H.R. No. 238
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Dr. Francis Edward Abernethy of Nacogdoches has long
played a vital role in his community and in the cultural life of
Texas; and
WHEREAS, The Distinguished Regents Professor Emeritus of
English at Stephen F. Austin State University, "Ab" Abernethy
taught SFA students for 32 years; he is also editor emeritus of the
Texas Folklore Society, and he has edited numerous volumes for the
organization, among them Tales from the Big Thicket, Legendary
Ladies of Texas, and Juneteenth Texas; in addition, he is the author
of poetry, short stories, a book on Texas folk music, and personal
accounts of his wide travels; in 1974 he was inducted into the Texas
Institute of Letters; and
WHEREAS, This remarkable Renaissance man performed around
the state for decades as a singer and bass fiddle player with the
East Texas String Ensemble, and he is known to local residents as
the builder of the Lanana Creek Trail; dedicated in 1986, it follows
an old Indian footpath; subsequently, he helped establish the
Banita Creek Trail; he has served as the curator of exhibits for the
East Texas Historical Association and has given generously of his
time and vast expertise to historic restoration and preservation
projects in Nacogdoches; for his many endeavors in behalf of his
fellow residents, he was named 2008 Citizen of the Year by the
Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce; and
WHEREAS, Born in Altus, Oklahoma, in 1925, Dr. Abernethy grew
up in the Texas Panhandle and East Texas and graduated from high
school in Nacogdoches; he served in the United States Navy during
World War II and took part in the occupation of Japan; after the
war, he hitchhiked and worked his way across the United States and
Canada before completing his bachelor's degree at SFA and his
master's degree at Louisiana State University; following a stint
teaching high school English in Woodville, he earned his doctoral
degree at LSU in, fittingly, Renaissance literature; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Abernethy taught English at Lamar University for
nine years at the beginning of his distinguished academic career;
along the way, he gained experience as a field biologist for
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, and for two decades, he
participated in studies of Mexican cave fauna in the Sierra Madres
and the Yucatan; and
WHEREAS, A popular speaker, Ab Abernethy continues to share
his tremendous store of knowledge with the members of various
professional and civic organizations, and he has inspired
innumerable people with his love of learning, teaching, and living
life as fully as humanly possible; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Dr. Francis Edward Abernethy for his
myriad contributions to his community and to the Lone Star State and
extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dr. Abernethy as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Clardy
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 238 was adopted by the House on March
5, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House