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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Citizens of Del Rio lost a pioneering political |
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leader with the passing of Dorothy Gillis Gurley-Cauthorn on |
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December 3, 2007, at the age of 84; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Del Rio on March 14, 1923, Dorothy Gillis |
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graduated from Del Rio High School in 1940; she earned a college |
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degree in 1944 from The University of Texas, where she was a member |
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of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Gurley-Cauthorn hailed from a family that had |
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produced a number of elected officials, including her father, Val |
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Verde County Judge Roger Gillis; maintaining that tradition, she |
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ran for student offices while in college and later entered state |
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politics; in 1950, she became the first woman elected to represent |
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District 87 in the Texas House of Representatives, where she served |
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two terms before opting to conclude her tenure in 1955; after |
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leaving the legislature, she was chair of the local Democratic |
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Party for many years, and she had the satisfaction of seeing her |
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daughter, Susan Gurley McBee, win election as a state |
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representative; to date, these two women are the only |
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mother-daughter pair to serve in the Texas Legislature; and |
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WHEREAS, Accomplished in many fields of endeavor, Mrs. |
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Gurley-Cauthorn helped run her family's ranch and took a prominent |
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role in her community; her activities included participation in the |
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Fine Arts Club of Del Rio, the organization of story hour at Val |
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Verde County Library, and lifelong membership at Saint James |
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Episcopal Church; and |
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WHEREAS, Dorothy Gurley-Cauthorn established an admirable |
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record of service with her groundbreaking political career and |
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extensive civic involvement; although she is deeply missed, her |
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legacy will resonate in her community for years to come; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Dorothy Gillis |
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Gurley-Cauthorn and that sincere sympathy be extended to the |
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members of her family: to her daughter, Susan Gurley McBee, and her |
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husband, Larry; to her son, Gillis Gurley, and his wife, Clara Dyer; |
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to her grandchildren, Jacqueline Susan Gurley, Jake Gillis Gurley, |
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and J. R. McBee and his wife, Missy Qualia; to her |
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great-grandchildren, Jack and Kate McBee; to her nieces, Nancy |
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Gillis Sobak and Patsy Gillis Hill; to her nephew, Roger Walter |
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Gillis; and to her 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 her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dorothy |
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Gillis Gurley-Cauthorn. |