|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The late Ramiro Barrera, Sr., played a vital role as |
|
an educator and community leader in Starr County for many decades, |
|
and his life and legacy are indeed worthy of tribute; and |
|
WHEREAS, Ramiro Barrera was born in Los Saenz in 1920 to |
|
Trinidad and Benilde Barrera, both of whom were descended from |
|
founding families of the historic border village; his father was a |
|
rancher and his mother ran a small neighborhood store, and together |
|
they instilled a strong work ethic in their children, who were all |
|
expected to pitch in to help operate the family businesses; by the |
|
time he was six, Ramiro would rise early in the morning and trek |
|
several miles to carry breakfast to the herdsman watching over his |
|
father's goats; he would then return home with milk for his family; |
|
it was on these daily journeys that he began to develop his |
|
appreciation for the native flora and fauna of the Texas-Mexico |
|
border region; and |
|
WHEREAS, An avid student, Mr. Barrera attended Los Saenz |
|
Elementary for four years, after which he went to Roma Elementary; |
|
he then progressed to Roma High School, where he was taught by the |
|
Sisters of Mercy, who imparted to him a love for literature and |
|
learning and helped him to develop discipline through their firm |
|
but kind methods; because Roma High School only offered instruction |
|
through the 11th grade, he continued his education at Rio Grande |
|
High School in Rio Grande City, graduating with honors in 1937; and |
|
WHEREAS, Determined to pursue his dream of obtaining a |
|
college education, even though the country was still mired in the |
|
Great Depression and money was scarce, Mr. Barrera enrolled at the |
|
Texas College of Arts and Industries in Kingsville; to help pay for |
|
tuition, he began teaching elementary school in Garceno, and he |
|
went on to teach at schools in Fronton and Chapeno; and |
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Barrera's studies were interrupted by the |
|
outbreak of World War II; answering his nation's call to duty, he |
|
joined the U.S. Army in 1941; during his four years in the military |
|
he served in England, Scotland, France, and on special assignment |
|
in Portugal; and |
|
WHEREAS, After his discharge from the army in 1945, |
|
Mr. Barrera returned to Kingsville to complete his degree with the |
|
financial assistance of the GI Bill; during this time he met his |
|
wife, the former Crescencia Izaguirre, and the couple were joined |
|
in matrimony in May 1950; and |
|
WHEREAS, In 1948, Mr. Barrera returned to Los Saenz |
|
Elementary to serve as head teacher; he worked at the school for two |
|
and a half years before accepting an offer to teach social studies |
|
at San Isidro High School; during the summers he continued to pursue |
|
his education at Southwest Texas State College in San Marcos, where |
|
he earned a master's degree in education in 1954; he began his |
|
career in education administration that same year, when he joined |
|
the Roma Independent School District as a junior high principal; |
|
the next year he became the principal of Roma High School, a |
|
position he held for 22 years; during his tenure there, he helped |
|
guide the school through a time of steady growth and success; and |
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Barrera retired as principal of Roma High School |
|
in 1978, at the age of 58; he then joined the Southwest Educational |
|
Development Laboratory as a part-time consultant and researcher, |
|
working with several schools in Starr County; after four years with |
|
SEDL, he retired from education for good in order to spend time with |
|
his wife and family and to focus on his ranches in Starr and Zapata |
|
Counties; he remained in touch with former colleagues through his |
|
involvement with the Roma Retired Teachers Association; and |
|
WHEREAS, A respected member of his community, Mr. Barrera was |
|
active in Our Lady of Refuge Church in Roma, and he volunteered his |
|
time with a number of organizations devoted to helping others; |
|
moreover, he was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the |
|
Knights of Columbus, holding third-degree Knight status with the |
|
Roma chapter and fourth-degree Knight status with the Rio Grande |
|
City chapter; he also worked with the Starr County Historical |
|
Society to preserve the history of the area, and he provided |
|
valuable assistance with researching the early days of Roma and Los |
|
Saenz and the communities' founding families; and |
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Barrera further dedicated himself to preserving |
|
the environment and natural resources of the area; his efforts were |
|
recognized by the Rio Bravo Resource Conservation District, which |
|
honored him with its Distinguished Service Award for 17 years of |
|
service, and by the Starr County Soil and Water Conservation |
|
District, which presented him with an award for 22 years of service; |
|
and |
|
WHEREAS, During his nearly 40 years in the field of |
|
education, Mr. Barrera had a significant impact on the lives of |
|
countless young people, and he had the great pleasure of seeing many |
|
of his students grow up to enjoy successful and productive lives; on |
|
March 29, 2007, the Roma Independent School District named its |
|
newest campus the Ramiro Barrera Middle School, in honor of his |
|
exceptional service as a teacher and an administrator; and |
|
WHEREAS, Although Ramiro Barrera, Sr., passed away in 2004, |
|
his memory lives on in his children, Annabel Pena and Dr. Ramiro |
|
Barrera, Jr., and in his five grandchildren, Daniel Barrera, Angela |
|
Barrera, Aaron Pena, Adrian Pena, and Ariel Pena; they inherited |
|
from him the same dedication to education, conservation, and |
|
community service that made him a role model to many of his former |
|
students and colleagues; and |
|
WHEREAS, Deeply devoted to his family and community, Ramiro |
|
Barrera, Sr., made a meaningful difference in the lives of his loved |
|
ones and fellow citizens alike, and his contributions will be |
|
fondly remembered for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
|
Legislature hereby honor the memory of Ramiro Barrera, Sr., for his |
|
extensive public service; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ramiro |
|
Barrera, Sr. |
|
|
Guillen |
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Speaker of the House |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 1887 was unanimously adopted by a |
|
rising vote of the House on May 19, 2011. |
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
|