2023S0385-1 04/21/23
 
  By: West S.R. No. 456
 
 
 
SENATE RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas honors and
  commemorates the life of Ruth Laverne Wells Wyrick, who died on
  April 14, 2023, at the age of 88; and
         WHEREAS, A fourth-generation Texan, Ruth Laverne Wells was
  born on September 29, 1934, in Waco; she attended the segregated
  A. J. Moore High School and went on to graduate from Southwestern
  Christian College in Terrell; she moved to Dallas, where she met
  and married Ernest "Deacon" Wyrick, and they settled in Oak Cliff
  and shared 59 years of marriage; they were blessed with two
  children, Narleski and Natesha; and
         WHEREAS, A woman of strong Christian faith, Ruth was a
  courageous and determined person who was firm in her principles,
  and she was guided by her faith in her daily life; she enrolled
  her children in private elementary and high schools, and her son
  attended Dallas Christian School in 1968 when the school had not
  yet been desegregated; when the school was relocated, Ruth joined
  other parents in establishing Christian Academy of Oak Cliff,
  where she served as a member of the Parent Teacher Organization
  and the Ladies Auxiliary for Christian Education; and
         WHEREAS, Ruth and Deacon were faithful members of Marsalis
  Avenue Church of Christ in Oak Cliff, where Ruth taught Bible
  classes, volunteered as a youth counselor, and supported her
  church members as a companion in prayer; she also volunteered
  with Lifeline Chaplaincy through Marsalis, and she supported her
  husband in his many church responsibilities as well as in their
  work with the National Youth Conference of the Churches of
  Christ; and
         WHEREAS, Ruth was instrumental in creating the Mr. and
  Miss National Youth Conference Pageant, one of the most esteemed
  activities for youth across the brotherhood; active in the Dallas
  chapter of Southwestern Christian College's alumni association,
  Ruth raised close to $1.5 million over the past 25 years, and she
  won numerous awards for her outstanding service, including
  receiving an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2012; and
         WHEREAS, A mentor to church leaders and ministers and a
  believer in the power of political activism, Ruth held various
  leadership positions and served her community as chair of the
  City of Dallas Martin Luther King Jr. Board; she served as
  Democratic Precinct Chair for 50 years and as a Dallas County
  election judge for local and state elections, and she attended
  the Texas Democratic Convention for 40 years; she was an
  influential and charismatic woman whose political endorsements
  could inspire multitudes to turn out and support first-time
  candidates; and
         WHEREAS, In addition to her spiritual and political
  activities, Ruth worked for the Dallas Independent School
  District for more than 20 years until her retirement in 2009;
  above all else, she was a loving wife and mother and a devoted
  grandmother to her five grandsons; Ruth gave unselfishly to
  others, and her kindness, her passion, and her generous spirit
  will long be remembered by all who were blessed to share in her
  life; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
  Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved
  family of Ruth Laverne Wells Wyrick; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
  her family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
  Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
  memory of Ruth Wells Wyrick.