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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Mineola lost one of its most beloved |
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residents with the death of Carl Lester Merritt on January 28, 2011, |
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at the age of 89; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on February 15, 1921, in Calvary, Georgia, to |
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L. O. and Lilly Merritt, Mr. Merritt graduated from the University |
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of Georgia at the age of 20 with degrees in genetics, agriculture, |
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and education; shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he |
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answered his nation's call to duty and joined the United States |
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Navy, which put his valuable knowledge and experience as a licensed |
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pilot to use by making him a flight instructor; at the end of the |
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war, he was discharged from the navy with the rank of lieutenant |
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commander; and |
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WHEREAS, While serving at the Naval Air Station in Dallas, |
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Mr. Merritt met Virginia Puckett, whom he married in 1944; the |
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couple settled in Mineola, where they enjoyed many loving and |
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rewarding years together until her passing; they were blessed with |
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three children, Kevin, Linda, and Louise, as well as six |
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grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, After returning to civilian life and moving to |
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Mineola, Mr. Merritt opened Merritt's Hardware and Feed Store and |
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embarked on a successful business career; in 1949 he purchased the |
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Sinclair Wholesale Warehouse and began selling gasoline and other |
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supplies to farms and gas stations; he sold that company in 1955 to |
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become an American Petrofina wholesaler, and he eventually owned |
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and operated 21 Fina service stations in the area; after his |
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retirement in 1981, he continued to work as a rancher; and |
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WHEREAS, Active in his community, Mr. Merritt served a term |
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as director of the Mineola Chamber of Commerce and two terms on the |
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school board, and in 1952 he helped to found the Mineola Lions Club; |
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he received many honors during his nearly six decades with the club, |
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including the Chevron Award for 55 years of service, the Melvin |
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Jones Fellowship, and recognition as a life member of the Texas |
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Lions Camp; in addition, he was a Master Mason and a Shriner, a |
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member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a congregant of |
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Hainesville Baptist Church; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan volunteered much of his time to |
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mentoring young people, especially through youth sports; known |
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around the area as "Mr. Baseball," he worked with children as a |
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baseball coach and umpire, and he was always available to help drive |
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kids to and from practice and games, ensuring that they could |
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participate; he served as president of both the Mineola Youth |
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Foundation and the Greater Wood County Baseball/Softball |
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Association, and for 18 years he was a state director of the Texas |
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Teenage Baseball-Softball Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Merritt was deeply devoted to his family, and he |
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enjoyed taking his children, grandchildren, and |
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great-grandchildren to his Lions Club meetings; he also relished |
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the hours he spent outdoors hunting and fishing; and |
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WHEREAS, A respected community leader and a gentleman, Carl |
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Merritt lived a rich and productive life, and he will long be |
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remembered with deep affection by all those who knew him; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Carl Lester Merritt |
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and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his |
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son, Kevin Merritt, and his wife, Mary; to his daughters, Louise |
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King and her husband, Dr. Joe Mac King, and Linda Merritt Standley; |
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to his grandchildren, Lance Standley and his wife, Sherly, Ryan and |
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Rachel King, and Thomas, Sarah, and Jenna Merritt; to his |
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great-grandchildren, Ellas, Tatum, and Farrah Standley; to his |
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sister, Gladys Wray; to his sisters-in-law, Janelle Merritt and |
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Anice Merritt; to his brother-in-law, Charles Puckett; and to his |
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other 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 his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Carl Lester |
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Merritt. |
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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. 638 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on March 10, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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