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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Longtime Naples businessman and community leader |
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Hershel G. Welch passed away on April 20, 2009, at the age of 73; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on June 11, 1935, to Myrtle and Rube Welch, |
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Hershel "Sweetpea" Welch grew up in Naples and graduated from James |
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Bowie High School; he went on to earn a bachelor's degree in 1957 |
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from Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of |
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Cadets, and to serve his country as a member of the U.S. Army and |
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Army Reserves; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Welch took over his father's business, Welch |
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Butane, in 1968, and under his guidance, the company expanded into |
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three retail locations and became known as WelchGas; from 1977 to |
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2007, he also operated Welch Energy, a propane transport company; |
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he further contributed to his profession as president of the Texas |
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Propane Gas Association and as board chair of the Texas Propane |
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Insurance Trust; through the years, WelchGas was honored for its |
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outstanding marketing efforts by the National Propane Gas |
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Association and the Railroad Commission of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Dedicated to his fellow citizens, Mr. Welch shared |
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his time and talents with numerous organizations, including the |
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Naples United Fund, which he served as chair, and the Naples Chamber |
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of Commerce and the Naples-Omaha Lions Club, both of which he served |
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as president; in addition, he was a board member of the Morris |
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County National Bank and was instrumental in the funding and |
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construction of a downtown Naples gazebo in honor of the city's |
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former business and civic leaders; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan continued his military service |
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until 1979, when he retired as a lieutenant colonel, and in 2007, |
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after some 50 years of involvement with the company, he handed over |
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the ownership of WelchGas to his son, Wes; and |
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WHEREAS, Although many people are saddened by the loss of |
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Hershel "Sweetpea" Welch, they will long treasure their memories of |
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him as a man of great diligence, generosity, and ability; 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 Hershel G. Welch and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife of |
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30 years, Roleta Welch; to his sons, Wes Welch and his wife, April, |
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and Greg Wilcox and his wife, Lori; to his grandchildren, Zachary |
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and Cannen Welch, Grant and Caroline Wilcox, and Kristopher, Kira, |
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and Kayla Scott; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, |
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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 Hershel G. |
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Welch. |