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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Williamson County mourn the passing of |
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Clara May Stearns Scarbrough of Georgetown, a woman of remarkable |
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influence, intelligence, and talent, who passed away on November |
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28, 2008, at the age of 94; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Circleville on August 17, 1914, Mrs. |
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Scarbrough settled in Taylor with her family at the age of 15 and |
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graduated from Taylor High School in 1932 as an honor student; |
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showing a strong creative flair, she privately studied piano and |
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art during her high school years and served as an accompanist for |
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several church choirs and a civic opera group; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Scarbrough went on to attend The University of |
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Texas, where she was active in music, literary, drama, and social |
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organizations; she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society before |
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graduating summa cum laude with degrees in music and English; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1940, she married Donald Lee Scarbrough, and the |
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couple worked together to publish newspapers in Taylor, Elgin, |
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Granger, Thorndale, and Georgetown; moving to Georgetown in 1948, |
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they purchased the Williamson County Sun, which remains in the |
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family today; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Scarbrough's noteworthy career in academia and |
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her public service contributions grew dramatically following her |
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move to Georgetown; she taught journalism at Southwestern |
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University, supervised the music programs at Georgetown schools, |
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and served on the founding boards that established the Georgetown |
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Public Library, the Mood-Heritage Museum, and the Georgetown |
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Heritage Society; from 1967 to 1969, she taught in the Music |
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Department at The University of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the most notable accomplishments of this |
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distinguished and learned woman was a book she authored in 1973, |
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entitled Land of Good Water: A Williamson County History; this |
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significant publication laid the foundation for a preservation |
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movement that was embraced across the county and is regarded as the |
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leading reference on Williamson County history; and |
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WHEREAS, Clara Scarbrough excelled at every undertaking: |
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musician, editor, publisher, historian, author, and teacher; she |
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made a positive difference in the lives of countless Central |
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Texans, and her legacy of important works will long be remembered; |
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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 Clara May Stearns |
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Scarbrough and that deepest sympathy be extended to the members of |
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her family: to her daughters, Linda Scarbrough and her husband, |
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Clark Thurmond, and Donna Josey; to her granddaughters, Grace Josey |
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and her husband, Jared Pyka, and Kate Thurmond; and to her other |
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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 Clara May |
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Stearns Scarbrough. |