SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 63 WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to pay tribute to Petra Margarita Gonzales on the grand occasion of her 90th birthday; and WHEREAS, Petra Margarita Herrera was born July 23, 1923, to Fidencio Herrera and Maxima Ramos; she married Frank Y. Gonzales, and she is a lifelong resident of Bexar County; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Gonzales is the beloved matriarch of four generations of family members; in addition to her five children, she has 11 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; and WHEREAS, She has been an active community member throughout her life; while raising her family, she contributed to many educational and civic organizations; and WHEREAS, This distinguished lady has dedicated much of her time to the electoral process and raising awareness of the privilege and duty of voting; during the 1960s, she was among the first Hispanics to serve as an election clerk and an election presiding judge; and WHEREAS, After ending her service with the Bexar County Election Department in 2001, she continued working in electoral polling, and while in her 80s, she worked for President Barack Obama's 2008 election campaign; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Gonzales is beloved by her family, friends, and community members, and her lifelong commitment to the democratic process serves as a shining example to us all; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby recognize Petra Margarita Gonzales as a treasured citizen of Bexar County and extend to her best wishes on her 90th birthday; and, be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for her as a memento of this special day in her life. Van de Putte ________________________________ President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on July 19, 2013. ________________________________ Secretary of the Senate ________________________________ Member, Texas Senate