SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 209

WHEREAS, A 70th wedding anniversary of two people who are still as in love as they were on the day they married is a milestone not frequently reached and therefore all the more worth celebrating; and

WHEREAS, Jesse L. "Jack" McCrady and the former Kathleen Holland were joined in matrimony on December 24, 1942, during their Christmas break, when both were still seniors in high school in Hollis, Oklahoma, where they were classmates and close friends of Edith and Darrell Royal; and

WHEREAS, Jack and Kathleen graduated from high school in May of 1943, and Jack was drafted into the United States Army one month later; he served until the end of World War II as a pilot in the Army Air Corps, flying a variety of twin-engine aircraft; and

WHEREAS, Jack and Kathleen have been blessed with a treasured family that includes four children, Michael, Nancy, Phillip, and Karol Ann, and their spouses, 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, After his honorable discharge from the Army following the war, Jack joined the Texas National Guard; he served in a variety of positions, primarily as a helicopter pilot based at Camp Mabry in Austin; he received many commendations and awards and retired in 1973 with the rank of major; and

WHEREAS, Kathleen worked for the Austin Independent School District until her retirement in 1987, all the while building a national reputation as a gifted quilt artist; her work has been exhibited to great acclaim and is held in private and corporate collections; Kathleen is also a beloved teacher of quilting and has shared her skills and knowledge through classes and workshops with hundreds of students; she is a sought-after expert in quilt appraisal and conservation and the author of a popular book, My Life With Quilts, which documents her lifelong love of quiltmaking; and

WHEREAS, She is a charter member of the Austin Area Quilt Guild and a noted quilt historian, having established the Quilt History Study Hall and offered classes on quilt history, restoration, and conservation; in 2006 she donated her extensive collection of quilts, fabrics, and ephemera to the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin, where it is highly valued for its contributions to textile research and exhibitions; and

WHEREAS, Jack and Kathleen are longtime residents of the Brentwood neighborhood of Austin, actively participating in their neighborhood association; they have been faithful members of Northwest Baptist Church in Austin for decades; and

WHEREAS, Jack and Kathleen have enjoyed seven decades of abiding love and affection for one another, and they are among an exceptional group of men and women who can claim such a lasting commitment; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, hereby congratulate Jack and Kathleen McCrady on their 70th wedding anniversary and extend to them sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for Mr. and Mrs. McCrady as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate.

Watson

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 13, 2013.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate