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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 Cynthia Lee Baum Gerhardt, former chief clerk of the |
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Texas House of Representatives, on May 9, 2008; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Elmer "Doc" Carl Baum and Virginia |
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Kuns Baum, the former Cynthia Lee Baum was born on August 7, 1937, |
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in Fort Scott, Kansas; at the age of six, she moved with her family |
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to Austin, a city that she heartily adopted as her home; she |
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graduated from Austin High School and briefly worked for the |
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Treasury Department and the Texas Employment Commission, before |
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leaving to attend Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she |
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earned an associate's degree in 1957; while there, she married and |
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became the mother of two daughters, Suzanne and Sharon; and |
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WHEREAS, Returning to Austin, Ms. Gerhardt again found |
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employment in state government, initially working for members of |
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the Texas House of Representatives and later in the Office of the |
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Governor; in 1970, she started her impressive 25-year tenure in the |
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Chief Clerk's Office, and she served as chief clerk during parts of |
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the 73rd and 74th Legislatures; she retired in 1995; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Gerhardt was possessed of a strong work ethic, |
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courage, and grace, qualities that she instilled in her children by |
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example; through the years, she was fortunate to receive the |
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support and affection of a wide circle of loved ones, including |
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lifelong friends and extended family with whom she shared many |
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memorable gatherings; she was enthusiastic about politics, as well |
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as University of Texas sports, and delighted others with her keen, |
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often droll, sense of humor; and |
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WHEREAS, Those who were privileged to know Cynthia Gerhardt |
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will forever treasure their memories of time spent in her company, |
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and the devotion and strength of spirit with which she lived will |
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remain a source of inspiration for years to come; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory |
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of Cynthia Lee Baum Gerhardt and extend sincere sympathy to the |
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members of her family: to her daughters, Suzanne "Suzy" Gerhardt |
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Ranney and her husband, Jack, and Sharon Gerhardt; to her |
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grandchildren, Carleton and Virginia Ranney; to her brother, Dr. |
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Alan C. Baum; to her nephew and niece, Alan Baum, Jr., and Caroline |
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Baum; to her longtime friends, Julie Whitworth Moore, Betty Murray, |
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MariBen Ramsey, and Marilyn Sandhop; and to her 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 Cynthia Lee |
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Baum Gerhardt. |