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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The 80th birthday of a respected entrepreneur is |
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indeed cause for celebration, and Sam W. Meineke of League City is |
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marking this important milestone on March 19, 2011; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in 1931 in Oklahoma, Sam Meineke learned at an |
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early age the value of hard work; the son of a sharecropper, he |
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picked cotton seven days a week and distracted himself from the |
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job's physical demands by dreaming of a future in which he would |
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attain the success of men like Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie, whom |
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he'd read about in school; and |
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WHEREAS, His family left the cotton fields in 1944 to come to |
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Pasadena, Texas; there Mr. Meineke quickly found employment mowing |
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lawns in the neighborhood and working at a filling station; |
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throughout high school he continued to work, sometimes holding down |
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three jobs at a time in order to contribute to the family finances |
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and save what he could; and |
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WHEREAS, By the time he was 21, he was able to make a down |
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payment on the purchase of a service station, and with a friend from |
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high school, he invested in a number of other ventures; although |
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most of these ultimately lost money, he learned from his mistakes |
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and persevered; in 1957, the pair opened Bass and Meineke Auto |
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Parts, and the store became a success; by 1970, when Mr. Meineke |
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sold his share to his partner, the business had grown into a |
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lucrative chain of 12 stores; and |
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WHEREAS, Eager for a new opportunity, Mr. Meineke opened his |
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first muffler shop later that same year; he expanded to four |
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additional locations and, together with Harold Nedell, an |
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experienced manager in the industry, decided to franchise the |
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company; by the time the business was sold in 1983, there were |
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hundreds of Meineke Car Care Centers throughout the United States |
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and beyond; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Meineke has enjoyed the |
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love and support of his wife, Sadye, and their six children, Cheri |
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Meineke-Johnson, Deborah Zonana, Peggy Meineke, Sherrye Bourgeois, |
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Jerre Barron, and Brian Barron; the couple have also shared in the |
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joy of welcoming into their family eight grandchildren, Ryan and |
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Samantha Zonana, Lacey Derrington, Jerred, Kerre, Justin, and |
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Brandi Barron, and Jeremy Faggard, as well as a great-grandchild, |
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Thomas Derrington; and |
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WHEREAS, The remarkable journey of Sam Meineke, from |
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impoverished sharecropper to prosperous business magnate, |
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constitutes a quintessential Texas success story, and his 80th |
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birthday provides a welcome opportunity to recognize his many |
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inspiring achievements along the way; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Sam W. Meineke on the occasion of |
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his 80th birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for |
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continued happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Meineke as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |