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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Texans throughout the Lone Star State and beyond |
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were deeply saddened by the loss of a beloved former First Lady of |
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Texas, Idanell "Nellie" Brill Connally, who died in Austin on |
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September 1, 2006, at the age of 87; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in the Capitol City on February 24, 1919, to |
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Arno and Katie Brill, Nellie Brill was a vivacious and lovely young |
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woman who aspired to be an actress and even auditioned for a role in |
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Gone With the Wind; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1937, on the campus of The University of Texas at |
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Austin, she met future Texas Governor John Connally, and the couple |
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fell in love at first sight; she was named Sweetheart of the |
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University in 1938, the same year Mr. Connally was elected student |
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body president, and the pair were married in 1940; and |
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WHEREAS, During World War II she shared an apartment with her |
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lifelong friend Lady Bird Johnson in Washington, D.C., while Mr. |
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Connally and his political mentor, Lyndon Baines Johnson, were |
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serving their country; after the war she devoted herself to raising |
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her children and supporting her husband's political career in |
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Texas, doing everything from answering phones to fund-raising; and |
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WHEREAS, She accompanied her husband to Washington, D.C., |
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again when he was appointed secretary of the navy by President John |
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Kennedy in 1961, but they returned to the Lone Star State the |
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following year when Mr. Connally ran for governor, and he was |
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subsequently elected to the first of three terms; and |
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WHEREAS, On that tragic day in Dallas in November 1963, |
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Mrs. Connally was present for a defining event in our nation's |
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history when President Kennedy was assassinated and Governor |
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Connally was gravely wounded; her presence of mind and quick action |
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are credited with helping to save her husband's life; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Connally was the First Lady of Texas from 1963 |
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through 1968, and during that period she was instrumental in |
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planning and creating the beautiful gardens still present today at |
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the governor's mansion, and she received the inaugural Ruth Lester |
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Award for her efforts; she also played a part in the planning of the |
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Texas Travel Trails for the Texas Tourist Development Agency; and |
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WHEREAS, She and her husband returned one more time to the |
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nation's capital when he was appointed secretary of the treasury by |
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President Richard Nixon, but after Secretary Connally completed his |
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government service, the couple made their home in Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, Following the death of her husband of 53 years, |
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Mrs. Connally remained active in many community and charity |
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organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the |
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Children's Miracle Network Telethon for Hermann Children's |
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Hospital, and the Texas Preservation Trust Fund; as an indomitable |
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survivor of breast cancer, she created the Nellie B. Connally |
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Breast Cancer Research Fund, and the breast cancer clinic at M. D. |
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Anderson Cancer Center now bears her name; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2005, Mrs. Connally returned to Austin to live, |
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saying "This is where I discovered America, and this is where I want |
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to leave it"; called "the epitome of graciousness" by Governor Rick |
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Perry, Nellie Connally was the very definition of Texas style, |
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charm, and steel; devoted to her children, grandchildren, and |
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great-grandchildren, she lived her life to the fullest until the |
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very end, maintaining nearly as lively a social life as she had some |
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70 years before, when she was the Sweetheart of the University; now, |
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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 extraordinary life of Nellie |
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Connally and extend sincere condolences to her family: to her sons, |
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John B. Connally III and his wife, Diane, and Mark Madison Connally |
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and his wife, Anne; to her daughter, Sharon Connally Ammann and her |
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husband, Robert; to her sister, Sheba Stevens; to her brother, Bob |
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Brill and his wife, Adele; to her eight grandchildren and eight |
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great-grandchildren; and to her other family and friends; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Nellie |
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Connally. |