H.R. No. 968
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The late Sammie Jean Estes has been nominated for
induction into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1975, the National Cowgirl Museum and
Hall of Fame in Fort Worth is dedicated to honoring and documenting
the lives of women who exemplify the spirit of the American West;
with a mission to preserve the history and impact of western women
living from the mid-1800s to the present, the Hall of Fame includes
nearly 200 artists, writers, entertainers, competitive performers,
ranchers, and others who have contributed to this distinctive
region; and
WHEREAS, Posthumously nominated to join this esteemed group,
"Sweet" Estes discovered a lifelong passion for horses at the age of
11, when she purchased her first pony for two dollars and began
charging neighborhood children a nickel to ride to the corner and a
dime to ride around the block; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Estes earned enough money to buy more horses,
and by 1941, she and her family had a stable of 15; the income from
her riding business paid for her college education as well as her
sister's; while a student at the University of North Texas in
Denton, Ms. Estes sponsored the Los Caballeros Riding Club and
taught her fellow students riding and horsemanship, as well as
classes on the anatomy and care of a horse; in addition to
instructing courses and keeping up with her own studies, she bred
many registered horses, and her "Double Dollar" brand could be
found on many fine quarter horses; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Estes earned both her bachelor's and her
master's degrees in physical education at UNT; for nearly five
decades, she taught horseback riding, backpacking, and wilderness
camping to students at UNT and at Texas Woman's University; and
WHEREAS, She also leased her horses for many years to summer
camps across Texas and Colorado and beyond, serving many of them as
a riding instructor; along the way, this inspiring woman managed to
overcome tuberculosis and to acquire her dream home, a 30-acre
property called Lone Chimney, in Colorado; it was there that she
passed away on August 16, 1989; and
WHEREAS, Sweet Estes shared her love of horses with
generations of young people; she lived an extraordinary life that
embodied the independence, character, and indomitable spirit of the
American cowgirl, and she is most deserving of this special honor;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Sweet Estes on the
occasion of her posthumous nomination to the National Cowgirl
Museum and Hall of Fame.
Crownover
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 968 was adopted by the House on April
7, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House