H.R. No. 900
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The 100th birthday of an esteemed Texan truly merits
special recognition, and Kaye Blew of Athens marked this notable
milestone on January 30, 2013; and
WHEREAS, Born in Athens in 1913, the former Ratha Bell McKay
attended grade school in Modoc and high school in Athens; while at
Athens High, she was a guard for the Hornet Lassies basketball team,
which made history in 1930 as the only Athens team to win a state
championship; after graduation, she went on to play on a
semiprofessional team in Dallas called the Shoe Shop Girls; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Blew had trouble finding work in Dallas during
the Great Depression and returned to Athens to pick cotton; for the
Texas Centennial celebration in 1936, she worked at a souvenir
stand on the midway of the Dallas Fairgrounds, and a year later, she
found a position at the Pan American Games; through these jobs, she
enjoyed meeting people from around the world; and
WHEREAS, In 1938, she married Charles Raymond Belding, and
the couple were blessed with three daughters, Robyn, Rayna, and
Judy; Mr. and Mrs. Belding shared nearly five decades together
before Mr. Belding passed away in 1984; fortunate enough to find
love again, she married her high school sweetheart, Tom Hubbard, in
1988, and they enjoyed many happy years before his death; in 2003,
at the age of 90, she married James Blew, and although he passed
away later that same year, their brief time together remains a
source of many fond memories; and
WHEREAS, Today, Mrs. Blew continues to enjoy gardening and
has recently begun to take painting lessons; civically engaged, she
has volunteered for many campaigns, has worked the polls, and has
voted in every election since she came of age; when asked the secret
to her longevity, she cites the hard work of her youth, physical
activity such as waterskiing 36 miles a day well into her 70s, and
the abundance of love she has experienced as the matriarch of a
family that has grown to include grandchildren,
great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Over her many decades of life, Kaye Blew has earned
the admiration and affection of all who are privileged to know her,
and it is indeed a pleasure to honor this remarkable centenarian;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Kaye Blew on her 100th birthday and
extend to her sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mrs. Blew as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Gooden
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 900 was adopted by the House on March
27, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House