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79R5484 JHS-D

By:  Gattis                                                       H.R. No. 268



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The passing of former Williamson County Judge Calvin 
Luther Chance, Sr., on November 6, 2004, at the age of 96, brought 
to a close an exceptional life that touched countless individuals; 
and
	WHEREAS, Born on a small Texas farm, Judge Chance had deep 
Texas roots; his great-grandfather, Captain Joseph Bell Chance, 
came to Texas from Tennessee in 1831 and settled at 
Washington-on-the-Brazos as part of Stephen F. Austin's Second 
Colony; both his great-grandfather and his grandfather fought for 
an independent Texas, the former against General Santa Anna at the 
Battle of Bexar and the Battle of San Jacinto, and the latter as a 
soldier in the Second Texas Infantry; and
	WHEREAS, After graduating from Liberty Hill High School, 
Luther Chance attended The University of Texas for two years before 
financial concerns made it necessary for him to discontinue his 
studies; he returned to Liberty Hill where he met Jayne Beatrice 
McFarland, who became his wife; they remained inseparable for 74 
years until her death in 2004; and
	WHEREAS, With jobs scarce, Judge Chance managed to find work 
with the newly formed Texas Department of Public Safety as a 
motorcycle patrolman in Hillsboro; it was during his early years 
with the DPS that he met Judge James Alexander, chief justice of the 
Court of Civil Appeals and the man who would serve as his mentor; 
Judge Alexander provided the young law enforcement officer with 
access to his law library, which ultimately enabled him to take and 
pass the 16-part State Bar of Texas examination and receive his 
certification to practice law; and
	WHEREAS, In 1941, Judge Chance left the DPS to serve in the 
U.S. Coast Guard; after completing his military service, he 
returned to the Lone Star State and began a successful private 
practice as a tax attorney; years later, he was elected county judge 
of Williamson County, serving three terms and initiating multiple 
improvements within the county, including the incorporation of the 
city of Cedar Park, the development and installation of the first 
countywide 9-1-1 service, and the creation of the first county 
ambulance service to Cedar Park; he also oversaw the revitalization 
of the Liberty Hill Cemetery and wrote the constitution and bylaws 
of the Liberty Hill Cemetery Association; and
	WHEREAS, A man of wide-ranging interests, Judge Chance was an 
avid gardener and, today, thousands of trees, bushes, and 
shrubberies that he began dot yards and parks throughout the Cedar 
Park area; he also read music and played the violin, baked the 
world's best cornbread, and was a feared adversary at the domino 
table; and
	WHEREAS, Judge Luther Chance lived a full and happy life, 
filled with many memorable events; he was an inspiration to family 
and friends, and his legacy of success and achievement will long 
live in their hearts; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Calvin Luther Chance, 
Sr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to 
his daughter, Alma Mangelsdorf; to his son, Joseph Edgar Chance; to 
his sister, Mary Ruth Strandtmann; to his brother, Truett Chance; 
and to the many other relatives and 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 Calvin 
Luther Chance, Sr.