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79R16526 MDM-D
By: Jones of Dallas H.R. No. 1632
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, On June 5, 2005, members and friends of New Hope
Missionary Baptist Church in Wheelock are marking an important
occasion as they celebrate the dedication of their historic church
bell in memory of Sam and Lucy Bell Stubbs Mitchell; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1900s after the death of her husband,
Mrs. Mitchell gave the congregation permission to build a church on
her property; the Mitchells' son, Elijah, later served as a bell
ringer, and his daughter, lifelong Wheelock resident Estelle
Mitchell Adams, coordinated the campaign to restore the bell; Mrs.
Adams fondly remembers her father ringing the bell during her
childhood, though it was stilled for nearly 70 years after falling
from its tower onto the grassy churchyard; and
WHEREAS, Estimated to be about two centuries old, the
recently restored bell has played a key role in the life of
countless individuals in the close-knit church and surrounding
community; depending on the number of its melodious rings, it has
signaled many a call to worship as well as notified area residents
of myriad births and deaths of family and friends; and
WHEREAS, The church bell of New Hope Missionary Baptist
Church is a vital link to the rich history of Robertson County and
the Lone Star State, and the dedication of its beloved church bell
is truly an event to celebrate; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate all those affiliated with New Hope
Missionary Baptist Church on the dedication of their church bell
and extend to them sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the church as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.