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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, Family and friends will forever treasure their |
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| 6 | 7 | | memories of the Reverend Gerald Lee Nichols of Richardson, who died |
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| 7 | 8 | | on April 12, 2021, at the age of 87; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Jerry Nichols was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on |
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| 9 | 10 | | April 25, 1933; he met his future wife, Rose Marie, on a blind date |
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| 10 | 11 | | in 1952, and the couple were married a few months later and went on |
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| 11 | 12 | | to spend the next 68 years together; they were blessed with two |
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| 12 | 13 | | children, Daniel and Danette, and they later welcomed into their |
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| 13 | 14 | | family a son-in-law, Joe, and two grandchildren, Elijah and |
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| 14 | 15 | | Mackenzie; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Reverend Nichols earned his master of divinity |
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| 16 | 17 | | degree from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and was ordained as a |
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| 17 | 18 | | Lutheran minister in 1960, and he devoted much of his 38-year |
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| 18 | 19 | | pastoral career to establishing new churches throughout Texas; even |
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| 19 | 20 | | after his retirement in 1998, he continued working with ministries |
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| 20 | 21 | | for children and those with disabilities, visiting nursing homes, |
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| 21 | 22 | | and helping to start new congregations; in the past eight years, he |
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| 22 | 23 | | logged more than 4,200 hours ministering to families as a volunteer |
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| 23 | 24 | | chaplain at Methodist Richardson Medical Center, and he and his |
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| 24 | 25 | | wife participated for several years in the cross-cultural ministry |
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| 25 | 26 | | at Living Water Community Church; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Engaged in political and civic affairs as well, |
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| 27 | 28 | | Reverend Nichols served as a volunteer for his state representative |
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| 28 | 29 | | and as a member of the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature; in |
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| 29 | 30 | | addition, he was a graduate of Leadership Richardson and a member of |
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| 30 | 31 | | his homeowner's association; and |
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| 31 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Jerry Nichols lived a rich and purposeful life |
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| 32 | 33 | | devoted to his family, his faith, and his community, and those who |
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| 33 | 34 | | were privileged to share in this esteemed man's love and friendship |
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| 34 | 35 | | will always remember him with admiration and affection; now, |
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| 35 | 36 | | therefore, be it |
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| 36 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 37 | 38 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Reverend Gerald |
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| 38 | 39 | | Lee Nichols and extend heartfelt sympathy to all who mourn his |
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| 39 | 40 | | passing; and, be it further |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 41 | 42 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 42 | 43 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Jerry |
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| 43 | 44 | | Nichols. |
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