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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, The city of Bullard lost a beloved physician and |
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| 6 | 7 | | civic leader with the death of Dr. Marjorie Roper on January 3, |
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| 7 | 8 | | 2018, at the age of 96; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Marjorie Ferrell was born in Bullard on June 7, |
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| 9 | 10 | | 1921, to Hattie and Oran Ferrell; she graduated at 15 from Bullard |
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| 10 | 11 | | High School as the 1937 class valedictorian, studied pre-med at |
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| 11 | 12 | | Tyler Junior College and The University of Texas at Austin, and won |
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| 12 | 13 | | early acceptance at the UT Medical Branch at Galveston, where she |
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| 13 | 14 | | was one of only three women in her class; she earned her medical |
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| 14 | 15 | | degree in 1943 and, following her residency, joined the pediatric |
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| 15 | 16 | | practice of Dr. Ben Andres and Dr. Hardy Cook in Longview; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, In August 1944, Ms. Ferrell married Leonard Bauman |
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| 17 | 18 | | Roper; she was the proud mother of four children, Dan, Tom, Richard, |
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| 18 | 19 | | and Harriet, and later in life, she was blessed with 13 |
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| 19 | 20 | | grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; and |
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| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Roper returned to her hometown and opened her |
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| 21 | 22 | | own practice in the back of her father's pharmacy in 1947, and she |
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| 22 | 23 | | went on to work out of the same building for the next 59 years; |
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| 23 | 24 | | affectionately known as "Doctor Margie," she treated generations of |
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| 24 | 25 | | Bullard residents of all backgrounds, from veterans of the Civil |
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| 25 | 26 | | War to children born in the 21st century, sometimes accepting |
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| 26 | 27 | | payment in the form of fresh fruit and vegetables; from 1968 to |
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| 27 | 28 | | 1987, she also worked part-time at Rusk State Hospital; after she |
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| 28 | 29 | | retired at the age of 85, she became the first director of Bullard |
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| 29 | 30 | | United Methodist Church's Christus House Clinic, which now bears |
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| 30 | 31 | | her name; and |
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| 31 | 32 | | WHEREAS, In addition to her medical practice, Dr. Roper was a |
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| 32 | 33 | | longtime supporter of the Bullard Mission House and the Bullard |
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| 33 | 34 | | Community Library, and she helped establish the Bullard Historical |
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| 34 | 35 | | Museum in her father's old building; her many accolades included |
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| 35 | 36 | | being named "Tomato Princess" during the Great Depression, winning |
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| 36 | 37 | | the Texas Baptist Mother of the Year award in 1963, and receiving |
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| 37 | 38 | | Tyler Junior College's Distinguished Graduate award in 1999; in |
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| 38 | 39 | | 2014, a section of Highway 69 was renamed in her honor; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, A true hometown hero, Marjorie Roper lived a rich |
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| 40 | 41 | | and purposeful life dedicated to her patients and to the town she |
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| 41 | 42 | | loved so well, and she leaves behind a legacy that will resonate in |
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| 42 | 43 | | the Bullard community for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 44 | 45 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Marjorie Roper |
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| 45 | 46 | | and extend heartfelt sympathy to her relatives and many friends; |
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| 46 | 47 | | and, be it further |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 48 | 49 | | prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 49 | 50 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of |
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| 50 | 51 | | Dr. Marjorie Roper. |
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