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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 full and generous life drew to a close with the |
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| 6 | 7 | | death of Don Wyatt Rader of Canadian, Texas, on January 14, 2016, at |
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| 7 | 8 | | the age of 91; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Don Rader was born in Shattuck, Oklahoma, on June 1, |
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| 9 | 10 | | 1924, to Ernest Justin and Bonnie Harris Rader; born into a ranching |
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| 10 | 11 | | family, he graduated from Shattuck High School in 1942 and enrolled |
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| 11 | 12 | | in Oklahoma State University; and |
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| 12 | 13 | | WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty during World War |
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| 13 | 14 | | II, Mr. Rader interrupted his studies to enlist in the U.S. Army in |
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| 14 | 15 | | 1943, and as a rifleman with K Company, 393rd Infantry, 99th |
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| 15 | 16 | | Infantry Division, he saw combat in Normandy, the Ardennes, and the |
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| 16 | 17 | | Rhineland; he was seriously wounded in March 1945 and earned a |
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| 17 | 18 | | Purple Heart; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, After recuperating in the hospital at Fort Sam |
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| 19 | 20 | | Houston and returning to civilian life, Mr. Rader earned his |
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| 20 | 21 | | bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from OSU in May 1948; |
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| 21 | 22 | | that same month, he married Mary Esther Gerard, and the couple |
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| 22 | 23 | | returned to Shattuck, Oklahoma, to ranch; in 1960, they moved to |
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| 23 | 24 | | Lipscomb County, where Mr. Rader raised Polled Hereford cattle for |
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| 24 | 25 | | more than six decades; over the course of Mr. and Mrs. Rader's 68 |
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| 25 | 26 | | years together, they were blessed with six children, Don, Steve, |
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| 26 | 27 | | Cathie, Judy, Nancy, and Betsy; many of their children and |
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| 27 | 28 | | grandchildren have carried on the family tradition of ranching and |
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| 28 | 29 | | farming in the Panhandle; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Rader was active in his community as a director |
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| 30 | 31 | | of the Lipscomb County Soil and Water Conservation District and as a |
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| 31 | 32 | | member of the Rotary Club; he was also a valued congregant of First |
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| 32 | 33 | | United Methodist Church of Canadian; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Devoted to his family, his community, and the proud |
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| 34 | 35 | | tradition of ranching, Don Rader leaves behind a legacy of hard |
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| 35 | 36 | | work, service to others, and a love for the land that will continue |
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| 36 | 37 | | to inspire all those who had the good fortune to know him; now, |
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| 37 | 38 | | therefore, be it |
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| 38 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 39 | 40 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Don Wyatt Rader and |
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| 40 | 41 | | extend sincere condolences to his relatives and many friends; and, |
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| 41 | 42 | | be it further |
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| 42 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 43 | 44 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 44 | 45 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Don Rader. |
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