SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 81
In Memory
of
S. M. True, Jr.
WHEREAS, S. M. True, Jr., former president of the Texas
Farm Bureau, passed away on May 15, 2012, at the age of 88; and
WHEREAS, The son of Snoden Maddox and Nettie Belle Stalcup
True, S. M. True was born in Goree on July 8, 1923, and raised on a
farm; in 1933, his family relocated to the Snyder community near
Plainview, and he graduated from Plainview High School before
enrolling and attending classes at Texas Tech University; when
World War II intervened, he enlisted in the United States Navy
and served as a carrier-based night fighter pilot; and
WHEREAS, Following the war, Mr. True returned to Hale
County and began his career as a farmer; active in the Hale County
Farm Bureau for a number of years, he went on to serve on the
board of directors of the Texas Farm Bureau; he was elected
president of the Texas Farm Bureau in 1982, and in his 11 years in
that post, he made an indelible mark on both the organization and
on the greater agricultural community; he oversaw the creation of
the TFB AGFUND, which has since become a nationally recognized
agriculture political action committee; along the way, he earned
a reputation as a passionate advocate for Texas farmers and an
effective consensus builder; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his work with the Texas Farm Bureau,
this esteemed Texan was appointed to the Governor's Task Force on
Immigration and Agricultural Development, the Joint Committee on
Farmworker Insurance, and the Texas Family Farm and Ranch Advisory
Committee; he served on a multitude of agriculture and farm
insurance boards, including that of the American Farm Bureau
Federation, which honored him with its Meritorious Service Award;
among his numerous other accolades were his induction into the
State Fair of Texas Heritage Hall of Honor and his recognition as a
Distinguished Texan in Agriculture by the Texas A&M University
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and
WHEREAS, Mr. True shared more than six rewarding decades
with his wife, the former Anna Jean Roberts, whom he married in
1946; the couple were blessed with a son, David; over the years,
Mrs. Roberts frequently accompanied her husband to many Texas
Farm Bureau events across the state and beyond; and
WHEREAS, During his lifetime, S. M. True contributed
immeasurably to Texas agriculture, helping to preserve the
livelihood of countless farmers across the state, and his legacy
will be a continuing source of inspiration for all who knew him;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of S. M. True, Jr.,
and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to
his son, David True, and his wife, Linda; to his grandchildren,
Blaine True and Larissa True; to his brother, Riley True, and his
wife, Margaret; to his sister, Ona Belle Stephens, and her
husband, Bill; to his nephew, Mark True, and his wife, Mary; to
Eric Plumlee; to Ahmet and Gonul Yilmaz; 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 Senate adjourns
this day, it do so in memory of S. M. True, Jr.
Duncan
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on January 30, 2013, by
a rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate