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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 inspiring life drew to a close with the |
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| 6 | 7 | | death of beloved Austin supercentenarian Richard A. Overton on |
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| 7 | 8 | | December 27, 2018, at the age of 112; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The grandson of slaves, Richard Overton was born to |
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| 9 | 10 | | Gentry Overton Sr. and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Franklin in St. Mary's |
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| 10 | 11 | | Colony in Bastrop County on May 11, 1906; he grew up with three |
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| 11 | 12 | | brothers, Hilliard, Irwin, and Gentry, and six sisters, Annie, |
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| 12 | 13 | | Lola, Dora, Lillie Mae, Tenola, and Geneva; a hard worker, he held |
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| 13 | 14 | | numerous jobs in his youth, from landscaper and homebuilder to |
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| 14 | 15 | | furniture store employee; after enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1942, |
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| 15 | 16 | | he was deployed to the Pacific theater; his all-African American |
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| 16 | 17 | | battalion, the 1887th Engineer Aviation Battalion, helped free the |
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| 17 | 18 | | island of Angaur from Japanese forces; he was recognized for his |
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| 18 | 19 | | expert marksmanship and attained the rank of corporal; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Overton returned to Austin in 1945 and built a |
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| 20 | 21 | | house on Hamilton Avenue, where he resided for the rest of his life; |
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| 21 | 22 | | he went back to work in the furniture business, and for many years |
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| 22 | 23 | | he was employed by the Texas Treasury Department; while Ann |
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| 23 | 24 | | Richards led the agency, the gregarious veteran formed a friendship |
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| 24 | 25 | | with the future governor, and he liked driving huge deposits to the |
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| 25 | 26 | | bank in a golf cart; he kept busy selling fruit and mowing lawns as |
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| 26 | 27 | | well; and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Following his retirement, Mr. Overton became a |
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| 28 | 29 | | local legend, watching over his neighbors and greeting them from |
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| 29 | 30 | | his front porch; his circle of admirers continued to widen, and in |
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| 30 | 31 | | 2013, he was lauded by President Barack Obama at a Veterans Day |
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| 31 | 32 | | ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery; that same year, the Austin |
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| 32 | 33 | | City Council proclaimed his birthday Richard A. Overton Day, and in |
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| 33 | 34 | | 2017 the city conferred the honorary name Richard Overton Avenue on |
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| 34 | 35 | | his block; when Governor Greg Abbott presented the Overton family |
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| 35 | 36 | | with a Texas flag in Mr. Overton's honor, he shared stories of how |
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| 36 | 37 | | the centenarian had challenged him to a wheelchair race; in his |
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| 37 | 38 | | later years, Mr. Overton continued to enjoy attending Shoreline |
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| 38 | 39 | | Church, caring for his cats, and indulging in whiskey, coffee, ice |
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| 39 | 40 | | cream, and cigars, and he happily welcomed visitors from near and |
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| 40 | 41 | | far to his front-yard birthday parties; and |
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| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, Richard Overton gained international fame as the |
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| 42 | 43 | | oldest living U.S. veteran, but it was his charm, wit, kindness, and |
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| 43 | 44 | | optimism that won the hearts of his fellow Texans, and he will be |
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| 44 | 45 | | remembered with great admiration and affection by all who were |
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| 45 | 46 | | fortunate enough to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 46 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 47 | 48 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Richard A. Overton and |
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| 48 | 49 | | extend sincere condolences to all who mourn his passing; and, be it |
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| 49 | 50 | | further |
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| 50 | 51 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 51 | 52 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 52 | 53 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Richard A. |
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| 53 | 54 | | Overton. |
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