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79S30167 MDM-D

By:  Dawson                                                       H.R. No. 55 



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Matagorda County historian Mary Belle Ingram is 
marking a significant milestone in her life with the observance of 
her 90th birthday on July 9, 2006; and
	WHEREAS, A native of Mankins, in Archer County, Mrs. Ingram 
was born on July 9, 1916, to Vera Frazier and Watkins L. Richeson; 
she received bachelor's and master's degrees from North Texas State 
University and librarian certification from The University of Texas 
at Austin; and
	WHEREAS, Mary Belle Richeson married Harmon Jerome 
McAllister in 1941 and the couple were blessed with three children, 
Jerome Watt, Julianne, and William Robert; fortunate to find love a 
second time, after her husband's passing in 1963, she married John 
William Ingram in 1973, and with him enjoyed a rewarding 
relationship until his death a decade later; and
	WHEREAS, Mrs. Ingram retired from the Bay City Independent 
School District in 1978, at the conclusion of a 30-year career in 
education; during her time as the librarian at McAllister Junior 
High School, she organized that school's Junior Historian Program; 
and
	WHEREAS, This accomplished woman has devoted much of her 
adult life to studying local history and ensuring that future 
generations of Matagorda County residents will have access to the 
story of their proud heritage; to that end, she has provided dynamic 
leadership as a member of the Matagorda County Museum Association, 
Matagorda County Historical Commission, Matagorda County 
Historical Society, and Matagorda County Genealogical Society; and
	WHEREAS, In addition, she coordinated work on the two-volume 
Historic Matagorda County, a substantial portion of which she 
researched and compiled herself, and she has researched and written 
narratives for numerous local historical markers; her publications 
also include many articles and the book 110 Years of Methodism, a 
history of the First United Methodist Church in Bay City; and
	WHEREAS, For her civic involvement, she has twice been named 
Outstanding Woman Citizen by the Bay City Chamber of Commerce, and 
in 1976 she was chosen as Outstanding Woman of the Year by the local 
Beta Sigma Phi chapter; her professional contributions have earned 
her the Schoolmen's Medal from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley 
Forge, selection as one of 10 finalists for the Texas Teacher of the 
Year award in 1974, and designation as first runner-up for the 1978 
Texas Teacher of the Year award sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary of 
the Veterans of Foreign Wars; and
	WHEREAS, Other accolades bestowed on Mrs. Ingram include the 
Ruth Lester Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Texas 
Historical Commission, the Kate Warnick Award, given by the Texas 
United Methodist Historical Society, and the DAR History Award, 
conferred on her by the Mary Rolph Marsh Chapter of the Daughters of 
the American Revolution; and
	WHEREAS, The birthday of Mary Belle Ingram provides a fitting 
opportunity to recognize this esteemed Texan for her tireless civic 
spirit and for the immeasurable contributions she has made to 
historic preservation in Matagorda County; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby congratulate Mary Belle 
Ingram on her 90th birthday and commend her for her remarkable work 
in behalf of her fellow citizens as a dedicated historian; and, be 
it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Mrs. Ingram as an expression of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.