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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends will forever cherish their |
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memories of Ervin Gafford Clower of the Lake Devernia community in |
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Longview, who passed away on May 6, 2023, at the age of 102; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Johnathan Shelby Clower and Virginia Lee |
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Gafford Clower, Ervin Clower was born in Paducah on November 9, |
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1920, and he grew up with the companionship of five siblings, Earl, |
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Johnathan, Virginia, Mary Anna, and Alice Cathryn; he graduated |
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from Matador High School in 1939; and |
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WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty, Mr. Clower |
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joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in January 1943, and he served in |
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Italy during World War II; a flight engineer and gunner on the Merry |
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Barbara aircraft, his assignments included a bombing mission over |
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Ploesti, Romania, that resulted in an emergency landing in the |
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Adriatic Sea; after surviving 24 hours in the ocean, he was rescued |
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by a fisherman and taken to Bari, Italy; he was discharged in |
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September 1945 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the |
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Purple Heart, and the Air Medal; and |
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WHEREAS, Returning to Texas, Mr. Clower earned a bachelor's |
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degree in geology from Texas Christian University; he went on to |
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enjoy a rewarding career with Natural Gas Pipeline, where he worked |
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as a geologist for many years before his retirement in 1980; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Clower shared a fulfilling union with his wife, |
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the former Ouita Lois Burrell, that spanned seven decades before |
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her passing; he took great pride in their three children, Daniel, |
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David, and Lynda, and over the years, he was further blessed with |
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seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply dedicated to his family and his country, |
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Ervin Clower earned the lasting respect and admiration of all who |
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were privileged to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature, 2nd |
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Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Ervin Gafford |
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Clower and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his family: |
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to his sister, Alice Cathryn Gazaway; to his sons, Daniel Clower and |
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his wife, Nicholette, and David Clower and his partner, Martin |
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Hart; to his daughter, Lynda Clower and her husband, Jim Andree; to |
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his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and to his other |
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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 his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this |
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day, it do so in memory of Ervin Clower. |