| 1 | 1 | | 86R8837 BK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hughes S.C.R. No. 15 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, A rich and purposeful life drew to a close with the |
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| 7 | 7 | | passing of Virginia Nancy Birt Baker on January 20, 2019, at the age |
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| 8 | 8 | | of 89; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The former Ginny Birt was born on August 22, 1929, in |
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| 10 | 10 | | Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Gladys and Charles Birt, and she grew up |
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| 11 | 11 | | with the companionship of a sister, Catherine; she moved with her |
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| 12 | 12 | | family to Texas at age 10 and went on to attend Highland Park High |
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| 13 | 13 | | School and Southern Methodist University, where she graduated with |
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| 14 | 14 | | a degree in interior design; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Seeking an opportunity to see the world, she |
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| 16 | 16 | | traveled to Europe to work as a civilian for the United States Army |
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| 17 | 17 | | and met her future husband, Charles "Chet" Baker, while in |
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| 18 | 18 | | Gelnhausen, Germany; the couple wed in 1956, and over the course of |
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| 19 | 19 | | a rewarding marriage that spanned 62 years, they became the parents |
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| 20 | 20 | | of four treasured children, Juliette, Christopher, Nancy, and |
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| 21 | 21 | | Matthew; later in life, Mrs. Baker was affectionately known as |
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| 22 | 22 | | "Grammar" to her 19 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, In the 1960s, Mrs. Baker served as the textbooks |
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| 24 | 24 | | chair for the Daughters of the American Revolution, a role in which |
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| 25 | 25 | | she evaluated public school textbooks and testified numerous times |
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| 26 | 26 | | before the State Textbook Committee; out of a strong desire to |
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| 27 | 27 | | ensure that their children received a quality education, she and |
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| 28 | 28 | | her husband decided to homeschool, and Mrs. Baker became a tireless |
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| 29 | 29 | | advocate for that method of instruction, publishing Teaching Your |
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| 30 | 30 | | Children at Home, one of the first manuals for parents; in addition, |
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| 31 | 31 | | she spoke at homeschool seminars and conferences in many states, |
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| 32 | 32 | | wrote for national homeschool publications, and testified on behalf |
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| 33 | 33 | | of home education on numerous occasions; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Mrs. Baker was also active with the Reading Reform |
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| 35 | 35 | | Foundation and was a frequent speaker at its seminars; she was a |
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| 36 | 36 | | longtime member of such societies as the Magna Charta Dames, the |
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| 37 | 37 | | Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America, and the Sons and |
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| 38 | 38 | | Daughters of the Pilgrims, and her research and writing covered |
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| 39 | 39 | | genealogy, politics, history, and Biblical studies; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | WHEREAS, Ginny Baker generously shared her time, knowledge, |
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| 41 | 41 | | and expertise in her quest to empower parents to make the best |
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| 42 | 42 | | decisions for their children's education, and she will forever be |
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| 43 | 43 | | remembered with deep admiration and affection by her loved ones and |
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| 44 | 44 | | by those whose lives were touched by her work; now, therefore, be it |
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| 45 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 46 | 46 | | hereby pay tribute to the memory of Virginia Nancy Birt Baker and |
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| 47 | 47 | | extend heartfelt sympathy to her relatives and friends; and, be it |
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| 48 | 48 | | further |
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| 49 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 50 | 50 | | prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 51 | 51 | | Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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| 52 | 52 | | Virginia Baker. |
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