H.R. No. 2692
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of Louis
Alois Slovak, a lifelong resident of the Ennis area, who passed away
on March 31, 2009, at the age of 91; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Slovak was born on March 28, 1918, in the
Creechville Community and attended Village Creek School; called up
by the United States Army in March 1941, he subsequently served
three years in the Panama Canal Zone; and
WHEREAS, While on furlough, Mr. Slovak married Lillian
Frances Vrana at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Ennis on
January 3, 1944; the next day, he reported to Camp Maxey for
training, and in the late summer of 1944, he was deployed with his
unit, the 32nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized, to the
European Theater; and
WHEREAS, On December 16, 1944, Mr. Slovak's squadron received
the first thrust of the massive German offensive that became known
as the Battle of the Bulge; as the early fighting raged, Mr. Slovak
was dispatched on reconnaissance, and on December 17 he and his
patrol were captured behind German lines; after narrowly escaping
summary execution, he spent the next four months as a prisoner of
war; and
WHEREAS, Liberated at the end of the fighting in Europe, Mr.
Slovak was honorably discharged as a corporal in August 1945; among
the numerous military awards conferred on this valiant Texan was
the Purple Heart; and
WHEREAS, Following the war, Mr. Slovak farmed in Creechville
and worked at Leggett and Platt, the Norris Lumber Company, and the
Pearl Beer Distributing Company; active in the area's Czech
community, he was a valued member of St. John Nepomucene and the
KJT, as well as the Disabled American Veterans, the American
Ex-Prisoners of War, VFW Post No. 7106, and the Catholic Order of
Foresters; and
WHEREAS, Louis Slovak exemplified the best values of a
generation that helped to preserve democracy and liberty at
tremendous personal cost and that built a stronger, more prosperous
society, and it is a privilege to honor his memory; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Louis Alois Slovak and
extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his
beloved wife of 65 years, Lillian Slovak; to his children and their
spouses, Danny and Evelyn Slovak, Dolores Sykora, Ronnie and Susan
Slovak, Michael and Laura Slovak, Timothy Slovak, and Judy Venable;
to his brother, Bill Slovak and his wife, Mary, and his sister,
Lillie Honza; to his 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren;
and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family, and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Louis Alois
Slovak.
Pitts
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2692 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 31, 2009.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House