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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Residents of Texarkana lost an admired civic leader |
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with the passing of Martha Leah Williams Morriss on April 6, 2019, |
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at the age of 92; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Jeffie and Isaac Williams, the |
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former Martha Williams was born in Mount Pleasant on June 13, 1926, |
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and grew up with two brothers, Bill and Jim; her family moved to |
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Texarkana when she was 10, and after graduating from Texas High |
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School, she completed her bachelor's degree in mathematics at |
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Randolph-Macon Woman's College; on December 31, 1948, she married |
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Joshua Rutland Morriss Jr., and they were blessed with three sons, |
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Josh, Don, and William; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Morriss gave back to her fellow citizens |
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through her support for many worthwhile organizations; she served |
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as president of the Junior League of Texarkana, and she was |
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instrumental in the founding of the Texarkana Regional Arts and |
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Humanities Council; in addition, she generously shared her time and |
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talents with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, the Literary Council |
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of Bowie and Miller Counties, and numerous educational endeavors; |
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widely admired for her contributions to the cultural scene, she was |
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appointed to the Texas Commission on the Arts; together with her |
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husband, she also played a key role in the establishment of MRC |
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Cornerstone Retirement Community; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texarkana Independent School District |
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recognized Mr. and Mrs. Morriss for their exceptional efforts in |
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behalf of education by naming the Martha and Josh Morriss |
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Mathematics & Engineering Elementary School in their honor; |
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moreover, in 2015 the district named the couple Distinguished |
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Alumni and acknowledged Mrs. Morriss for her education advocacy and |
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her work to benefit the TRAHC ArtSmart program, which brings the |
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arts to schools; over the years, she was the recipient of myriad |
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other accolades, including the C. E. Palmer Award for community |
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service from the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than a half century, Mrs. Morriss taught |
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the Fellowship Sunday school class at Williams Memorial United |
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Methodist Church, and every summer, she organized Bible Storytime |
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for Vacation Bible School; she served on the Perkins School of |
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Theology Executive Board, and she and Mr. Morriss delivered Holy |
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Communion to shut-ins together as well; and |
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WHEREAS, Martha Morriss lived a rich and purposeful life |
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centered on her family, her faith, and her community, and she will |
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long be remembered with deep affection by all who knew her; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the memory of Martha Leah Williams Morriss and |
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extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to her |
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husband, Josh Morriss Jr.; to her sons, Josh Morriss III and his |
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wife, Diana, Don Morriss and his wife, Patsy, and William Morriss |
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and his wife, Rita; to her grandchildren, Meredith and David |
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Farren, Susannah and Daniel Linnett, Marjorie and Chad Matthews, |
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Allison and Brady Wright, Whitney and Ross Ormond, Melanie and Ben |
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Tkach, and Brad and Goodwin McCutcheon; to her 15 |
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great-grandchildren; to her special niece, Joan Baldridge-Ballard; |
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and to her other relatives and friends; 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 and Senate |
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adjourn this day, they do so in memory of Martha Leah Williams |
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Morriss. |