| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The residents of Hidalgo County lost an admired |
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| 6 | 7 | | civic leader when Oscar L. Garza Jr. passed away on January 18, |
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| 7 | 8 | | 2014, at the age of 57; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born in Edinburg to Oscar Garza Sr. and Yolanda |
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| 9 | 10 | | Garza, Oscar Garza devoted his life to making his community an even |
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| 10 | 11 | | better place in which to live; after gaining work experience as a |
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| 11 | 12 | | realtor and broker at Manning Realty and subsequently as manager of |
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| 12 | 13 | | La India Ranch, he began a career in public service as a bailiff for |
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| 13 | 14 | | Hidalgo County Court at Law No. 3 in 1981; four years later, he was |
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| 14 | 15 | | elected to office as justice of the peace for Hidalgo County |
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| 15 | 16 | | Precinct 4, Place 2, a role in which he served for six years; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Garza went on to manage the produce company |
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| 17 | 18 | | Bronco Bananas for several years, and in 1998, he returned to |
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| 18 | 19 | | elected office as the Hidalgo County Precinct 4 commissioner; over |
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| 19 | 20 | | the course of his 12-year tenure in that post, he demonstrated |
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| 20 | 21 | | exceptional leadership in numerous county improvement projects, |
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| 21 | 22 | | such as developing critical flood protection, enhancing |
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| 22 | 23 | | infrastructure in area colonias, and constructing a juvenile |
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| 23 | 24 | | justice center to provide counseling, education, and job training |
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| 24 | 25 | | for at-risk youth; he later pursued a successful career as a land |
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| 25 | 26 | | developer; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, A devoted family man, Mr. Garza enjoyed the love and |
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| 27 | 28 | | companionship of his wife, the former Imelda Bazan, his high school |
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| 28 | 29 | | sweetheart with whom he shared more than three and a half decades of |
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| 29 | 30 | | marriage; over the years, the couple were blessed with two |
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| 30 | 31 | | children, Brenda and Oscar, and three grandchildren, Julian Joe, |
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| 31 | 32 | | Savannah, and Chloe; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, "Big O," as he was known to his loved ones, instilled |
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| 33 | 34 | | in his family the importance of giving back to the community, and |
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| 34 | 35 | | each Christmas, the Garzas delivered presents to local |
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| 35 | 36 | | underprivileged children; moreover, he and his wife were founding |
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| 36 | 37 | | members of the Edinburg North High School FFA Booster Club and |
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| 37 | 38 | | helped create the Cougar and Fiesta Classics, stock shows that |
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| 38 | 39 | | raised funds for scholarships; he also gave generously of his time |
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| 39 | 40 | | as an auctioneer for a number of worthwhile events and |
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| 40 | 41 | | organizations, including the St. Joseph Catholic School |
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| 41 | 42 | | Turkeyfest, the Linn-San Manuel Cook-off, the Hidalgo County 4-H |
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| 42 | 43 | | Hoedown, the Driscoll Children's Hospital, the American Diabetes |
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| 43 | 44 | | Association, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and many others; |
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| 44 | 45 | | and |
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| 45 | 46 | | WHEREAS, In his leisure time, Mr. Garza was an avid |
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| 46 | 47 | | outdoorsman who loved camping, fishing, hunting, showing cattle, |
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| 47 | 48 | | and roping, and one of his proudest achievements was touring the |
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| 48 | 49 | | country as a competitor in the United States Team Roping |
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| 49 | 50 | | Championships circuit; and |
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| 50 | 51 | | WHEREAS, Oscar Garza Jr. possessed a strength of character |
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| 51 | 52 | | and a generosity of spirit that won him the admiration of many |
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| 52 | 53 | | people, and he is deeply missed by all those whose lives were |
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| 53 | 54 | | enriched by his warmth, humor, and fun-loving personality; now, |
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| 54 | 55 | | therefore, be it |
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| 55 | 56 | | RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 56 | 57 | | hereby pay tribute to the memory of Oscar L. Garza Jr. and his |
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| 57 | 58 | | notable record of service to the people of Hidalgo County; and, be |
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| 58 | 59 | | it further |
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| 59 | 60 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 60 | 61 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 61 | 62 | | Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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| 62 | 63 | | Oscar L. Garza Jr. |
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