2017 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 118
BY SENATORS MORRISH, ALARIO, ALLAIN, APPEL, BARROW, BISHOP,
BOUDREAUX, CARTER, CHABERT, CLAITOR, COLOMB,
CORTEZ, DONAHUE, ERDEY, FANNIN, GATTI, HEWITT, JOHNS,
LAFLEUR, LAMBERT, LONG, LUNEAU, MARTINY, MILKOVICH,
MILLS, MIZELL, MORRELL, PEACOCK, PERRY, PETERSON,
RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH, TARVER, THOMPSON,
WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHITE AND REPRESENTATIVES
ABRAHAM, ABRAMSON, AMEDEE, ANDERS, ARMES, BACALA,
BAGLEY, BAGNERIS, BARRAS, BERTHELOT, BILLIOT, BISHOP,
BOUIE, BROADWATER, CHAD BROWN, TERRY BROWN,
CARMODY, CARPENTER, GARY CARTER, ROBBY CARTER,
STEVE CARTER, CHANEY, CONNICK, COUSSAN, COX, CREWS,
CROMER, DANAHAY, DAVIS, DEVILLIER, DWIGHT, EDMONDS,
EMERSON, FALCONER, FOIL, FRANKLIN, GAINES, GAROFALO,
GISCLAIR, GLOVER, GUINN, HALL, JIMMY HARRIS, LANCE
HARRIS, HAVARD, HAZEL, HENRY, HENSGENS, HILFERTY,
HILL, HODGES, HOFFMANN, HOLLIS, HORTON, HOWARD,
HUNTER, HUVAL, IVEY, JACKSON, JAMES, JEFFERSON,
JENKINS, JOHNSON, JONES, JORDAN, NANCY LANDRY, TERRY
LANDRY, LEBAS, LEGER, LEOPOLD, LYONS, MACK, MAGEE,
MARCELLE, MARINO, MCFARLAND, MIGUEZ, DUSTIN MILLER,
GREGORY MILLER, MORENO, JAY MORRIS, JIM MORRIS,
NORTON, PEARSON, PIERRE, POPE, PRICE, PUGH, PYLANT,
REYNOLDS, RICHARD, SCHEXNAYDER, SCHRODER,
SEABAUGH, SHADOIN, SIMON, SMITH, STAGNI, STEFANSKI,
STOKES, TALBOT, THIBAUT, THOMAS, WHITE AND ZERINGUE
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the death of
James Paul "Jimmy" Martin, former state representative and mayor of Welsh.
WHEREAS, it was with great sorrow of spirits and sadness of hearts that the
members of the Legislature of Louisiana received word of the transition on May 21, 2017,
of James Paul "Jimmy" Martin, who ably served the residents of District No. 37 in the House
of Representatives from 1972 to 1992; Jimmy Martin was eighty-eight years old; and
WHEREAS, James was born to Dr. and Mrs. Claude A. Martin on March 10, 1929;
he was the youngest of his siblings, Gertrude Martin Fernholz, Kathleen Martin Power, and
Abbot Matthew Martin, all of whom preceded him in death; and
WHEREAS, Jimmy graduated from St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis,
Mississippi, in 1946, attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Lafayette, and received
a bachelor of science degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama; and
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WHEREAS, Jimmy Martin answered the call of duty to his country and served in the
United States Army from 1951 to 1953 in the Korean War; after his military service, he
worked as an agent and field underwriter for New York Life; and
WHEREAS, in 1956, Jimmy married the love of his life, Bernadine Fontenot, and
was a loving husband to Bernadine for sixty-one years until his death; he was a committed
father and grandfather who cherished the love of his family; and
WHEREAS, in 1967, Jimmy Martin was elected mayor of Welsh, Louisiana, and was
reelected without opposition in 1971, but after serving one year of his second term as mayor,
he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1972 and served five terms as
the representative of his constituents in Jefferson Davis Parish and East Calcasieu; Jimmy
joined a group of dynamic legislators known as "The Young Turks" and helped usher in
sweeping changes in legislative protocol and policies; and
WHEREAS, during his twenty years as a state representative, Jimmy Martin served
on the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on House and
Governmental Affairs, the House Committee on Retirement, and the House Committee on
Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs; he served as chairman of the House Legislative
Services Council and the House Committee on Agriculture; and
WHEREAS, a faithful parishioner of Our Lady of Seven Dolors Parish in Welsh,
Jimmy Martin served the youth of Louisiana as a member of the Boy Scouts of America and
was a member of the executive board of the Calcasieu Area Boy Scouts; he was awarded the
Silver Beaver Emblem; Mr. Martin also was a charter member of the East Deanery Sierra
Club, a member of the Welsh Rotary Club, and a member of Welsh Council No. 2855
Knights of Columbus and was a grand knight, a charter member of the Monsignor Peter's
Assembly of the Fourth Degree, and received the Fourth Degree Order of Merit in 1984 for
his generous services to the community; and
WHEREAS, in 1990, Representative Martin was named by Pope John Paul II as a
knight of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Pope Saint Sylvester and was invested in the
order at the tenth anniversary of the Diocese of Lake Charles during the Honors
Convocation; and
WHEREAS, in 1993, Jimmy Martin was once again elected mayor of his hometown
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of Welsh; he was inducted into the St. Stanislaus College Hall of Fame on April 8, 2000; and
WHEREAS, left to cherish the memory of James Paul Martin are his wife Bernadine,
his children and their spouses, Claude Martin, Andree Martin Hainkel, John Hainkel, John
Martin, and Robert Mericle; his grandchildren Victor Martin, Alexandra Hainkel, Roth
Hainkel, and Madilyn Martin; and his great-granddaughter Olivia Hainkel; those who knew
and loved James Martin will miss his presence but may find comfort in wonderful memories
of good times shared with him that will remain forever.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
extend deepest sympathies to the family and friends of former state representative and mayor
of Welsh, Louisiana, Jimmy Martin; does hereby express enduring gratitude and pride in the
many outstanding civic contributions Mr. Martin made to his community and his legislative
contributions to the state; and does hereby offer sincere thoughts and prayers for peace and
comfort to those who mourn the loss of one of Louisiana's finest sons.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
family of Jimmy Martin.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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