Hope
Reyna
Coleman
Hopson
Riddle
Cook of Navarro
Howard
Ritter
Cook of Colorado
Hughes
Rodriguez
Corte
Hunter
Rose
Crabb
Hupp
Seaman
Crownover
Isett
Smith of Tarrant
Davis of Harris
Jones of Lubbock
Smith of Harris
Davis of Dallas
Jones of Bexar
Smithee
Dawson
Jones of Dallas
Solis
Delisi
Keel
Solomons
Denny
Keffer of Dallas
Stick
Deshotel
Keffer of Eastland
Swinford
Driver
King
Talton
Dukes
Kolkhorst
Taylor
Dunnam
Krusee
Telford
Dutton
Kuempel
Thompson
Edwards
Laney
Truitt
Eiland
Laubenberg
Turner
Eissler
Lewis
Uresti
Elkins
Luna
Van Arsdale
Ellis
Mabry
Villarreal
Farabee
Madden
West
Farrar
Marchant
Wilson
Flores
Martinez Fischer
Wise
Flynn
McCall
Wohlgemuth
Gallego
McClendon
Wolens
Garza
McReynolds
Wong
Gattis
Menendez
Woolley
Geren
Mercer
Zedler
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 178 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on February 24, 2003.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House