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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Round Rock and Williamson County have |
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lost an admired citizen with the passing of Norman Gus Whitlow, who |
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died on October 29, 2006; and |
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WHEREAS, A native Texan born in the town of Holland, "Bunky" |
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Whitlow was the son of dairy farmers Cora and Gus Whitlow; always a |
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hard worker, Bunky took on the task of milking the cows on his |
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family's farm, beginning his work at 4 a.m. every day before heading |
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off to school and helping to deliver the milk in the evening after |
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classes had ended; and |
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WHEREAS, He became a star running back for the Hornets |
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football team at Holland High School, and he received scholarship |
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offers from both Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University; he |
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enrolled at Texas A&M in 1944 but left after a year to join the U.S. |
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Army; he was still in training when World War II ended, and after |
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completing his military service, he returned to A&M and graduated |
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in 1949; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Whitlow accepted a position teaching vocational |
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agriculture at Round Rock High School, and after six years, he |
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became the school's principal; during this time, he completed 38 |
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hours of graduate study at The University of Texas at Austin as part |
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of the master's degree program in education; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1957, Mr. Whitlow took up a new career challenge |
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by accepting a job at Farmers State Bank, where he subsequently |
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served as executive vice president from 1962 to 1970 and as |
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president from 1970 to 1987; during his tenure, the institution's |
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name was changed to American Bank and then to MBank, and Mr. |
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Whitlow's able leadership helped create a tremendous growth in |
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assets, from $2 million to more than $130 million; the bank also |
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provided a foundation through which Mr. Whitlow recruited major |
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companies such as Westinghouse to open facilities in the Round Rock |
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area, thereby laying the groundwork for the city's growth into an |
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important and vibrant business center; and |
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WHEREAS, After his retirement from MBank, this skilled |
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executive joined Texas Heritage Bank, later called Regions Bank, as |
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senior vice president, and he later maintained an office at Union |
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State Bank in Round Rock; well known for his efforts to assist |
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lower-income individuals and families through bank and personal |
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loans, Bunky Whitlow attained the nickname of "the poor man's |
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banker"; he was also greatly respected by his peers and served as |
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director of the Texas Bankers Association and as chair of the |
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District Bankers Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Whitlow's dynamic and industrious nature |
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steered him to leadership positions in many Central Texas |
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organizations; president of the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce and |
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copresident of its Economic Development Committee, he was also the |
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founding organizer of Frontier Days, a treasurer and board member |
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of the Old Settlers Association of Williamson County, and a charter |
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member and president of the Round Rock Noon Kiwanis; moreover, he |
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assumed numerous leadership positions during his 50 years as a |
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congregant of Palm Valley Lutheran Church, and he figured |
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prominently in the restoration of downtown Round Rock, playing a |
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pivotal role in moving the historic Palm House to Main Street; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2005, he and his wife, Geneva, lent their names |
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and resources to assist Capital Idea, a nonprofit job-training |
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organization that helps underemployed adults attend college, |
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acquire job skills, and attain gainful employment; Mr. Whitlow's |
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steadfast efforts to assist his community and fellow citizens have |
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been acknowledged with prestigious honors such as being named Round |
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Rock Citizen of the Year in 1973 and receiving the Kiwanis Club |
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George Hixon award in 1998; and |
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WHEREAS, Bunky Whitlow was not only successful in business |
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and community activities but also devoted to the people in his life; |
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when he was 10 years old, he met Geneva, then nine years old, at a |
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wedding at St. John Lutheran Church of Bartlett, the same church in |
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which they were married many years later; they were blessed with |
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three children and took great joy in the many grandchildren that |
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later joined the family; acquaintances relished Mr. Whitlow's |
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company; his ability to find the positive side of everyone he met |
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was well known, and he was always willing to lend a helping hand to |
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those in need of assistance; and |
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WHEREAS, A successful businessman, a community leader, a |
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loving friend and family man, and a die-hard Aggie, Bunky Whitlow |
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excelled in all these roles, and he will be deeply missed by the |
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many people in Central Texas who were touched by his generous nature |
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and positive outlook; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Norman Gus Whitlow and |
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extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, |
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Geneva Alleen Steglich Whitlow; to his children, Scott Steglich |
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Whitlow, Stuart Norman Whitlow and his wife, Margi Ligarde, and |
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Sandia Ann Germenis and her husband, Gregory; to his grandchildren, |
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Jason Robert Whitlow, Augustus Whitlow Germenis, Patricia Alleen |
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Germenis, Samuel Thomas Albert Whitlow, and Mitchell Holland |
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Whitlow; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bunky |
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Whitlow. |
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Gattis |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2034 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 25, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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