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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Pittsburg, Texas, lost a distinguished |
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community leader with the passing of the Honorable D. H. Abernathy |
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on September 24, 2008, at the age of 96; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Abernathy took a prominent role in the |
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government of his community for 57 years, 52 of which he served as |
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mayor; his service as an elected official began in 1949, when he was |
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elected to the city council, and concluded with his retirement as |
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mayor in 2006, when he was in his early 90s; during that period, he |
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missed only eight city council meetings, which is a testament to his |
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dedication to his work as a public servant; and |
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WHEREAS, Hailing from a prominent area family, Mr. Abernathy |
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was the great-great-great-nephew of W. H. Pitts, for whom Pittsburg |
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is named; he graduated from the city's high school in 1929 and went |
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on to attain a mechanical engineering degree from the University of |
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Oklahoma; employment in Oklahoma and Arkansas kept him away from |
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his hometown for a number of years, but he ultimately returned to |
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Texas and worked as the city electrical inspector for 23 years and |
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as an employee of Lone Star Steel for 30 years; he and his wife, |
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Laverne, raised three children and later had the pleasure of seeing |
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their family extend to third, fourth, and fifth generations; and |
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WHEREAS, Mayor Abernathy's dedication to his community and |
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county extended beyond his duties as an elected official; he was |
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active in the Camp County Arts Council, the Camp County Ambulance |
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Service, and First Methodist Church, and he was president of the |
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Camp County Chamber of Commerce; his input benefited regional and |
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state organizations as well, including the East Texas Council of |
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Governments and the Texas Municipal League, both of which he served |
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as president, as well as the Fire Advisory Committee for the Texas |
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Forest Service and the Northeast Texas Economic Development |
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District executive committee; and |
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WHEREAS, Committed to the ongoing development of |
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northeastern Texas, Mayor Abernathy became a vocal advocate for |
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improving the region's network of roads, and he was a founder and |
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president of the East Texas Gulf Highway Association and a member of |
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the Texas Good Roads/Transportation Association; his efforts were |
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honored with the Road Hand Award from the Texas State Highway |
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Commission and with the naming of D. H. Abernathy Boulevard; |
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moreover, his many achievements in office garnered a number of |
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other accolades through the years, including Man of the Year Awards |
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from both the Camp County Chamber of Commerce and the Pittsburg |
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Business and Professional Women; and |
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WHEREAS, D. H. Abernathy helped guide Pittsburg and the |
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surrounding area through an era that encompassed tremendous change, |
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yet his allegiance to faithfully serving his constituents was |
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constant, and his legacy of wise leadership will resonate far into |
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the future; 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 life of Mayor D. H. Abernathy |
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and extend deepest condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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wife, Laverne Abernathy; to his children, W. David Abernathy, Mary |
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Lou Spradling, and Betty Ann Harrel and her husband, Dennis; |
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to his 8 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 2 |
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great-great-grandchildren; and to his other relatives and friends; |
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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 Mayor |
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Abernathy. |
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Hughes |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 957 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on March 26, 2009. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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