H.R. No. 2784
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, At the age of 109, Emma Primas of Houston ranks among
the most venerable Americans, and she delighted the president of
the United States by traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet him at
an Easter prayer breakfast held on April 7, 2015; and
WHEREAS, Born in Maynard on August 5, 1905, 15 years before
women's suffrage, Mrs. Primas has long exercised her right to vote,
and she paid poll taxes when she had to in order to make her voice
heard at the ballot box; she became a member of the NAACP and the
Progressive Civic Club, and in 2008, she did her part as a voter to
help Barack Obama become the nation's first African American
president; on the occasion of her visit to the White House, she was
rewarded with a kiss on the cheek from the leader of the free world;
and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Primas grew up in the country and helped with
every task on the family farm, learning the value of hard work,
discipline, prudence, and strong community relationships; she
began her formal education around the age of 10, and as a teenager,
she took after-school jobs washing dishes in homes; following her
marriage to Charlie Williams, she became the proud mother of a
daughter, Ella Bernice, and in 1938, she moved to Houston; and
WHEREAS, Hearing of better opportunities in California,
Mrs. Primas and her family relocated in 1943 to San Francisco,
where she worked as a server at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel and then
as a streetcar driver; she later became a school dietician and was
quickly put in charge of menus for five schools; all the while, she
managed her money carefully, and when she returned to Houston, she
opened a grocery store; she helped numerous customers during hard
times by allowing them to take what they needed and defer payment
until circumstances improved; in addition, she was a matron of the
Heroines of Jericho for 50 years and held many offices; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Primas now shares a home with her
granddaughter, Denise Mickey; she is the oldest member of the
Houston Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women, and she is a
longtime member of First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church;
moreover, she has continued to participate in community events, and
she remains a staunch advocate for the democratic process, urging
younger people to vote; and
WHEREAS, An inspiring role model, Emma Primas has earned the
deep admiration of her fellow citizens, and by sharing her
thoughtful perspectives on more than a century of change, she
enriches the lives of all who are privileged to know her; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Emma Primas for her contributions to her
community and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued
happiness; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mrs. Primas as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Dutton
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2784 was adopted by the House on May
21, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House