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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A full and generous life drew to a close with the |
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passing of Mary Ellen Murphy Hall of Rockwall on August 27, 2008, at |
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the age of 83; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Jahalon Murphy and Argo Murphy |
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Henry, Mary Ellen Murphy was born in Kemp on January 15, 1925; she |
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graduated with honors from Kaufman High School, and she married |
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Ralph Hall on November 14, 1944, in Pensacola, Florida, where Mr. |
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Hall was serving as a lieutenant in the United States Navy; and |
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WHEREAS, The couple made their first home in Daytona Beach, |
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but returned to Texas after World War II and raised their three sons |
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in Rockwall; a devoted wife and mother, Mrs. Hall helped her |
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children do their homework every day and provided loving support to |
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her husband through the years as he served as a county judge, state |
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senator, and 14-term U.S. congressman; and |
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WHEREAS, After her youngest child entered grade school, Mrs. |
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Hall began commuting to East Texas State University to earn her |
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college diploma; although she sometimes studied until well after |
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midnight and then rose early in the morning to care for her family, |
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she managed to complete her bachelor's degree with honors in just |
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3-1/2 years, with a double major in speech and drama; and |
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WHEREAS, This elegant and refined Texan traveled the world |
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with her husband and enjoyed annual vacations in Daytona Beach, but |
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home remained her favorite place of all, and caring for her |
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grandchildren was one of her greatest delights; active in her |
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community, she was a trustee of the Rockwall Independent School |
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District for five years, serving twice as vice president, and a |
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valued member of First United Methodist Church, where she taught |
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its Friendship Class for many years; in addition, she was a group |
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leader for Bible Study Fellowship, an international group of |
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Biblical scholars; her other associations included the Texas Ladies |
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Senate Club in Austin and the Congressional Wives Club in |
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Washington, D.C., and she was an honorary member of Delta Kappa |
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Gamma, the international honorary society for women in education; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mary Ellen Hall is deeply missed, but the memory of |
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her graciousness, her generosity, and her strength of character |
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remains to comfort and inspire all those who were privileged to know |
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her; 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 Mary Ellen Hall and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to her |
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husband, U.S. Representative Ralph Hall; to her sons, Hamp Hall and |
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his wife, Jody, Brett Hall and his wife, Karen, and Blake Hall and |
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his wife, Catherine; to her grandchildren, Jay, Sarah, and Amanda |
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Hall, Crystal Tucker, and Steven Lule; to her aunt, Verna Randall; |
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to her sister-in-law, Rosemary Hall Scott; to her brother-in-law, |
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Hugh O. Hall and his wife, Doris; to her nephew, Dr. Victor Scott, |
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his wife, Vicki, and their children, Haley and Alexander; to her |
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cousin, Wilburn Pritchard; and to her 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 her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Mary Ellen |
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Hall. |
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Laubenberg |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1754 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 11, 2009. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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