H.R. No. 28
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Jasper County lost a respected and much-loved civic
leader with the passing of Bobby Joe Hadnot on August 24, 2018, at
the age of 80; and
WHEREAS, A lifelong resident of the county, Bobby Joe Hadnot
was born on March 27, 1938, to Grady Hadnot and Lorraine McCray
Green, and he benefited in his youth from the guidance and affection
of his grandparents, Tat and Ludy Hadnot and Albert and Francis
McCray; he graduated from J. H. Rowe High School in 1956 and became
a certified electrician after attending Prairie View A&M
University; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hadnot was drafted into the United States Army
in 1962, and upon completing his military service, he returned to
Jasper County and worked at his paternal grandfather's logging
business and his maternal grandparents' farm; he subsequently began
a successful and trailblazing career with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers that spanned 42 years, and he went on to become the first
African American elected president of the corps' local AFL-CIO
trade union; and
WHEREAS, Active in his community, Mr. Hadnot served as
president of Citizens for Progress, an organization that worked to
advance causes of import to Jasper's African American population
during the 1980s and 1990s; in addition, he held leadership
positions as president of the Jasper Rural Water Board and vice
president of the board for the Beech Grove Volunteer Fire
Department, which he played an instrumental role in creating; he
was also a lifelong member of the historic Dixie Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hadnot was deeply involved in the upkeep of the
Indian Creek Cemetery, where he oversaw a homecoming celebration
every summer; committed to preserving local history, he shared his
knowledge of Jasper County with several organizations, and he
joined together with like-minded citizens to establish the
Community and Family Historical Preservation Association; and
WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Hadnot enjoyed the love
and support of his wife, Ruthie Jean Mitchell Hadnot, with whom he
shared 57 rewarding years of marriage; the couple raised three
children, Vanessa, Valencia, and Dynetro, and were further blessed
with two grandchildren, Daniel and Dymaia; and
WHEREAS, Bobby Joe Hadnot was a devoted family man, a pillar
of his community, and a source of inspiration to countless people,
and he leaves behind a legacy that will long be treasured by those
who held him dear; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Bobby Joe Hadnot and
extend heartfelt sympathy to all who mourn his passing; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bobby Joe
Hadnot.
White
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 28 was unanimously adopted by a rising
vote of the House on March 6, 2019.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House