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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, April 2019 marks the 11th anniversary of the death |
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of San Antonio restaurateur Viola Barrios, and this occasion |
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provides a fitting opportunity to reflect on the life and |
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accomplishments of this beloved woman; and |
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WHEREAS, Viola Barrios was born in Bustamante, Nuevo León, |
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Mexico, to Alfredo and Evangelina Botello, and she grew up with the |
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companionship of four sisters, Connie, Mary, Gloria, and Irma; |
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after moving to the United States in her early 20s, she settled in |
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San Antonio and married the love of her life, Jose C. Barrios; the |
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couple shared a rewarding marriage that spanned almost two decades |
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before Mr. Barrios was killed in an automobile accident in 1975; |
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Mrs. Barrios suddenly found herself a single parent of three |
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children; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1979, with only $3,000 and a passion for cooking, |
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Ms. Barrios opened the original Los Barrios Restaurant in an old |
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boat garage downtown; for nearly 30 years, she worked seven days a |
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week cooking, cleaning, prepping food, bussing tables, and doing |
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any other job necessary to help the business survive and grow; |
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through her hard work, Los Barrios prospered, expanding to a second |
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location and earning national acclaim by being featured in numerous |
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publications and television programs; and |
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WHEREAS, A San Antonio legend, Ms. Barrios was renowned for |
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her generosity; she lent a helping hand to those in need and |
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returned to Mexico annually to assist the residents of her |
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hometown; following her death, the tradition of selfless service |
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that she began has been carried on by her three children, Teresa |
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Barrios-Ogden, Louis Barrios, and Diana Barrios Treviño, and by her |
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many grandchildren; in 2008, they started the Viola's Huge Heart |
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Foundation to provide scholarships to low-income students; the |
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family has also sponsored dozens of fund-raisers for various |
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nonprofit groups and further honored their matriarch by opening |
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additional businesses, including the Viola's Ventanas restaurant |
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that bears her name; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout her life, Viola Barrios set an inspiring |
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example of perseverance, professional achievement, and concern for |
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others, and her memory will long be cherished by residents of the |
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San Antonio area; 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 legacy of Viola Barrios and |
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honor her many contributions to her community; 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 as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |