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                                                                  H.R. No. 160



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives takes great 
pleasure in honoring North's Funeral Home on the celebration of its 
100th year of business; and 
	WHEREAS, North's Funeral Home began as a funeral home 
operated by Mr. Dan T. Laughter in 1905 as he became one of the first 
licensed funeral directors between Fort Worth and El Paso and 
guided the funeral home into a business success using a horse-drawn 
hearse that served many towns in the Big Country region; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Laughter opened the first funeral home on 
Sycamore Street and later moved it to its current location at North 
Third and Orange Streets, which he operated from until 1945 when he 
personally selected Mr. and Mrs. Russell W. North as his 
successors; and
	WHEREAS, Russell and Willena North were both licensed funeral 
directors, and at the time Mrs. North was one of the first ladies to 
be a licensed funeral director and Mr. North had been educated on 
the art of embalming in St. Louis; and
	WHEREAS, The Norths built the first funeral chapel in Abilene 
in 1948 and began operating an ambulance service, with the addition 
of air ambulance/hearse added later with their sons as pilots, and 
two of their sons also became licensed morticians; and
	WHEREAS, One of the Norths' sons, Jack North, has worked for 
the family funeral home business since 1967, and Jack became the 
director of the funeral home in 1979 after the death of his father, 
Mr. Russell North; and
	WHEREAS, Jack North and his wife, Sandie, have become leaders 
in the Abilene community with Mr. North having an extensive 
knowledge of the history of Abilene, and he is the author of two 
books, one of which is a comedic book regarding growing up in the 
funeral home business; and
	WHEREAS, Jack and Sandie North continue to serve the citizens 
of Abilene well with the operation of the funeral home and sincere 
assistance to the families that have loved ones that are brought to 
North's Funeral Home; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby commend North's Funeral Home for its 100th year 
of operation and Jack and Sandie North for their successful 
operation of the business and their service to the Abilene 
community; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for North's Funeral Home as an expression of high regard 
from the Texas House of Representatives.

                                                                          Hunter

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 160 was adopted by the House on 
February 2, 2005, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House