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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, A life made rich through meaningful service drew to |
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| 6 | 7 | | a close when the Honorable Norma Jean LaGrone Heaton of Gary passed |
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| 7 | 8 | | away on March 12, 2014, at the age of 80; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born in the community of Deadwood on January 27, |
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| 9 | 10 | | 1934, the daughter of A. W. LaGrone and Inez Wilburn LaGrone, Jean |
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| 10 | 11 | | LaGrone grew up in Panola County and graduated from Carthage High |
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| 11 | 12 | | School in 1952; she married William Joe "Jay" Heaton in 1966, and |
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| 12 | 13 | | the couple became the proud parents of a son, James Moss; |
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| 13 | 14 | | Mrs. Heaton and her husband shared 44 loving years together until |
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| 14 | 15 | | his passing in May 2010; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Jean Heaton was a highly regarded public servant, |
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| 16 | 17 | | one who worked tirelessly in behalf of her community; she served on |
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| 17 | 18 | | the Gary City Council from 1991 to 1995, and in 1996, she was |
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| 18 | 19 | | elected to the office of mayor, a position she held for the rest of |
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| 19 | 20 | | her life; Mrs. Heaton was also keenly interested in education; she |
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| 20 | 21 | | served on the board of the Gary Independent School District, and |
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| 21 | 22 | | even in her later years, she made time to help in the school |
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| 22 | 23 | | cafeteria, where she took delight in her interactions with |
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| 23 | 24 | | students; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, In addition to forging a notable career in public |
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| 25 | 26 | | service, Mayor Heaton worked a number of years for Southwestern |
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| 26 | 27 | | Electric Power Company, and she was later employed by the First |
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| 27 | 28 | | National Bank in Carthage and by the Gary ISD; she attended Eastside |
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| 28 | 29 | | Baptist Church in Gary, where she was a valued member of the |
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| 29 | 30 | | congregation; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, A dynamic and civic-minded Texan, Jean Heaton lived |
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| 31 | 32 | | a caring and purposeful life, and she will forever be remembered |
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| 32 | 33 | | with deep affection by all who had the good fortune to know her; |
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| 33 | 34 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 34 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 35 | 36 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Norma |
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| 36 | 37 | | Jean LaGrone Heaton and extend deepest sympathy to the members of |
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| 37 | 38 | | her family: to her siblings, Allyne Cassity, Bernice Croix and her |
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| 38 | 39 | | husband, Al, and Mack LaGrone and his wife, Charlotte; to her |
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| 39 | 40 | | numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and to |
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| 40 | 41 | | her other relatives and many friends; and, be it further |
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| 41 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 42 | 43 | | prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 43 | 44 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Norma Jean |
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| 44 | 45 | | LaGrone Heaton. |
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