H.R. No. 167
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends will long cherish their memories
of James Wesley Utley of Mineola, who passed away on September 17,
2014, at the age of 83; and
WHEREAS, This lifelong Texan was born on April 28, 1931, in
Gordon; Mr. Utley lived in De Leon and Sweetwater before moving in
1956 to Mineola, where he resided for the rest of his life; he and
his wife, Frances, shared a marriage that spanned 63 years, and the
couple raised four children, Rickey, Wendell, Latrena, and Sheila;
Mr. Utley attended church at the First Assembly of God in Mineola;
and
WHEREAS, At the age of 17, Mr. Utley began his career with the
railroad system; he worked for the Texas and Pacific Railway
Company and stayed on when the company joined with the Missouri
Pacific Railroad in 1976; he also continued in his vocation when the
MPR was approved to merge with the Union Pacific Railroad in 1982;
in December 1990, Mr. Utley retired after more than 42 years of
unwavering service; and
WHEREAS, Known affectionately as "Big Jim," James Utley
enjoyed a life that was rich in the intangibles that matter most,
and he is deeply missed by all those who held him dear; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of James Wesley Utley
and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his
wife, Frances Utley; to his sons, Rickey Utley and his wife, Wanda,
and Wendell Utley and his wife, Allison; to his daughters, Latrena
Buchanan and her friend, Ricky Ramirez, and Sheila Valek and her
husband, Darren; to his grandchildren, Klo, Justin, Caleb, Daniel,
Brittney, Andrea, Cassie, and Hannah; to his great-grandchildren,
Lane and Katherine; to his caretaker, Jeannie Moore; 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 House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of James
Wesley Utley.
Hughes
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 167 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on February 19, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House