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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Rancher and civic leader James Edwin Peterson of Rio |
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Grande City contributed greatly to the betterment of his community |
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until his death on April 30, 2006; and |
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WHEREAS, James Peterson was born in McAllen on November 29, |
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1944, to Arvid Verner and Dorothy Peterson; he graduated from Rio |
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Grande City High School in 1963 and went on to earn his bachelor's |
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degree from Texas A&I University in 1967; and |
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WHEREAS, After teaching school for a year in Alice, Mr. |
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Peterson began a career in farming and ranching that lasted nearly |
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four decades; he was first employed by Starrco Farms, a produce |
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wholesaler, and then joined Suntex Dairy, where he worked until his |
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retirement; he was also the owner and operator of Peterson |
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Beefmasters in Starr County; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Mr. Peterson was actively |
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engaged in the life of Rio Grande City and Starr County; the |
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president of the Starr County Fair Association, he also chaired the |
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fair's Livestock and Validation Committees; in addition, he was |
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director of the Medina Electric Cooperative and a member of the |
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board of the Starr County Appraisal District; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Peterson's involvement in agricultural |
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organizations included service as president of the Starr County |
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Farm Bureau, as treasurer of the board of the Rio Grande Growers |
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Co-op, as a member of the Farm Service Agency County Committee, and |
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as chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee of the |
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Cooperative Extension Program of Prairie View A&M University; and |
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WHEREAS, A man of strong religious faith, he served as |
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assistant Sunday school superintendent and chair of the building |
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and grounds committee for First Baptist Church of Rio Grande City; |
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his devotion to assisting area youth was reflected in his 28-year |
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tenure as a football official, and he was president of the Rio |
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Grande Valley Federation of the Southwest Football Officials |
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Association; he also helped guide young lives as a Little League |
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coach, a Cub Scout den father, and a 4-H leader; and |
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WHEREAS, After his death, the 2007 Starr County Fair was |
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dedicated to his memory, with the theme "James Peterson--Farmer, |
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Rancher, Volunteer"; moreover, the fairgrounds contain two |
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tributes to this respected citizen: the James Peterson Memorial |
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Building and a plaque dedicated in his honor by the San Isidro |
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Independent School District; in 2006, the Texas Farm Bureau |
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posthumously gave him its prestigious Pioneer Award for his many |
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contributions to agriculture; and |
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WHEREAS, James Peterson dedicated himself to the service of |
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others during his years on this earth, and his legacy continues to |
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resonate in the community he was proud to call home; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of James Edwin Peterson |
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and acknowledge his enduring work in behalf of the people of Rio |
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Grande City and Starr County. |