| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Sisters Matilde Zambrano and Cruz Pantoja, valued |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | employees of the historic Wilson Plaza in Corpus Christi, have |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | earned the appreciation and esteem of many members of their |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | community over the course of their long careers at a South Texas |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | landmark; and |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Wilson Plaza had its origins in 1927 as the Nixon |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | Building, the first skyscraper to be erected in Corpus Christi; |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | that structure was expanded in 1935 with the addition of the "Cotton |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | Exchange" annex; in 1947, the complex was purchased by oil and real |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | estate financier Sam E. Wilson, and in 1951, he added a 17-story |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | office tower with a four-story luxury penthouse, where he lived |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | with his wife, Ada; until Mrs. Wilson died in 1977, the tower was |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | the center of Corpus Christi's social scene; and |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Matilde Zambrano and Cruz Pantoja are the daughters |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | of Estanislao Valdez and Martha Valdez Pinones; another sister, |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | Geneva, was the first member of the family to work at Wilson Plaza, |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | and when Geneva moved to California in the late 1950s, |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | Mrs. Zambrano took over her job as an elevator operator; "Tillie" |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | Zambrano came to be known as "Lucky" by the other operators, because |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | Mrs. Wilson herself often asked her to run the elevator for the |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | penthouse meetings of the Ladies' Club and then had her driven home |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | by the Wilsons' chauffeur; and |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Mrs. Pantoja joined her sister as an elevator |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | operator at Wilson Plaza in 1966, and apart from a four-year period |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | when she was raising her two sons, Christopher and Juan, she has |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | worked there ever since; the manually operated elevators were |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | replaced with automatic models in 1995, but the two sisters were |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | held in such high regard by the building's tenants and management |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | that they were asked to stay on; today, Mrs. Zambrano and |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | Mrs. Pantoja each represent the plaza as an official greeter and |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | concierge; and |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Tillie Zambrano and her husband, Edward Zambrano, |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | were married for more than 20 years, until his passing, and Cruz |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | Pantoja is the wife of the late Juan Jose Pantoja; in addition to |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | her two sons, Mrs. Pantoja has been blessed with a grandson, |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | Joseph; and |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, For some five and six decades, these two dedicated, |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | hardworking sisters have assisted the tenants of, and countless |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | visitors to, the Wilson Plaza, and through their warmth and |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | friendliness, they have brightened the day of all they have |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | greeted; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 46 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
|---|
| 47 | 48 | | Legislature hereby commend Matilde Zambrano and Cruz Pantoja for |
|---|
| 48 | 49 | | their many years of service at the Wilson Plaza and extend to them |
|---|
| 49 | 50 | | sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
|---|
| 50 | 51 | | RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared |
|---|
| 51 | 52 | | for Mrs. Zambrano and Mrs. Pantoja as an expression of high regard |
|---|
| 52 | 53 | | by the Texas House of Representatives. |
|---|