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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The death of acclaimed restaurateur Viola B. Barrios |
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on April 23, 2008, at the age of 76, deeply saddened residents of |
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San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Alfredo and Evangelina Botello, the |
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former Viola Botello was born in Bustamante in the Mexican state of |
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Nuevo Leon and moved to San Antonio as a young girl; she married |
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Jose Barrios, and the couple later became the parents of two |
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daughters and a son; after the untimely death of her husband, the |
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young widow became an entrepreneur and made many sacrifices to |
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provide for her children; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1979, Mrs. Barrios scraped together $3,000 to |
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open a restaurant near downtown; she began serving home-style |
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Mexican food, working seven days a week until late into the night; |
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with her radiant smile and warm manner, she made each patron feel |
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welcome, and Los Barrios became an enormous success; it soon moved |
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to another location and expanded several times to eventually occupy |
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more than 7,000 square feet; the Barrios family opened a second |
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location, La Hacienda de Los Barrios, in 2004, and the |
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multimillion-dollar enterprise grew to employ more than 200 people; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In the early 1980s, Esquire magazine named Los |
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Barrios one of the 100 best new restaurants in America, and the |
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establishment went on to win numerous accolades; it was listed |
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multiple times by Hispanic Magazine as one of the top 50 Hispanic |
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restaurants in the country and received raves from Southern Living |
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and Texas Highways; Mrs. Barrios appeared on numerous television |
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shows, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, and |
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Throwdown with Bobby Flay; always ready to share her skill and |
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knowledge, she taught cooking classes and shared her recipes in the |
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popular cookbook that her daughter, Diana Barrios Trevino, |
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published in 2002; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to helping others, Mrs. Barrios was |
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a tireless benefactor to the people of her hometown; she purchased |
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toys and school supplies for area children, flannel sheets for the |
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members of a religious order, mattresses for residents lacking |
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beds, and myriad items for those in need; moreover, she provided |
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funds for repairs to damaged roofs and renovations to a chapel, and |
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whenever she visited the second house she kept there, she cooked and |
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delivered large quantities of food for her neighbors; a niece |
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coordinated her charitable work in Bustamante, and Mrs. Barrios |
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showed her gratitude by building her a house; and |
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WHEREAS, Charming and remarkably industrious, Mrs. Barrios |
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was adored by her customers and enjoyed the high regard of her |
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community and of the restaurant industry; her myriad honors |
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included membership in the Texas Restaurant Association Hall of |
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Honor, a special award from the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of |
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Commerce, the prestigious Robert H. H. Hugman Award from the San |
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Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, and a Spirit Award from the |
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National Association of Women Business Owners; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Viola B. Barrios is profoundly missed, her |
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family continues the proud business tradition she established, and |
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memories of this kind, generous, and dynamic woman will forever be |
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treasured by those fortunate enough to have known her; 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 Viola B. Barrios and |
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extend sincere condolences to the members of her family: to her |
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daughters, Dr. Teresa Barrios Ogden and her husband, James, and |
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Diana Barrios Trevino and her husband, Roland; to her son, Luis |
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Barrios, and his wife, Traci; to her grandchildren, Analie and |
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Liliana Ogden, Jordan, Evan, and Diego Trevino, and Lindsay, |
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Hailey, and Ian Barrios, and to her many other relatives and |
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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 Viola |
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Barrios. |
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Martinez Fischer |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1319 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on April 23, 2009. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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