TITLE: Congratulating Lela and Vernon Johnson of Houston on their 66th wedding anniversary.

SUMMARY: Congratulating Lela and Vernon Johnson of Houston on their 66th wedding anniversary.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Lela and Vernon Johnson of Houston are celebrating their 66th wedding anniversary on July 27, 2013, and they may reflect with joy on a rewarding and lasting relationship that began with a storybook romance; and WHEREAS, At age six, Vernon Johnson was attending school in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Louisiana when a young girl named Lela Davis caught his eye; though unspoken for many years, his affection for her never wavered, even after he was transferred to another school in the fourth grade; in 1943, the pair were reunited when they ran into one another at a grocery store shortly before Mr. Johnson was to be deployed to serve in World War II; he summoned the courage to ask for her address, so that he could write to her from wherever he was based; and WHEREAS, Through his three years of military service, Mr. Johnson sent Miss Davis innumerable love letters, including one in which he expressed his wish to marry her but asked that she postpone her answer until he had returned; when he was released from active duty, their courtship officially began as they finished school in Natchitoches, Louisiana; out of what was once a friendship between schoolmates, true love blossomed, and the two were joined in matrimony at the home of Mr. Johnson's parents in July 1947; and WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson moved to Houston in 1949, eventually settling in the Pleasantville neighborhood; they became the proud parents of four daughters, Barbara Johnson-Jefferson, Linda Johnson-Roy, LaVern Johnson, and Monica Johnson-Smith; through the years, they have seen their family grow to include a son-in-law, Michael Smith, as well as five grandchildren, Kim Roy, Toni Jefferson, Morgan Smith, Meagan Smith, and Bryan Bostick, an honorary granddaughter, Kristin Stapleton, four great-grandchildren, Alicia and Sharelle Jefferson and Tiffany and Jordan Roy, and a great-great-granddaughter, Toni-Logan Williams; and WHEREAS, Respected members of their community, Mr. Johnson worked at Weingarten Grocery and later operated a remodeling business, while Mrs. Johnson was employed as an EKG technician; now enjoying retirement together, both are longtime congregants at Mt. Olive Baptist Church; and WHEREAS, Although much has changed in the world since they exchanged vows on that special day in 1947, this inspiring husband and wife have remained true to their promise of lifelong commitment, and it is a pleasure to join their admiring circle of loved ones in honoring them at this time; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby congratulate Lela and Vernon Johnson on their 66 years of marriage and extend to them warmest best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Johnson as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Dutton Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 25 was adopted by the House on July 9, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House