TITLE: Congratulating Sam W. Meineke on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

SUMMARY: Congratulating Sam W. Meineke on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The 80th birthday of a respected entrepreneur is indeed cause for celebration, and Sam W. Meineke of League City is marking this important milestone on March 19, 2011; and WHEREAS, Born in 1931 in Oklahoma, Sam Meineke learned at an early age the value of hard work; the son of a sharecropper, he picked cotton seven days a week and distracted himself from the job's physical demands by dreaming of a future in which he would attain the success of men like Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie, whom he'd read about in school; and WHEREAS, His family left the cotton fields in 1944 to come to Pasadena, Texas; there Mr. Meineke quickly found employment mowing lawns in the neighborhood and working at a filling station; throughout high school he continued to work, sometimes holding down three jobs at a time in order to contribute to the family finances and save what he could; and WHEREAS, By the time he was 21, he was able to make a down payment on the purchase of a service station, and with a friend from high school, he invested in a number of other ventures; although most of these ultimately lost money, he learned from his mistakes and persevered; in 1957, the pair opened Bass and Meineke Auto Parts, and the store became a success; by 1970, when Mr. Meineke sold his share to his partner, the business had grown into a lucrative chain of 12 stores; and WHEREAS, Eager for a new opportunity, Mr. Meineke opened his first muffler shop later that same year; he expanded to four additional locations and, together with Harold Nedell, an experienced manager in the industry, decided to franchise the company; by the time the business was sold in 1983, there were hundreds of Meineke Car Care Centers throughout the United States and beyond; and WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Meineke has enjoyed the love and support of his wife, Sadye, and their six children, Cheri Meineke-Johnson, Deborah Zonana, Peggy Meineke, Sherrye Bourgeois, Jerre Barron, and Brian Barron; the couple have also shared in the joy of welcoming into their family eight grandchildren, Ryan and Samantha Zonana, Lacey Derrington, Jerred, Kerre, Justin, and Brandi Barron, and Jeremy Faggard, as well as a great-grandchild, Thomas Derrington; and WHEREAS, The remarkable journey of Sam Meineke, from impoverished sharecropper to prosperous business magnate, constitutes a quintessential Texas success story, and his 80th birthday provides a welcome opportunity to recognize his many inspiring achievements along the way; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Sam W. Meineke on the occasion of his 80th birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Meineke as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Legler Straus Gonzales of Williamson Morrison Aliseda Gonzalez Munoz, Jr. Allen Gooden Murphy Alonzo Guillen Naishtat Alvarado Gutierrez Nash Anchia Hamilton Oliveira Anderson of Dallas Hancock Orr Anderson of McLennan Hardcastle Otto Aycock Harless Parker Beck Harper-Brown Patrick Berman Hartnett Paxton Bohac Hernandez Luna Pena Bonnen Hilderbran Perry Branch Hochberg Phillips Brown Hopson Pickett Burkett Howard of Fort Bend Pitts Burnam Howard of Travis Price Button Huberty Quintanilla Cain Hughes Raymond Callegari Hunter Reynolds Carter Isaac Riddle Castro Jackson Ritter Chisum Johnson Rodriguez Christian Keffer Schwertner Coleman King of Parker Scott Cook King of Taylor Sheets Craddick King of Zavala Sheffield Creighton Kleinschmidt Shelton Crownover Kolkhorst Simpson Darby Kuempel Smith of Harris Davis of Dallas Landtroop Smith of Tarrant J. Davis of Harris Larson Smithee S. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons Deshotel Lavender Strama Driver Legler Taylor of Collin Dukes Lewis Taylor of Galveston Dutton Lozano Thompson Eiland Lucio III Torres Eissler Lyne Truitt Elkins Madden Turner Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey Farrar Margo Villarreal Fletcher Marquez Vo Flynn Martinez Walle Frullo Martinez Fischer Weber Gallego McClendon White Garza Menendez Woolley Geren Miles Workman Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 816 was adopted by the House on March 15, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House