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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life defined by compassion, courage, and |
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commitment drew to a close with the passing of Anne Castleberry |
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McAfee of Austin on July 13, 2013, at the age of 82; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Austin on October 15, 1930, the former Anne |
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Elizabeth Castleberry grew up with her mother, Martha Faulk |
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Castleberry Stansbury, on the South Austin farm of her |
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grandparents, Henry and Mattie Faulk; their rambling Victorian home |
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welcomed a host of relatives and friends, including Mattie Faulk's |
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colleagues from the women's suffrage movement, and spirited |
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discussions on politics, religion, and other topics were the order |
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of the day; Ms. McAfee developed a profound love of our nation's |
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founding ideals, as well as a determination to uphold them by making |
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society more just and inclusive; at the age of 13, she entered the |
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political arena as a volunteer for the gubernatorial campaign of |
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former suffragette Minnie Fisher Cunningham, and a few years later, |
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she attended the Progressive Party Convention in Philadelphia; and |
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WHEREAS, This remarkable young woman graduated from Austin |
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High School and majored in history at The University of Texas at |
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Austin, where she met her future husband, Bill McAfee; Ms. McAfee |
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devoted herself to their home and their five children and pursued |
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her interest in civic affairs by subscribing to the Congressional |
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Record and numerous other publications; once the children were in |
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school, Ms. McAfee edited a small monthly magazine for the family |
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business, and she later edited the Austin Times, a progressive |
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weekly that she and her husband established; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the years, Ms. McAfee was highly involved in |
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myriad campaigns for public office at the local, state, and |
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national levels; she was a statewide coordinator for George |
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McGovern's presidential campaign and served as campaign treasurer |
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for congressional candidate John Courage and for Travis County |
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Constable Maria Canchola; her warm smile and delightful sense of |
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humor graced innumerable Democratic functions, where she assisted |
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in a host of ways; a dependable source of wise counsel, she mentored |
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elected officials in her hometown, and she provided information and |
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advice to President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign; she was also an |
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officer and newsletter editor for the Travis County Democratic |
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Women, a member of the State Democratic Executive Committee, and an |
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original and sustaining member of the Yeller Dawgs group; and |
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WHEREAS, This indomitable Austinite benefited the League of |
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Women Voters as an officer and newsletter editor; from the era of |
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the poll tax onward, she worked to ensure equal access to the ballot |
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box for all, and she was a staunch supporter of the civil rights |
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movement; she helped found the Save Barton Creek Association, and |
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she gave selflessly of her time and talents in behalf of many |
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progressive causes, among them increasing health care access, |
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empowering farmworkers, protecting the environment, and ending war |
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and nuclear proliferation; raising her voice for women's rights her |
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entire life, she provided tremendous inspiration to younger |
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activists through her presence at the State Capitol during the |
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senate filibuster on June 25, 2013; and |
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WHEREAS, Anne McAfee was dedicated to her family, her |
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community, and her country, and she instilled in other people an |
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awareness of the importance of standing up for cherished principles |
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of social justice; although she will be deeply missed by those she |
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leaves behind, her shining example of civic engagement will |
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continue to light their way; 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 pay tribute to the memory |
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of Anne Castleberry McAfee and extend sincere condolences to the |
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members of her family: to her husband of 61 years, Bill McAfee; to |
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her children, Susan Raybuck and her husband, Perry, Mark McAfee, |
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Karen Kate McAfee, Laura O'Neill, and Nancy Dyer and her husband, |
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Allan; to her grandchildren, David Raybuck, Abigail Daigle, Sean |
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Raybuck, Adrienne O'Neill, Amanda Adele McAfee, Kaela Dyer Luna, |
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Kevin Deckard McAfee, Emerson McAfee, Garrett Dyer, Kenny O'Neill, |
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Jeff McAfee Deckard, and Sarah O'Neill; to her great-grandchildren, |
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Sydney, Perry, Harper, and Everlee; and to her many other |
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relatives, friends, and admirers; 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 Anne |
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Castleberry McAfee. |