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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Bullard lost a beloved physician and |
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civic leader with the death of Dr. Marjorie Roper on January 3, |
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2018, at the age of 96; and |
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WHEREAS, Marjorie Ferrell was born in Bullard on June 7, |
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1921, to Hattie and Oran Ferrell; she graduated at 15 from Bullard |
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High School as the 1937 class valedictorian, studied pre-med at |
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Tyler Junior College and The University of Texas at Austin, and won |
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early acceptance at the UT Medical Branch at Galveston, where she |
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was one of only three women in her class; she earned her medical |
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degree in 1943 and, following her residency, joined the pediatric |
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practice of Dr. Ben Andres and Dr. Hardy Cook in Longview; and |
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WHEREAS, In August 1944, Ms. Ferrell married Leonard Bauman |
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Roper; she was the proud mother of four children, Dan, Tom, Richard, |
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and Harriet, and later in life, she was blessed with 13 |
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grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Roper returned to her hometown and opened her |
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own practice in the back of her father's pharmacy in 1947, and she |
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went on to work out of the same building for the next 59 years; |
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affectionately known as "Doctor Margie," she treated generations of |
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Bullard residents of all backgrounds, from veterans of the Civil |
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War to children born in the 21st century, sometimes accepting |
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payment in the form of fresh fruit and vegetables; from 1968 to |
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1987, she also worked part-time at Rusk State Hospital; after she |
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retired at the age of 85, she became the first director of Bullard |
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United Methodist Church's Christus House Clinic, which now bears |
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her name; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to her medical practice, Dr. Roper was a |
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longtime supporter of the Bullard Mission House and the Bullard |
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Community Library, and she helped establish the Bullard Historical |
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Museum in her father's old building; her many accolades included |
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being named "Tomato Princess" during the Great Depression, winning |
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the Texas Baptist Mother of the Year award in 1963, and receiving |
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Tyler Junior College's Distinguished Graduate award in 1999; in |
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2014, a section of Highway 69 was renamed in her honor; and |
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WHEREAS, A true hometown hero, Marjorie Roper lived a rich |
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and purposeful life dedicated to her patients and to the town she |
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loved so well, and she leaves behind a legacy that will resonate in |
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the Bullard community for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Marjorie Roper |
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and extend heartfelt sympathy to her relatives and many friends; |
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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 |
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Dr. Marjorie Roper. |
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Clardy |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 49 was unanimously adopted by a rising |
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vote of the House on March 6, 2019. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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