81R6617 JGH-D
By: McClendon H.R. No. 397
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends mourn the loss of Mildred Orville
Guilmenot Gipson of Bexar County, who passed away on December 6,
2007, at the age of 93; and
WHEREAS, Born in Corpus Christi on January 25, 1914, to
Richard Arthur and Millie Evers Guilmenot, Orville Gipson grew up
in San Antonio, where she was a member of St. Paul Episcopal Church;
after graduating from Frederick Douglass High School, she continued
her education at St. Philip's College; and
WHEREAS, In September 1941, she married Earl D. Gipson, with
whom she shared more than 40 years and raised a beloved son, Earl
Gipson, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, Answering her nation's call to duty during World War
II, Mrs. Gipson became a "Kelly Katie" at the San Antonio Air
Service Command at Kelly Field, where thousands of civilian women
contributed to the war effort by maintaining the nation's
warplanes; Mrs. Gipson particularly excelled in the repair and
rebuilding of aircraft instruments; after Kelly Field became Kelly
Air Force Base in 1948, this esteemed Texan earned the distinction
of being the first woman to serve as equipment management officer
for the motor pool; she retired in 1982 after nearly four decades of
dedicated service; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Gipson also contributed generously to her
community; with her lifelong friend, Henrietta Roberts Stevenson,
she cofounded the Carver Community Cultural Center Volunteers, a
group that supports and facilitates the events and performances
held at this notable cultural institution; and
WHEREAS, A woman of great intellectual curiosity, Mrs. Gipson
amassed a large personal library and sought to instill in all the
children in her life an appreciation of literature, history, and
the arts; and
WHEREAS, This capable and caring woman enriched the lives of
many during her journey on this earth, and the memory of her kind
and generous spirit will be forever treasured by those who were
privileged to share in the warmth of her love and friendship; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Mildred Orville
Guilmenot Gipson and extend sincere condolences to the members of
her family: to her son, Earl Gipson, Jr., and his wife, Erma Jean;
to her sister, Betty Joan Green; to her brother, Warren Guilmenot,
and his wife, Juanita; to her six granddaughters; to her 12 nieces
and nephews; and to her many other relatives and 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 Mildred
Orville Guilmenot Gipson.