H.R. No. 1924
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The citizens of Kerrville lost a beloved neighbor
and much admired civic leader with the passing of Josephine
Schreiner Parker on April 13, 2009, at the age of 92; and
WHEREAS, A native of Kerrville, "Dodo" Parker was born on
November 16, 1916, to Scott and Josephine Schreiner; she attended
Schreiner Institute, graduated from Tivy High School, and earned
her bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin, where
she was active in the Curtain Club and Pi Beta Phi sorority; she
later studied voice in San Antonio and Los Angeles; and
WHEREAS, She married E. C. Parker, Jr., on January 29, 1942,
and while her husband served overseas during World War II, Mrs.
Parker lived in New York City, studying music and voice at Juilliard
School of Music and singing on occasion with the USO; and
WHEREAS, In 1947, the couple settled in Kerrville, and in
addition to raising her children, Mrs. Parker became an
enthusiastic volunteer, supporting the Cub Scouts, teaching Red
Cross water safety courses, and chairing the Kerr County United
Fund Drive; she also shared her time with the boards of the Auld
Youth Center and Kerrville Cemetery Association, served as
president of the PTA at Starkey Elementary School, Peterson Middle
School, and Tivy High School, and became the first woman to be
elected to the Kerrville Independent School District Board; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Parker maintained a lifelong interest in the
performing arts; she produced elaborate water shows in the Cascades
Swimming Pool and hosted a radio talk show, interviewing such
celebrities as Audie Murphy and Gene Autry; moreover, she held
leadership positions with the Kerrville Community Concerts
Association, Hill Country Arts Foundation, Kerrville Community
Theater, and the Texas Arts Alliance, and she enjoyed playing roles
in several productions at the Point Summer Theater; and
WHEREAS, A devoted UT alumnus, Mrs. Parker served on the
board of the institution's Arts and Sciences Foundation and as
district councilwoman of the Texas Ex-Students' Association, board
member of the UT Chancellor's Council, and member of the American
Association of University Women; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Parker was also an advocate for Texas ranchers;
appointed to the Governing Board of the National Wool Growers
Association Auxiliary, she served as president of the Texas Sheep
and Goat Raisers Association Auxiliary and as a member of the Kerr
County Chapter Auxiliary board of the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers
Association; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan's most passionate pursuit was
working to preserve local history for future generations; a member
of the James Kerr Chapter of the Daughters of the American
Revolution and the Captain Charles Schreiner Chapter of the United
Daughters of the Confederacy, she was also a charter member and
president of the Hill Country Preservation Society; she devoted
more than three decades to the establishment of the Hill Country
Museum at the Captain Charles Schreiner Mansion, the home of her
great-grandfather, and considered it her greatest achievement; and
WHEREAS, A gracious and giving woman, Dodo Parker contributed
to her community through a lifetime of purposeful endeavor, and she
leaves behind a legacy of good works that will resonate for years to
come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Josephine Schreiner
Parker and extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to
her husband, E. C. Parker, Jr.; to her children, Scott and Barbara
Parker, Tobin and Kim Parker, and Cee Parker and Carlos Ibarra; to
her grandchildren, Scott, Lauren, John, Schreiner, and Tobin; and
to her other relatives and many friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Josephine
Schreiner Parker.
Hilderbran
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1924 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 14, 2009.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House