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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A full and productive life drew to a close with the |
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passing of Ellen Grace Fuhrman of Muenster on August 19, 2023, at |
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the age of 89; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Martin J. Friske and Martha Luke |
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Friske, the former Gracie Friske was born in Muenster on October 26, |
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1933; she grew up with four siblings, Jere, Myrtle, Antonia Mae, and |
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Joan, on a farm west of town owned by her grandfather, August |
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Friske; after her graduation from Sacred Heart School, the family |
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moved to a farm north of Lindsay, and she worked at S. H. Kress, |
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Sears Roebuck & Company, and Tractor Sales & Service; she met her |
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future husband, Alvin Fuhrman, when they both went to town to sell |
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eggs; they married on October 20, 1953, and settled on North Cedar |
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Street in Muenster, where they resided for the next 69 years; |
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devoted parents, they raised two sons, Kent and Gene; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Fuhrman became a part-time evening operator |
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with Muenster Telephone in 1955, and six years later, she and her |
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husband purchased an interest in the company; she became |
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secretary/treasurer and subsequently took on such roles as |
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bookkeeper, director of administration, and member of the board; |
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for many years, she mentored employees as office manager and head of |
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human resources; during over six decades in the industry, she |
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served on the board of the Independent Telephone Pioneer |
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Association, and she benefited the Organization for the Promotion |
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and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies as a member |
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of the convention site selection committee from 1997 to 2005; the |
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Texas Telephone Association accorded her its highest honor, the |
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Neville Haynes Award, in 2009; she and her husband enjoyed visiting |
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industry friends across the country on their vacations; the couple |
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also traveled the world together; and |
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WHEREAS, Even as a young mother helping to build a business, |
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Mrs. Fuhrman was active in her community; she was a room mother for |
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her sons at Sacred Heart School and became the school's first female |
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board president; moreover, she was a Cub Scout den mother; she gave |
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generously of her time and talents to such organizations as the |
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Muenster Garden Club, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, and |
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planning committees for the city's Germanfest; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Gracie Fuhrman is greatly missed, she has |
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left her family and friends with a host of cherished memories, and |
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she will forever hold a special place in their hearts; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature, 3rd |
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Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of Ellen Grace |
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Fuhrman and extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to |
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her husband of 69 years, Alvin M. Fuhrman; to her son, Kent Fuhrman; |
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to her daughter-in-law, Kaylynn Fuhrman; to her grandson, Conner |
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Fuhrman; to her brothers-in-law, Ray Lueb and Bernard Sandmann; and |
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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 Senate adjourns this |
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day, it do so in memory of Ellen Grace "Gracie" Fuhrman. |