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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Elena Peña Gallego, an esteemed member of the Alpine |
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community and a friend to many, passed away on March 8, 2023, at the |
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age of 94; and |
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WHEREAS, The former Elena Peña was born to Martín Peña and |
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Cecilia Paredes Peña on August 18, 1928, in Fort Stockton, and she |
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grew up with the companionship of three siblings, Mary, Irene, and |
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Pete; at the age of 16, she moved to Alpine to attend Sul Ross State |
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Teachers College, and two years later, she was joined in matrimony |
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to Pete A. Gallego, with whom she shared a fulfilling union that |
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spanned more than six decades until his passing in 2010; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Gallego left college to take a position as a |
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teacher at a rural school near Chinati Peak, and upon her marriage, |
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she worked in the Gallego family's restaurant, then known as the |
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Green Café; she later became the first Mexican American bookkeeper |
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at First National Bank in Alpine before joining the Texas |
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Department of Health and Human Services, where she took great |
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satisfaction in helping people to meet their basic needs; and |
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WHEREAS, Active in her community, Mrs. Gallego helped to |
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establish and operate Our Lady of Peace Credit Union, now Alpine |
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Community Credit Union, in order to meet the financial needs of |
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Mexican Americans who faced discrimination by area banks; moreover, |
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she was very involved in local politics and served as campaign |
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strategist for her husband, who served five terms as a trustee of |
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the Alpine Independent School District, and the family's restaurant |
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became a frequent stopping place for Democratic candidates in the |
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West Texas area; in 2019, she received an Honorary Bachelor of Arts |
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Degree from Sul Ross State University and the Texas State |
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University System Board of Regents, the first time such a degree had |
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been awarded; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Gallego took great pride in her four children, |
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Imelda, Rebecca, Pete, and Robert, and she instilled in them the |
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value of education; with the passing years, she had the pleasure of |
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seeing her family grow to include five grandchildren, Imelda, |
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María, Briana, Cristina, and Nicolás, as well as a |
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great-granddaughter, Sonia; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply devoted to her family and her community, |
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Elena Peña Gallego made a meaningful difference in the lives of her |
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loved ones and fellow citizens alike, and those who were privileged |
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to share in her love and affection will forever hold her close in |
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their hearts; 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 life of Elena Peña Gallego and extend |
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sincere condolences to all who mourn her passing; 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 Elena Peña Gallego. |