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                                                                  H.R. No. 357



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Earl Joseph Halfmann of the Vancourt community is 
marking a notable milestone on August 18, 2005, with the 
celebration of his 80th birthday; and
	WHEREAS, Born in 1925 and raised on his family's farm in West 
Texas, Mr. Halfmann graduated from Price College in Amarillo, where 
he played on the school basketball team; he subsequently enlisted 
in the U.S. Army and served in the Pacific Theater during World War 
II and in Okinawa with the Army of Occupation; and
	WHEREAS, Following his discharge from the service, Mr. 
Halfmann returned home in 1948 to begin farming in the Vancourt 
community; he married Mary Ann Glass in Rowena on January 4, 1949, 
and the couple became the parents of six children, Wanda, Ruth, 
Debbie, Charles, Kevin, and Joan; and
	WHEREAS, During one challenging 19-year stretch, Mr. 
Halfmann and his wife had anywhere from one to four teenagers living 
under their roof, but they met the trials and tribulations of that 
time with more than a little grace, forbearance, and love; for Mr. 
Halfmann, who coped resolutely with broken tractors, pig scours, 
Johnson grass, boll weevils, drought, inflation, and hailstorms, it 
may even have been a welcome change of pace to monitor such domestic 
matters as his sons and their fast cars, his daughters' penchant for 
hoeing cotton in their swimsuits, and the roller-coaster sagas of 
young romance; and
	WHEREAS, However vexing, comic, or tumultuous, none of those 
distractions prevented Mr. Halfmann from staying abreast of the 
latest innovations in cotton farming; he was the first to do 
parallel terracing and one of the first to have a basket cotton 
stripper; his sense of humor remained intact as well, as evidenced 
by a sign in his house boasting that strippin' is what cotton 
farmers keep on doing; and
	WHEREAS, A fourth-degree Grand Knight in Council 4316 of the 
Knights of Columbus, Mr. Halfmann took over some of the remodeling 
responsibilities at his church when the parish priest relocated; 
since stepping into the breach, he has been known fondly throughout 
the community as Father Earl; and
	WHEREAS, For relaxation, this esteemed Texan loves dancing to 
polka and country music, so much so that he belongs to two different 
dance clubs; he is also a ringleader in his 42 club, where, he 
assures his grandchildren, he never loses, and he enjoys hunting 
and fishing with family and friends; in family competition, he has 
won, and defends to this day, the proud title of Washer Pitcher 
Champion; and
	WHEREAS, The long arc of Mr. Halfmann's career has taken him 
from farming with horses to farming with computerized machinery; 
through it all, he has hewed to the motto, "If I'm awake, I should be 
working," and so it is understandable that after eight decades he 
has only been able to get so far as semiretirement; nevertheless, he 
has nudged just far enough into the realm of leisure that he has 
been able to pick up one new hobby--reading--and the San Angelo 
Public Library is herewith put on notice; and
	WHEREAS, Not least, Mr. Halfmann takes infinite delight in  
being a grandfather to Heather, Shanna, Allison, Amber, Ty, Kayla, 
Jessica, Jake, Julianne, James, Thomas, and Elizabeth, and a 
great-grandfather to Jordan, Brandon, and Ashlynn; and
	WHEREAS, Endowed with a heart truly as large as Texas, this 
beloved gentleman continues to enrich the lives of his family and 
friends and to brighten immeasurably the world around him; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby warmly congratulate Earl 
Joseph Halfmann on the joyous occasion of his 80th birthday and 
extend to him sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be 
it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Mr. Halfmann as an expression of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.

                                                                        Swinford

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 357 was adopted by the House on July 
18, 2005, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House