TITLE: In memory of Elinor Steinhagen Burrus.

SUMMARY: In memory of Elinor Steinhagen Burrus.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, A full and productive life drew to a close with the passing of Elinor Steinhagen Burrus on January 27, 2011, at the age of 83; and WHEREAS, The daughter of Daniel and Ruth Steinhagen, the former Elinor Steinhagen was born in Beaumont on March 23, 1927; she graduated from Beaumont High School and attended Sullins College in Virginia before graduating from The University of Texas at Austin; while working for a Beaumont architectural firm, Goldman Roth, she paid a visit to a friend and met his older brother, Eugene Anthony Burrus, Jr.; she and Gene Burrus were joined in matrimony six months later, and she often said that he could have proposed on their first date, and she would have immediately accepted; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Burrus became the mother of two children, Vivian and Gene, and later welcomed seven cherished grandchildren into the family; she and her husband shared a rewarding marriage for 50 years until his passing; and WHEREAS, For many decades, Mrs. Burrus resided at Crystal Beach, and she dedicated herself to the conservation of the Texas Gulf Coast; she was instrumental in the early development of the Texas Coastal Management Program, and she compiled extensive data and took photographs that are still used in coastal law classes; the General Land Office honored her tireless efforts to fight coastal erosion on the Bolivar Peninsula by naming her its first Volunteer of the Year in 1997; in addition, the Garden Club of America accorded her its Zone IX Conservation Award; she was a member of the Nature Conservancy and the National Parks Conservation Association; and WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan also served her community as a member of the Junior League of Beaumont, the Magnolia Garden Club, and the Texas Historical Society, and she was a charter member of Trinity United Methodist Church; fascinated by genealogy, she carefully documented the history of both the Burrus and the Steinhagen families, even contacting a courthouse in the former East Germany and persuading them to accept a personal check in exchange for the certified birth certificates of ancestors; and WHEREAS, Feisty and independent, yet also kind and deeply devoted to her family, Elinor Burrus distinguished herself through her efforts to promote environmental stewardship, and she will forever remain a source of inspiration to those who were privileged to know her; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Elinor Steinhagen Burrus and extend sincere condolences to the members of her family: to her daughter, Vivian Burrus Todd, and her husband, Jerry; to her son, Gene Burrus III, and his wife, Ruthie; to her grandchildren, Ellie Burrus Livesay and her husband, Grant, Laura Todd Weaver and her husband, Jamie, Tyrrell and Charles Burrus, and Daniel, William, and Chad Todd; to her great-granddaughter, Claire Livesay; to her brother-in-law, Felix Burrus; to her sister-in-law, Chloe Steinhagen; and to her other relatives and friends; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Elinor Steinhagen Burrus. Eiland Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 971 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 6, 2011. Chief Clerk of the House