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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Words cannot adequately express the sorrow felt at |
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the passing of Mary Grace Baker of Beaumont, who was tragically lost |
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in the July 4, 2025, flooding in Kerr County; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Katie O'Neill Baker and Clarke |
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Baker, Mary Grace Baker was born in Beaumont on April 10, 2017, and |
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she was eight years old at the time of her passing; she enjoyed an |
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extremely close bond with her younger brother, Jeb, and included |
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him in every activity; surrounded by the love of family, she spent |
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many happy hours in the company of her cousins, Molly, Will, Sonny, |
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Laurel, and Robby, who was often taken to be her twin; she adored |
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her parents and grandparents, and her favorite activities included |
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playing mahjong with her mother, going to the West End Little League |
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opening day with her father, golfing with PatPat, visiting the spa |
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with Shesha, and playing tickle monster with Popsie; she was |
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especially devoted to her grandmother Nana, who hosted countless |
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playdates and sleepovers and imparted valuable lessons of religious |
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faith; Mary Grace received her First Holy Communion at St. Jude |
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Thaddeus Catholic Church; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, Mary Grace attended Calder |
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Baptist nursery, Trinity Weekday Ministries, and St. Anne Catholic |
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School, where she was named "principal of the day"; magnanimous in |
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this role, she granted such favors as extra recess and free |
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popsicles; moreover, she was honored with the school's |
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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for her academic excellence and for |
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demonstrating Catholic principles; open-hearted, funny, and |
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affectionate, she administered such enthusiastic hugs that |
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remaining upright could prove a challenge; she studied dance and |
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piano, played baseball and tennis, and swam, and she experienced |
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everything from skiing in Montana to hula dancing in Hawaii on |
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family trips; creative from an early age, she crafted trinkets for |
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anyone she suspected might be feeling down, and she was thrilled to |
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portray an angel in the Beaumont Civic Ballet's production of The |
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Nutcracker; and |
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WHEREAS, Although her days were far too few, the joy and |
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radiance with which Mary Grace Baker lived her life will remain a |
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lasting source of inspiration to all who were privileged to know |
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her; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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Mary Grace Baker and extend sincere condolences to the members of |
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her family: to her parents, Katie and Clarke Baker; to her brother, |
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John Edward "Jeb" Baker; to her grandparents, Darlene and Pat |
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O'Neill and Alisha and Mike Baker; to her great-grandmother, Nancy |
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Baker; and to her other relatives and many friends; and, be it |
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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 Mary Grace |
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Baker. |
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Phelan |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 143 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on September 3, 2025. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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