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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, The city of Etoile lost an esteemed community leader |
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| 6 | 7 | | with the passing of Mervis Lynn Lowery on December 22, 2015, at the |
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| 7 | 8 | | age of 81; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, A lifelong resident of Etoile, Mervis Lowery was |
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| 9 | 10 | | born to E. O. and Agnes Lowery on September 7, 1934; he initially |
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| 10 | 11 | | followed in his father's footsteps by taking a position with the |
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| 11 | 12 | | Texas Forest Service but later enjoyed a rewarding career at the |
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| 12 | 13 | | paper mill in Lufkin; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Following his retirement, Mr. Lowery devoted his |
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| 14 | 15 | | time to a number of worthy organizations, including the Etoile |
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| 15 | 16 | | Water Board and the Nacogdoches Civic Center Board; he also played a |
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| 16 | 17 | | key role in establishing the town's medical clinic and volunteer |
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| 17 | 18 | | fire department and in helping ensure that area first responders |
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| 18 | 19 | | were trained and certified; he proudly served as a volunteer |
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| 19 | 20 | | firefighter, and after becoming a hazardous material technician |
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| 20 | 21 | | with Southland Response in 2004, he worked at spill sites |
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| 21 | 22 | | throughout East Texas with personnel from local fire departments, |
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| 22 | 23 | | the Texas Department of Transportation, and the Texas Department of |
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| 23 | 24 | | Public Safety; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, For 18 years, Mr. Lowery served on the board of the |
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| 25 | 26 | | Nacogdoches County Hospital District, supporting the district's |
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| 26 | 27 | | employees and emergency medical services, and he campaigned for the |
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| 27 | 28 | | establishment of a helipad on the Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital |
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| 28 | 29 | | campus, a project that came to fruition in 2016; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Affectionately known as the "Mayor of Etoile," |
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| 30 | 31 | | Mervis Lowery set an inspiring example of civic engagement, and his |
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| 31 | 32 | | invaluable contributions to the Lone Star State will be remembered |
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| 32 | 33 | | and admired for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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| 33 | 34 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 34 | 35 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Mervis Lynn Lowery and |
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| 35 | 36 | | extend sincere condolences to his family and friends; and, be it |
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| 36 | 37 | | further |
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| 37 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 38 | 39 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 39 | 40 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Mervis |
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| 40 | 41 | | Lowery. |
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