H.R. No. 619
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The city of McAllen lost its revered "first lady"
with the passing of Lucile McKee Hendricks on November 6, 2007, at
the age of 98; and
WHEREAS, The daughter of B. F. and Sallie McKee, the former
Lucile McKee was born in Lebanon, Tennessee, on November 5, 1909;
her family moved to McAllen when she was a teenager and she attended
Edinburg Junior College, which later became The University of
Texas-Pan American; in 1927, she married Harold Hendricks, a
builder, and the couple later became the parents of two treasured
daughters, Ruth and Judith; and
WHEREAS, The hardworking young couple operated a gas station
and a boarding house during the Great Depression and began
investing in property; as the economy recovered, the construction
business prospered, and Mrs. Hendricks learned every aspect of it
by handling the bookkeeping and various other duties for the
company that her husband founded; while Mr. Hendricks handled
Brownsville and Laredo projects, Mrs. Hendricks went on to direct
operations in McAllen, and she oversaw construction of numerous
prominent commercial buildings; and
WHEREAS, After her husband died in 1964, Mrs. Hendricks ran
the company, and for years she was the only female member of the
Associated General Contractors in Texas; she became the first woman
to chair McAllen's Building Board of Adjustments and Appeals and
also chaired the Housing Authority Commission and served on the
Planning and Zoning Commission; moreover, she became the first
female elected official in Hidalgo County when she became a member
of the McAllen school board, and in 1959, she became the board's
first female president; and
WHEREAS, This endlessly energetic Texan was involved in
myriad aspects of civic life, among them state politics,
philanthropy, and the local cultural scene; she led the drive to
establish a civic center in McAllen and was a founder of the Rio
Grande Valley International Music Festival; during the 1950s, she
chaired the Mothers' March on Polio, and in her later years, Mrs.
Hendricks volunteered her time to Leadership McAllen, giving
historical lectures, and supported such organizations as the Zonta
Club, the McAllen Citizens League, and the Rio Grande chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution; and
WHEREAS, In February 2009, the McAllen Independent School
District recognized her long involvement in education by dedicating
an elementary school in her honor; Mrs. Hendricks received
countless other accolades over the years, among them the Woman of
the Year award from the chamber of commerce and the Humanitarian of
the Year award from the Easter Seals organization; in addition, she
was named Republican of the Decade for Hidalgo County; and
WHEREAS, Lucile McKee Hendricks was a remarkable woman who
excelled in many arenas and was a tireless advocate for education
and the arts, and her multifaceted influence will continue to be
felt in McAllen 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 Lucile McKee
Hendricks and extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family:
to her daughter, Judith Rodriguez; to her grandsons, Gerry
Rodriguez and his wife, Cass, and Hal Summers and his wife, Christi;
to her great-grandsons, Harry and Diego Rodriguez and Kruger
Summers; and to her other relatives and her many friends and
admirers; 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 Lucile
McKee Hendricks.
Gonzales
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 619 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 5, 2009.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House