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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life made rich through meaningful service drew to |
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a close with the passing of Maxine Edmondson Flournoy on April 5, |
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2023, at the age of 102; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Dr. John Edmondson and Mary Ruth |
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Edmondson Jones, the former Maxine Edmondson was born on March 30, |
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1921; she grew up in Joplin, Missouri, and attended Joplin Junior |
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College; after obtaining her pilot's license through the Civilian |
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Pilot Training Act program, she joined the Women Airforce Service |
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Pilots in 1943 and trained at Avenger Field in Sweetwater; she was |
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assigned to the navigation school at Hondo Army Airfield, where she |
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trained cadets in Beechcraft C-45s; and |
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WHEREAS, Following World War II, she worked as a company |
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pilot in Alice, where she met her future husband, Lucien Flournoy; |
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they raised three daughters, Mary Anne, Betty, and Helen, and |
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operated Flournoy Drilling Company and Alice Aviation together for |
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many decades; the couple enjoyed entertaining at Flournoy Park in |
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Alice and at their home on Lake Corpus Christi in the Carmel Hills |
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neighborhood; Mr. Flournoy passed away in 2003; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Flournoy gave generously of her time and |
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talents in behalf of the USO in Ingleside and at the Naval Air |
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Station Corpus Christi, and she was appointed by President Jimmy |
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Carter to the World USO Board of Directors; she also served with the |
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Texas Historical Commission; active in the WASP alumni group, the |
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Order of Fifinella, she flew a family-owned Cessna 337 to reunions |
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across the country; she was named president of the association in |
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2002; two years later, the Commemorative Air Force in Ingleside was |
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named the Maxine Flournoy 3rd Coast Squadron CAF in her honor; she |
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was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for her military service; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A woman of strong faith, Mrs. Flournoy was a member |
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of First Presbyterian Church in Alice and then First Presbyterian |
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Church in Corpus Christi; she hosted Christian ministry groups |
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during the annual Institute in Basic Life Principles event in San |
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Antonio, and over the years, she provided hotels and meals for |
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hundreds of friends and employees; and |
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WHEREAS, While the death of Maxine Flournoy brings great |
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sadness to her family and friends, she leaves behind a legacy that |
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they will forever treasure; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Maxine Edmondson |
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Flournoy and extend sincere condolences to the members of her |
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family: to her daughters, Mary Anne Guthrie and her husband, Greg, |
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Betty Louise Fields and her husband, Byron, and Helen Ruth Pope and |
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her husband, Bill; to her brother, Phil Edmondson; to her 11 |
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grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren; and to her 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 her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Maxine |
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Edmondson Flournoy. |