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79R2950 MDM-D

By:  Homer                                                        H.R. No. 31 



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The 100th birthday of an esteemed Texan is truly 
cause for celebration, and on January 15, 2005, Grace DeWeese 
Williams is being honored at a party hosted by her family at First 
Baptist Church of Paris; and
	WHEREAS, The Texas native was born on January 17, 1905, in 
Paris, to James William and Martha "Mattie" Ratliff DeWeese, both 
members of pioneer Lamar County families; a remarkable event of her 
childhood that remains a vivid memory for Mrs. Williams is the Great 
Paris Fire of 1916, which occurred when she was 11 years old; and
	WHEREAS, She graduated from Paris High School, attended Mary 
Hardin Baylor College, and received a bachelor's degree from Baylor 
University in 1926; that same year, she married John W. Williams, 
Jr., an engineer with the Atlantic Oil Company, and the couple lived 
in various Louisiana and Texas cities, including Dallas, before 
returning to Paris in 1945, where they owned and operated Williams' 
Sporting Goods; and
	WHEREAS, The matriarch of a cherished family that has grown 
to encompass four generations, Mrs. Williams takes great pride in 
her daughter and son-in-law, Patsy and Norman Davis; her four 
grandchildren and their spouses, John and Connie Davis, Susan and 
Steve Bellene, Jim and Susan Davis, and Sally Cosgrove and her 
husband, the Reverend Mike Cosgrove; and her great-grandchildren, 
Jeff, Sara, Laura, and Bryan Davis, Alisha and Tommy Huff, Patrick 
and Alison Bellene, and Madeline, Samuel, CarolAnne, and Hannah 
Cosgrove; and
	WHEREAS, This lovely lady is a loyal congregant of the First 
Baptist Church, where she has taught Sunday school and participated 
in the Women's Missionary Society, while her further civic 
involvement has included study and garden clubs as well as various 
organizations devoted to history; and
	WHEREAS, The birthday of Mrs. Williams provides a fitting 
opportunity to honor this beloved woman who continues to inspire 
all who are privileged to know her; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby congratulate Grace DeWeese Williams on the 
joyous occasion of her 100th birthday and extend to her sincere best 
wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Mrs. Williams as an expression of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.