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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Wichita Falls lost an esteemed |
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community leader with the passing of Arthur Beatrice Williams on |
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November 19, 2021, at the age of 88; and |
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WHEREAS, Arthur Bea Williams was born in Calvert on August 2, |
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1933, to Margie Blackmon and Johnny Williams, and she grew up with |
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her brother, Charles; in 1942, she and her family moved to Wichita |
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Falls; she professed her faith at an early age and became involved |
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with ministries at her church; following her graduation from |
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Booker T. Washington High School in 1951, she went on to attend |
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Bishop College, where she was presented as a debutante by the |
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Federated Women's Club; and |
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WHEREAS, Breaking a number of color barriers, Ms. Williams |
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was the first Black woman city councilor in Wichita Falls and the |
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city's first Black justice of the peace; she was a longtime member |
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of the League of Women Voters of Wichita Falls, and she was a |
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passionate advocate for youth, playing an instrumental role in |
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organizing Ms. Bea's Tea Party for fifth-grade students and serving |
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as a board member for Child Care Partners; she contributed to her |
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community as a volunteer for over four decades; moreover, she was a |
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valued congregant of Gilbert Memorial Christian Methodist |
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Episcopal Church; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Williams was inducted into the North Texas |
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Women's Hall of Fame, and in 2019 she was honored as a North Texas |
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Legend by the Museum of North Texas History; she was also recognized |
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as the 2001 Wichitan of the Year by the Times Record News; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Williams was the devoted mother of a daughter, |
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Andrea Lynne; in her leisure time, she enjoyed quilting, and she was |
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a certified master gardener; and |
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WHEREAS, A trailblazer and a dedicated public servant, Arthur |
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Bea Williams will be deeply missed, but the integrity, wisdom, and |
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generosity with which she lived her life will forever inspire all |
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who had the good fortune to know her; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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hereby pay tribute to the memory of Arthur Beatrice Williams and |
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extend heartfelt sympathy to her many relatives and friends; and, |
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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 Arthur Bea Williams. |