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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A 90th birthday is truly cause for celebration, and |
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Leonor Villanueva of Houston commemorated this memorable milestone |
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on July 1, 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on that date in 1919 in Mexico City, Mrs. |
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Villanueva was the sixth of the 11 children of Candelaria Valencia |
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and Antonio Villanueva; her father worked for the United States |
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Embassy in Mexico's capital, and she was raised alongside her |
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siblings, Candido, Rosario, Eusebio, Antonio, Manuela, Guadalupe, |
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Pilar, Juan, Natalia, and Sara, near the city's famous street, |
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Calle de la Reforma; and |
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WHEREAS, A beloved matriarch who is affectionately referred |
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to as "Abue," Mrs. Villanueva has welcomed 4 children, Yolanda |
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Farrar, Rene Ruiz, Amalia Macias, and Reyna Rivera, as well as 11 |
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grandchildren, Gabriela, Jessica, John, Carina, Norma, Juan |
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Carlos, Daniel, Claudia, Soñia, Fernando, and Monica, and 15 |
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great-grandchildren, Christopher, Robert, Gabriel, Jonathan, |
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Augustine, Jesus, Luis, Alexa, Daniel, Rafael, Fernanda, |
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Alejandro, Edgar, Francisco, and Ivan into her treasured family; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Villanueva has spent much of her life raising |
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her children and grandchildren, including Gabriela Howard and |
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Jessica and John Farrar, who share fond memories of being cared for |
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by their grandmother while their mother, Yolanda, worked outside |
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the home; Mrs. Howard reflects on those early days with the utmost |
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joy, just as Ms. Farrar recalls how Mrs. Villanueva would listen |
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patiently, encourage her granddaughter to pursue her goals, |
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travels, and endeavors, and offer advice in the form of sayings, |
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like "A slanted tree grows that way because it started out that |
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way"; Mr. Farrar also remembers his childhood with "Abue," from |
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riding to and from school every day on carefully placed towels in |
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the rear basket of her three-wheeled bicycle, to finding his |
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favorite snacks and chocolate milk prepared especially for him by |
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this loving woman; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to spending time with the children, Mrs. |
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Villanueva worked in her daughter Yolanda's beauty salon, where she |
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was known as "Mama," and she was highly regarded by the customers |
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for the relaxing and vigorous shampoos she would give; at the end of |
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each day, Mrs. Villanueva prepared the daily bank deposit, adding |
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the cash and checks in her head because she did not trust |
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calculators, and she continued working into her 80s; now retired, |
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Mrs. Villanueva keeps busy with a variety of hobbies, and she |
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maintains a healthy lifestyle by engaging in physical activities |
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and meticulously monitoring her diet, with the exception of the |
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occasional dessert, of course; she also takes great pride in her |
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garden, since the plants in her care--much like the children she has |
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nurtured through the years--have flourished with her |
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attentiveness; and |
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WHEREAS, Leonor Villanueva is an inspiration to all who are |
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privileged to know her, and it is indeed a pleasure to join with her |
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relatives and friends in recognizing her 90 years of life well |
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lived; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby honor Leonor Villanueva on |
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the occasion of her 90th birthday and extend to her sincere best |
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wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mrs. Villanueva as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |