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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Petra Margarita Gonzales of Bexar County is marking |
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a special milestone in her life with the observance of her 90th |
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birthday on July 23, 2013; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in 1923, the former Petra Herrera was raised in |
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San Antonio by her parents, Fidencio Herrera and Maxima Ramos, and |
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has resided in Bexar County throughout her lifetime; she spent her |
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formative years in San Antonio schools and is a graduate of Lanier |
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High; and |
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WHEREAS, She exchanged wedding vows with Frank Y. Gonzales, |
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and together they became the parents of five children; now |
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a widow, she is the proud, doting matriarch of a family that |
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includes 11 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and a |
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great-great-grandchild; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Gonzales was deeply involved in her children's |
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school activities, serving as the first Hispanic president of the |
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St. Michael's Academy parent-teacher group, as a Girl Scout leader, |
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and as the first Hispanic catechist and coordinator at |
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St. Cecilia's Catholic School; during the 1990s, she continued her |
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civic participation in Cellular on Patrol Southeast, representing |
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the Riverside Neighborhood Association, and she received a plaque |
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recognizing her dedication to the important goal of public safety; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Gonzales recalls a time in the 1950s when a |
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poll tax was required to cast votes, a practice that barred many |
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poorer citizens from exercising their civic right; the eventual |
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prohibition of poll taxes in 1964 increased her interest in the |
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voting process and her drive to ensure its fairness; she was one of |
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the first Hispanics to serve as an election clerk and an election |
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judge in the 1960s, and she volunteered her time in behalf of Bexar |
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County elections until 2001; this civic-minded Texan also worked in |
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support of various Democratic candidates into her eighties, and she |
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continues to be an advocate for voting at the local and national |
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levels; and |
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WHEREAS, An esteemed woman who is a source of inspiration to |
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all who know her, Petra Gonzales has devoted herself wholeheartedly |
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to her loved ones, her community, and her country, and it is a |
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distinct pleasure to honor her on nine decades of a life well lived; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby congratulate Petra |
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Margarita Gonzales on her 90th birthday and extend to her warmest |
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wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mrs. Gonzales as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |