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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The residents of Hidalgo County lost an admired |
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civic leader when Oscar L. Garza Jr. passed away on January 18, |
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2014, at the age of 57; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Edinburg to Oscar Garza Sr. and Yolanda |
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Garza, Oscar Garza devoted his life to making his community an even |
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better place in which to live; after gaining work experience as a |
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realtor and broker at Manning Realty and subsequently as manager of |
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La India Ranch, he began a career in public service as a bailiff for |
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Hidalgo County Court at Law No. 3 in 1981; four years later, he was |
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elected to office as justice of the peace for Hidalgo County |
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Precinct 4, Place 2, a role in which he served for six years; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Garza went on to manage the produce company |
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Bronco Bananas for several years, and in 1998, he returned to |
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elected office as the Hidalgo County Precinct 4 commissioner; over |
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the course of his 12-year tenure in that post, he demonstrated |
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exceptional leadership in numerous county improvement projects, |
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such as developing critical flood protection, enhancing |
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infrastructure in area colonias, and constructing a juvenile |
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justice center to provide counseling, education, and job training |
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for at-risk youth; he later pursued a successful career as a land |
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developer; and |
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WHEREAS, A devoted family man, Mr. Garza enjoyed the love and |
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companionship of his wife, the former Imelda Bazan, his high school |
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sweetheart with whom he shared more than three and a half decades of |
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marriage; over the years, the couple were blessed with two |
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children, Brenda and Oscar, and three grandchildren, Julian Joe, |
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Savannah, and Chloe; and |
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WHEREAS, "Big O," as he was known to his loved ones, instilled |
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in his family the importance of giving back to the community, and |
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each Christmas, the Garzas delivered presents to local |
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underprivileged children; moreover, he and his wife were founding |
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members of the Edinburg North High School FFA Booster Club and |
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helped create the Cougar and Fiesta Classics, stock shows that |
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raised funds for scholarships; he also gave generously of his time |
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as an auctioneer for a number of worthwhile events and |
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organizations, including the St. Joseph Catholic School |
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Turkeyfest, the Linn-San Manuel Cook-off, the Hidalgo County 4-H |
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Hoedown, the Driscoll Children's Hospital, the American Diabetes |
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Association, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and many others; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In his leisure time, Mr. Garza was an avid |
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outdoorsman who loved camping, fishing, hunting, showing cattle, |
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and roping, and one of his proudest achievements was touring the |
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country as a competitor in the United States Team Roping |
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Championships circuit; and |
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WHEREAS, Oscar Garza Jr. possessed a strength of character |
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and a generosity of spirit that won him the admiration of many |
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people, and he is deeply missed by all those whose lives were |
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enriched by his warmth, humor, and fun-loving personality; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the memory of Oscar L. Garza Jr. and his |
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notable record of service to the people of Hidalgo County; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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Oscar L. Garza Jr. |