H.R. No. 2661
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Bremond were deeply saddened by the
death of civic leader and Bremond Press publisher Betty Yezak on
July 24, 2016, at the age of 90; and
WHEREAS, Born near Wheelock on December 20, 1925, the former
Elizabeth Adele Supak was the youngest of the six children of
sharecroppers Thomas and Louise Supak; her grandparents were Czech
immigrants, and she spoke English as her second language when she
started school; after graduating from Franklin High School, she
became the first member of her family to attend college, with
financial help from her older sister; she worked as a grill cook at
the student union while completing her bachelor's degree in English
at Texas State College for Women, and during World War II, she held
a summer job as a forklift operator at a bomb factory in McGregor;
and
WHEREAS, She began teaching high school English in
Pleasanton, and her brother introduced her to his boss, then-State
Representative Herman Yezak; the couple married at St. Mary's
Catholic Church in Bremond on October 5, 1949, and they were blessed
with two daughters, Patricia "Pisha" and Jennifer, and two sons,
Robert and George; while her children were young, Mrs. Yezak
supported them in many extracurricular activities; she became an
ardent fan of the Bremond Tigers, and in 61 years she attended every
regular season football game and missed only four playoff games;
and
WHEREAS, At the end of the 1950s, the Yezaks purchased the
weekly Bremond Press, and following her husband's death in 1986,
Mrs. Yezak continued to lead it, with increasing help from her son,
George; she wrote a column, "The B.Y. Line," in every edition for 29
years, sharing her observations and, in keeping with her iron
commitment to the First Amendment, sometimes rankling certain
readers with her strongly held opinions; she also worked from 1957
to 1971 as a Star Route mail carrier and loved getting to know and
assist all manner of people along Route 3; subsequently, she served
for eight years as a Child Protective Services worker in Franklin,
and following the death of her husband, she completed his term as
justice of the peace for Robertson County Precinct 4; in addition,
she raised cattle with her son George; and
WHEREAS, A devout Catholic, Mrs. Yezak was a CYO sponsor, CCD
teacher, bazaar volunteer, and lector at St. Mary's; she served the
wider community as a member of the Bremond Chamber of Commerce and
of the committee that launched the Polish Day festival in 1988;
moreover, she was the Democratic Party precinct chair and an
election worker for many years; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Yezak took great pride in her seven
grandchildren, Eliot, Job, Kie, Menzie, Jackson, Todd, and Yancie,
and her great-granddaughter, Georgia; she enjoyed watching Texas
A&M and Dallas Cowboys football games, going out to eat, playing 42
dominos, doing crosswords, and following current events with MSNBC,
CNN, the Waco Tribune-Herald, The Eagle, and the Dallas Morning
News; moreover, she liked to mow the yard, check on the cows, and
take care of her four cats, Scrap, Smug, T-Face, and Yellowneck, as
well as her "part-time yard dog," Clyde, whose owner, Tinka Hopcus,
was a dear neighbor; and
WHEREAS, Betty Yezak made a positive difference in her
beloved community, and although she is sadly missed by her family,
her friends, and her loyal readers, those who were privileged to
know her will forever remember her warmth, enthusiasm, and profound
sense of community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Betty Yezak and extend
sincere condolences to all who mourn her passing; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Betty
Yezak.
Kacal
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2661 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 29, 2017.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House