H.R. No. 1420
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A life filled with notable accomplishments drew to a
close when the Honorable Hiram Childress of Temple passed away on
February 10, 2011, at the age of 94; and
WHEREAS, Hiram Childress was born in Sweetwater on September
10, 1916, to Dan and Eula Mae Childress; after graduating from
Eastland High School, he attended Southern Methodist University,
where he earned a bachelor of laws degree in 1940; and
WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty during World War
II, Mr. Childress joined the U.S. Army in 1942; assigned to the Army
Air Corps, he attained the rank of captain and served as an
intelligence officer in Britain, where he helped plan Allied
bombing missions against Germany; after the war, he continued to
serve his country with the U.S. Air Force Reserve until 1957, when
he was honorably discharged with the rank of major; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Childress returned to Sweetwater at the end of
the war to open a law practice; drawn to public service, he soon ran
for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, where he served
for two terms, from 1949 to 1953; during that time, he chaired the
Committee on Conservation and Reclamation and served on the Water
Code and Criminal Jurisprudence Committees, among others; and
WHEREAS, Following his retirement from the legislature, Mr.
Childress opened a law office in Temple; he later relocated to
Washington, D.C., to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture;
and
WHEREAS, Hiram Childress and his wife, the former Juanita
Bush, were joined in matrimony on January 10, 1965, and enjoyed a
rewarding 46 years together; shortly after their marriage, he
retired from the agriculture department and moved back to Temple to
resume his law practice; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan was a valued congregant of
Avenue T Church of Christ in Temple, and he was affiliated with Elks
lodges in both Temple and Sweetwater; he was also a Master Mason and
a member of Shriners International; and
WHEREAS, A distinguished member of the State Bar of Texas for
71 years, Hiram Childress built a successful career in both the
public and private sectors, and he leaves behind a record of service
that his loved ones can indeed remember with pride; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable Hiram
Childress and extend sincere condolences to the members of his
family: to his wife, Juanita Childress; to his brother and
sister-in-law, Robert and Mary Childress; 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 Hiram
Childress.
Sheffield
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1420 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on April 28, 2011.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House