85S10505 CJM-D
By: Herrero H.R. No. 136
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Matilde Zambrano, a valued employee of the historic
Wilson Plaza in Corpus Christi, has earned the appreciation and
esteem of many members of her community over the course of her long
career at a South Texas landmark; and
WHEREAS, Wilson Plaza had its origins in 1927 as the Nixon
Building, the first skyscraper to be erected in Corpus Christi;
that structure was expanded in 1935 with the addition of the "Cotton
Exchange" annex; in 1947, the complex was purchased by oil and real
estate financier Sam E. Wilson, and in 1951, he added a 17-story
office tower with a four-story luxury penthouse, where he lived
with his wife, Ada; until Mrs. Wilson died in 1977, the tower was
the center of Corpus Christi's social scene; and
WHEREAS, Matilde Zambrano is the daughter of Estanislao
Valdez and Martha Valdez Pinones; her sister, Geneva, was the first
member of the family to work at Wilson Plaza, and when Geneva moved
to California in the late 1950s, Mrs. Zambrano took over her job as
an elevator operator; "Tillie" Zambrano came to be known as "Lucky"
by the other operators, because Mrs. Wilson herself often asked her
to run the elevator for the penthouse meetings of the Ladies' Club
and then had her driven home by the Wilsons' chauffeur; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Zambrano's other sister, Cruz Pantoja, joined
her as an elevator operator at Wilson Plaza in 1966, and apart from
a four-year period, they have worked together ever since; the
manually operated elevators were replaced with automatic models in
1995, but the two sisters were held in such high regard by the
building's tenants and management that they were asked to stay on;
today, Mrs. Zambrano represents the plaza as an official greeter
and concierge; and
WHEREAS, Tillie Zambrano and her husband, Edward Zambrano,
shared a rewarding marriage that spanned 39 years, until his
passing in 2008; and
WHEREAS, For some six decades, this dedicated, hardworking
woman has assisted the tenants of, and countless visitors to,
Wilson Plaza, and through her warmth and friendliness, she has
brightened the day of all whom she has greeted; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby commend Matilde Zambrano
for her many years of service at Wilson Plaza and extend to her
sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mrs. Zambrano as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.