83R6565 MGR-D

By: Giddings H.R. No. 347

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Bertha Hilburn is being honored by the congregation of St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church of Dallas on February 17, 2013, as a Senior Saint of Wisdom; and

WHEREAS, A faithful member of the church, Mrs. Hilburn is also a longtime resident of Dallas; she served as a nurse's aide at Parkland Hospital in 1941 before assembling airplane parts during World War II; following the conclusion of the war, she returned to Parkland as a nurse, and, hoping to help single mothers find work, she opened the city's first licensed nursery for African Americans; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1940s, Mrs. Hilburn and her husband moved to South Dallas and purchased an apartment building that had originally served as a small hospital specializing in care for unwed mothers; Mrs. Hilburn operated the building as a residential hotel for African Americans, one of the first in the city, and raised her family there; and

WHEREAS, Along the way, Bertha Hilburn worked as a physical therapy assistant with the Dallas public schools, and later on she was employed by the Dallas Easter Seal Society; recently, her daughter Vanessa Baker took steps to have the building owned by her mother designated as a local historic landmark; and

WHEREAS, This beloved Texan has touched the hearts of many throughout her life, and it is a pleasure to join in wishing her well and honoring her for her long record of service to others; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Bertha Hilburn on her selection as a Senior Saint of Wisdom by St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church of Dallas and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mrs. Hilburn as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.