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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Ruth and John Alan Hord of Midland shared a life rich |
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with family, faith, and community, and they are deeply missed since |
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the passing of Mr. Hord on May 11, 2008, and of Mrs. Hord on November |
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27, 2008, both at the age of 91; and |
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WHEREAS, The former Ruth Waldrop was born in Gilmer County on |
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December 30, 1916, and lived with her family in San Antonio, Dallas, |
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Washington, D.C., Tennessee, Mexico, and New York City before |
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enrolling in Oak Cliff High School, where she met her future |
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husband; and |
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WHEREAS, A Dallas native, J. A. Hord was born on February 21, |
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1917, not far from where his great-grandparents had settled during |
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the Texas Republic; he and his future wife both began studying |
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geology at North Texas Agricultural College in Arlington, and Mrs. |
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Hord later worked her way through The University of Texas at Austin, |
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while he did the same at Oklahoma University; the couple married in |
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1938, and Mrs. Hord graduated magna cum laude with a degree in |
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geology the following year; Mr. Hord earned his bachelor's degree |
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in geological engineering in 1940, and they both pursued graduate |
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studies at OU until Gulf Oil offered Mr. Hord a position as a |
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geologist in the Permian Basin; and |
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WHEREAS, The couple became the parents of three children, and |
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Mr. Hord's field work and positions of increasing responsibility |
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took the family to Dallas, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, and Wichita |
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Falls, and then back to Midland; Mrs. Hord served as a homeroom |
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mother, PTA member, Sunday school teacher, and Girl Scout leader, |
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and not only supported her children's participation in numerous |
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activities but also turned picnics into fossil-hunting expeditions |
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and car trips into lessons on history, geography, and natural |
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science; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1960, Mr. Hord became general manager of |
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exploration for Gulf's Southwest Division, a position he held until |
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his retirement in 1979; he subsequently built a successful |
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independent practice on his strong record of oil and gas |
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discoveries; a member of several professional associations, he |
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served on the advisory council for the OU School of Geology and |
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Geophysics for many years and was a member of the industry committee |
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that assisted Texas Tech University in obtaining certification for |
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its petroleum engineering department; and |
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WHEREAS, This adventurous couple traveled widely after their |
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children were grown, visiting many countries in Europe and in |
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Central and South America; in addition, they joined a 4,000-mile |
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geological expedition to the major oil fields of China; Mrs. Hord |
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was a member of the Texas Historical Association, the Midland |
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County Historical Society, the Midland Genealogical Society, and |
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the Daughters of the American Revolution, and in his retirement, |
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Mr. Hord joined in her research efforts in county courthouses |
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across the South; and |
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WHEREAS, Valued members of the First Presbyterian Church of |
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Midland, the Hords both gave generously of their time and talents to |
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their community and church; Mrs. Hord was an International House |
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hostess and member of the church women's circle; Mr. Hord was an |
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elder and served on the board of Midland Park and on municipal |
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committees for school curricula, the city water supply, and other |
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matters; moreover, he was on the Midland Salvation Army board and |
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the executive and advisory boards of the local Boy Scouts of America |
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council; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout their seven decades together, Ruth and |
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John Alan Hord shared a zest for life and a curiosity about the |
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world around them, and they will long be remembered for their |
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devotion to their family and to each other; now, 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 lives of Ruth and John Alan |
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Hord and extend sincere sympathy to the members of their family: to |
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their daughters, Elaine Hutchinson and her husband, Frederick, and |
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Melinda Reaves and her husband, Charles; to their son, Thomas Alan |
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Hord and his wife, Nancy; to their grandchildren, David and Paul |
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Hutchinson, Arianna Reaves, Bonnie Gillespie, Susan Herman, Mary |
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Tucker, and John Alan Hord II; to their seven great-grandchildren; |
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to Mrs. Hord's sister and brother, Molly Lara and Thomas Waldrop, |
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and to their 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 their family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ruth and |
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John Alan Hord. |