TITLE: Commemorating the posthumous induction of Enrique E. Guerra into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

SUMMARY: Commemorating the posthumous induction of Enrique E. Guerra into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Enrique E. Guerra was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City on April 15, 2016; and WHEREAS, A 12th-generation Texan, Enrique Guerra was born in McAllen in 1929 and attended St. Edward's Military Academy and St. Edward's University; he worked as a farmer and rancher in Mexico for nearly four decades before moving to his ancestral property, San Vicente Ranch, near Linn; though he owned many different types of registered stock cattle, the Texas Longhorn was his favorite, and he was instrumental in reintroducing the original Spanish-blooded longhorn into the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in the 1950s; and WHEREAS, Mr. Guerra gave generously of his time and energies as president of the Texas Gun Collectors Association, the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Registry, and the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Conservancy; he also served as chair of the advisory board of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and shared his vast expertise with the board of the Tejano Monument as an advisor; an enthusiastic collector of Spanish and Mexican colonial art and artifacts and an avid reader of historical books and documents, he contributed and loaned pieces to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, the Institute of Texan Cultures, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Museum of South Texas History, which he also served as an advisory board member, and the Briscoe Western Art Museum, which named him an honorary lifetime director; and WHEREAS, In recognition of his outstanding efforts, this esteemed cattleman was presented with the 2014 Bixby-Sponenberg Breed Conservation Award by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, a citation of outstanding achievement in historic preservation by the Texas Historical Foundation, and a Linn-San Manuel Pride of the Community Award, among numerous other accolades; and WHEREAS, Mr. Guerra was supported in all his endeavors by his wife of 64 years, Lydia Lopez Negrete de Guerra; he was further blessed with a fine family that included six children, Lydia, Judith, Regina, Enrique, Jose Manuel, and Juan Carlos, as well as 12 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren; he passed away on March 16, 2016, at the age of 86; and WHEREAS, Enrique Guerra lived a life in the tradition of a true cowboy, greatly benefiting the Texas cattle industry while also helping to preserve the rich heritage of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby commemorate the induction of Enrique E. Guerra into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Hall of Great Westerners and pay homage to his life and his many contributions to the Lone Star State; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Guerra Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 821 was adopted by the House on March 23, 2017, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House