| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 72 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | In Memory |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | of |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | William Franklin Graham Jr. |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, The passing of acclaimed evangelist Billy Graham |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | on February 21, 2018, at the age of 99, deeply saddened the |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | millions of people who looked to him for wisdom, hope, and |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | comfort; and |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born on November 7, 1918, William Franklin Graham |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | Jr. grew up on a dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina; at the |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | age of 15, he recognized his calling, and he enrolled in the |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Florida Bible Institute and then Wheaton College, where he met |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | his future wife, Ruth McCue Bell; after graduating in 1943, the |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | couple married and settled in the mountains of North Carolina; |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | they raised five children, Gigi, Anne, Ruth, Franklin, and Ned, |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | and through the years, Mr. Graham knew the joy of welcoming into |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | his family 19 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren; he |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | and his wife shared a fulfilling relationship that spanned 64 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | years before her death in 2007; and |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Graham traveled as a speaker for Youth for |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | Christ before holding his first official evangelistic event in |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | 1947; two years later, his planned three-week series of tent |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | meetings in Los Angeles drew such huge crowds that it was |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | extended to eight weeks, and he launched the Billy Graham |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Evangelistic Association; his crusades became an international |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | phenomenon as he preached to millions in countries as diverse as |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Ethiopia, New Zealand, Russia, and South Korea; in 1977, his trip |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | to communist-led Hungary paved the way for missions in virtually |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | every country of the Eastern Bloc, as well as China and North |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | Korea; and |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, The author of 34 books, Mr. Graham penned a |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | memoir, Just As I Am, which held a spot on the New York Times |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | bestseller list for 18 weeks; he counseled a host of secular |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | leaders, including every United States president from Harry S |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | Truman to Barack Obama; and |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Billy Graham provided spiritual guidance to |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | innumerable people around the world over the course of a lifetime |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | devoted to the ministry, and his legacy will remain a source of |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | inspiration for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of Billy Graham and |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | extend sincere condolences to all who mourn his passing. |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | Hughes |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | ________________________________ |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | President of the Senate |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | I hereby certify that the |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | the Senate on January 28, 2019, by |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | a rising vote. |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | ________________________________ |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | Secretary of the Senate |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | ________________________________ |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | Member, Texas Senate |
|---|