86R28299 BPG-D
By: Morrison H.R. No. 1314
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Calhoun County lost an admired public
servant and a friend to many with the passing of former Port Lavaca
mayor Ida Mae Browning on April 8, 2019, at the age of 91; and
WHEREAS, The daughter of Lee and Mary Birmingham, the former
"Tiney" Birmingham was born in Port Lavaca on June 28, 1927, and
grew up with four siblings, Roemer, Leslie, Dempsey, and Lorraine;
early in her career, she worked at Bauer Dredging as an executive
secretary and supervisor of accounting before leaving to care for
her ailing mother; she was later employed as an executive secretary
at First State Bank and Gary Aircraft; in 1964, she married B. B.
Browning, and they became the parents of a daughter, Tanya, and a
son, Bryan; through the years, she welcomed into her treasured
family nine grandchildren, and she helped raise two of them; she was
further blessed with four great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Browning became the first woman elected to the
Port Lavaca City Council, and after serving for 10 years, she became
the city's first female mayor; over the course of an administration
that spanned a decade, she worked tirelessly for infrastructure
improvements, including the mitigation of erosion, the
construction of the fishing pier, and the development of the iconic
Lighthouse Beach; and
WHEREAS, After leaving office in 2000, Mrs. Browning
continued to benefit her fellow citizens as a member of the city
planning commission, the Calhoun County Senior Citizens
Association Board, and the board of the Sunlight Girls Club; in
addition, she was a Boy Scout den mother, a member of Beta Sigma Phi
Sorority, and a lifetime member of the Calhoun County Fair
Association; the recipient of numerous honors, she was presented
with the key to the city on her 90th birthday, and she was named
Mother of the Year by Governor Ann Richards; and
WHEREAS, Diligent, kind, and vivacious, Tiney Browning
earned the admiration and affection of all who were fortunate
enough to know her, and her outstanding contributions to Port
Lavaca will be remembered for years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Ida Mae
"Tiney" Browning 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 Ida Mae
"Tiney" Browning.