| 2 | 3 | | |
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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, Over the course of their lives, Lauro and Maria |
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| 6 | 7 | | Celia Lopez shared an enduring love story, and their family is |
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| 7 | 8 | | celebrating the couple's legacy of commitment; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, A native of Rio Grande City, Lauro L. Lopez was born |
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| 9 | 10 | | on May 20, 1924, to Otila Zarate and Ernesto Lopez; after graduating |
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| 10 | 11 | | from Rio Grande City High School, he enlisted in the United States |
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| 11 | 12 | | Army in 1943; he was deployed to Shrivenham, England, where he was |
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| 12 | 13 | | stationed at the headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and |
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| 13 | 14 | | he went on to serve as a medical clerk-typist at a field hospital in |
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| 14 | 15 | | Europe; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Lopez was honorably discharged in 1946, and |
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| 16 | 17 | | after returning home, he studied geology at The University of Texas |
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| 17 | 18 | | at Austin; for a time, he worked in the garment district in New York |
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| 18 | 19 | | while pursuing a career in photography; in 1948, he moved back to |
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| 19 | 20 | | Rio Grande City, where he sold cars, worked on the Falcon Dam |
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| 20 | 21 | | project, and found employment at LFD Furniture Store; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Maria Celia Lopez was born in Rio Grande City on |
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| 22 | 23 | | November 6, 1928, to Mateo and Hortencia Saenz; she graduated from |
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| 23 | 24 | | Rio Grande City High School in 1945, and she subsequently earned her |
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| 24 | 25 | | license to become a hairdresser, her lifelong passion; she went on |
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| 25 | 26 | | to open the Co-ed Beauty Shop, which she ran for 22 years; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez shared a remarkable 67 years of |
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| 27 | 28 | | marriage; their family grew to include five children, Daniel, |
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| 28 | 29 | | Diana, Dalinda, Delia, and David Lauro Lopez, who preceded his |
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| 29 | 30 | | parents in death, as well as a number of grandchildren and |
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| 30 | 31 | | great-grandchildren; partners in life as well as in business, the |
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| 31 | 32 | | couple owned and operated Triple L Furniture & Appliance, which |
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| 32 | 33 | | Mr. Lopez opened in 1970, with Mrs. Lopez serving as the store's |
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| 33 | 34 | | office manager; after 35 years, they closed the store and retired in |
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| 34 | 35 | | 2005; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez were actively involved in a |
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| 36 | 37 | | number of organizations; Mr. Lopez served as president of the Rio |
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| 37 | 38 | | Grande City Chamber of Commerce and vice president of the Rio Grande |
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| 38 | 39 | | Valley Partnership, and he helped lead the successful effort to |
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| 39 | 40 | | reincorporate Rio Grande City in 1993; he held other prominent |
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| 40 | 41 | | positions in the community as mayor pro tempore, city alderman, and |
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| 41 | 42 | | chair of the South Texas Economic Development Corporation, and in |
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| 42 | 43 | | 1999, he was appointed by then-Governor George W. Bush to the South |
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| 43 | 44 | | Texas Development Council, where he chaired the board of directors; |
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| 44 | 45 | | a charter member of his local Rotary Club, he was a recipient of the |
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| 45 | 46 | | Paul Harris Fellow award in 1997; and |
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| 46 | 47 | | WHEREAS, Both husband and wife were parishioners of |
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| 47 | 48 | | Immaculate Conception Church and active members of the Order of the |
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| 48 | 49 | | Alhambra, El Cid Caravan No. 106, which Mr. Lopez led as grand |
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| 49 | 50 | | commander; Mr. Lopez was a fourth degree Knight of Columbus, while |
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| 50 | 51 | | Mrs. Lopez was involved in her children's education as a PTA member |
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| 51 | 52 | | of the Immaculate Conception School, and she also participated in |
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| 52 | 53 | | the Sewing Club and other organizations; they enjoyed traveling |
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| 53 | 54 | | throughout the United States and the world and socializing with |
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| 54 | 55 | | their many friends; Mr. Lopez passed away on June 25, 2016, at the |
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| 55 | 56 | | age of 92, and Mrs. Lopez passed away on March 19, 2018, at the age |
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| 56 | 57 | | of 89; and |
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| 57 | 58 | | WHEREAS, Through their commitment to their family, their |
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| 58 | 59 | | faith, and their community, Lauro and Maria Celia Lopez touched the |
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| 59 | 60 | | lives of countless people during their time on this earth, and they |
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| 60 | 61 | | will forever be remembered with admiration by all those who held |
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| 61 | 62 | | them dear; now, therefore, be it |
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| 62 | 63 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 63 | 64 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Lauro and Maria |
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| 64 | 65 | | Celia Lopez; and, be it further |
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| 65 | 66 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 66 | 67 | | prepared for their family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 67 | 68 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Lauro and |
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| 68 | 69 | | Maria Celia Lopez. |
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