TITLE: Honoring Emma Primas of Houston for her contributions to her community.

SUMMARY: Honoring Emma Primas of Houston for her contributions to her community.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, At the age of 109, Emma Primas of Houston ranks among the most venerable Americans, and she delighted the president of the United States by traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet him at an Easter prayer breakfast held on April 7, 2015; and WHEREAS, Born in Maynard on August 5, 1905, 15 years before women's suffrage, Mrs. Primas has long exercised her right to vote, and she paid poll taxes when she had to in order to make her voice heard at the ballot box; she became a member of the NAACP and the Progressive Civic Club, and in 2008, she did her part as a voter to help Barack Obama become the nation's first African American president; on the occasion of her visit to the White House, she was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek from the leader of the free world; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Primas grew up in the country and helped with every task on the family farm, learning the value of hard work, discipline, prudence, and strong community relationships; she began her formal education around the age of 10, and as a teenager, she took after-school jobs washing dishes in homes; following her marriage to Charlie Williams, she became the proud mother of a daughter, Ella Bernice, and in 1938, she moved to Houston; and WHEREAS, Hearing of better opportunities in California, Mrs. Primas and her family relocated in 1943 to San Francisco, where she worked as a server at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel and then as a streetcar driver; she later became a school dietician and was quickly put in charge of menus for five schools; all the while, she managed her money carefully, and when she returned to Houston, she opened a grocery store; she helped numerous customers during hard times by allowing them to take what they needed and defer payment until circumstances improved; in addition, she was a matron of the Heroines of Jericho for 50 years and held many offices; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Primas now shares a home with her granddaughter, Denise Mickey; she is the oldest member of the Houston Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women, and she is a longtime member of First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church; moreover, she has continued to participate in community events, and she remains a staunch advocate for the democratic process, urging younger people to vote; and WHEREAS, An inspiring role model, Emma Primas has earned the deep admiration of her fellow citizens, and by sharing her thoughtful perspectives on more than a century of change, she enriches the lives of all who are privileged to know her; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby honor Emma Primas for her contributions to her community and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mrs. Primas as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Dutton Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 2951 was adopted by the House on May 30, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House