January 24, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E87 needed to be well educated and passed this And her memory allowed her to be a master many years Chris has been involved with belief onto his children. storyteller of days long gone. The summer of scouting, he has not only earned numerous To be black and well educated required that 2018 marked 106 years in the life of Ressie merit badges, but also the respect of his fam- the Davis family find schools beyond the Davis English. On January 18, 2019, she went ily, peers, and community. Most notably, Chris small, rural, operations for black children that home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus contributed to his community through his existed at the time. Ressie attended high Christ. We celebrate her life today with these Eagle Scout project at the Earnest Shepherd school at Jackson in Corsicana. Jackson was words forever enshrined into the CONGRES- Memorial Youth Center outside Liberty, Mis- the designated school in town for black stu- SIONAL RECORD of the United States House of souri. dents during the era of segregation in Texas. Representatives, where her grandson Marc Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join Ressie ’s family left Rice and moved to where Veasey serves. She was preceded in death by me in commending Chris Larson for his ac- she met the love of her life, Robert March her husband Dr. Robert English and three chil- complishments with the Boy Scouts of Amer- English. dren Mary LlaBetta Sowels, Robert James ica and for his efforts put forth in achieving the She and Dr. English, ‘Bob’, married in the English and Joseph Hart English, and two highest distinction of Eagle Scout. spring of 1939, and a few years later had their granddaughters. first child, a daughter named, Mary LlaBetta. Her legacy continues through her children, f By the time a second daughter, Lizzie Eliza- Elizabeth English Burky, Doris Theresa RECOGNIZING AN OP-ED WRITTEN beth Janet arrived, the family was living in the English, Eva Carolyn English-Clay, Constance BY MR. BILL PASCRELL bustling town of Mineral Wells, Texas, and Dr. English Cash, John Moses English and Char- English had become an established young ley Rubye English-Carter. She is also survived and dynamic Baptist minister working in by many grandchildren, and great-grand- HON. JAMIE RASKIN Jacksboro, Texas. children and great-great-grandchildren. Her OF MARYLAND Dr. English soon became vice-moderator kids and grandchildren have gone on to work IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES and later moderator of the West Texas District in broadcasting, higher education, politics, the Thursday, January 24, 2019 Baptist Association. His ministry flourished, but food and beverage industry, and many other the need for better medical resources dictated endeavors of hard work and accomplishment Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today a return to Corsicana. They later added to the of which Mrs. English was very proud. to share an excellent op-ed written by my col- family daughters Doris Theresa, ‘‘SanDei’’, I wish Mrs. English peace and my deepest league Mr. BILL PASCRELL, entitled, ‘‘Why is Congress so dumb?’’ In this lucid essay, Rep. and Eva Carolyn and their two sons, Robert condolences to Congressman VEASEY and his James and Joseph Hart-Davis English. family. PASCRELL discusses the systematic demolition of Congress’ power to assemble accurate in- Ressie settled into her role of minister’s wife f working as a homemaker and running her formation, conduct investigations and develop household with great diligence. She agreed to IN RECOGNITION OF DOUBLE OAK sound policy. It is an imperative of the 116th move to Fort Worth with the caveat that if the TOWN SECRETARY CHARLOTTE Congress that we rebuild Congressional ca- church was to be in Lake Como, housing had ALLEN pacity to govern with the information we need. to be found within walking distance to Como In his piece, which appeared in the Wash- elementary school. Her last three children, HON. MICHAEL C. BURGESS ington Post, Mr. PASCRELL writes: In a year of congressional low lights, the Constance Grace, John Moses and Rubye OF TEXAS hearings we held with Silicon Valley leaders DeiGratia were born in Lake Como. Fully set- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tled in Fort Worth, all nine of the children last fall may have been the lowest. One of graduated from or attended Como senior high Thursday, January 24, 2019 my colleagues in the House asked Google CEO Sundar Pichai about the workings of an school. Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise iPhone—a rival Apple product. Another col- The English’s were well regarded in the today to honor the exemplary career of Mrs. league asked Face book head Mark Lake Como community, unwavering in their Charlotte Allen, who will retire from her posi- Zuckerberg, ‘‘If you’re not listening to us on commitment to the church, and steadfast in tion as Town Secretary of Double Oak, Texas the phone, who is?’’ One senator was flab- overseeing the activities of their nine children. on February 1, 2019. The town has benefited bergasted to learn that Facebook makes The children participated in everything the immensely from her 17 years of devoted serv- money from advertising. Over hours of testi- school had to offer. Ressie made sure her ice to its citizens and Town Council. mony, my fellow members of Congress strug- children became fixtures in the recreational Before beginning her tenure in Double Oak gled to grapple with technologies used daily by most Americans and with the functions of and academic setting in the Como community; on April 2, 2002, Mrs. Allen served in various the Internet itself. Given an opportunity to from piano lessons to track and football, to the public service roles, including Town Secretary expose the most powerful businesses on PTA, Drama and Debate Club to the National for Copper Canyon and City Secretary for Earth to sunlight and scrutiny, the hearings Honors Society, they did it all. Denton. She is well known for her dedication, did little to answer tough questions about After the establishment of the first church work ethic, and reliability by colleagues and the tech titans’ monopolies or the impact of commissioned by the West Texas Baptist As- those she has mentored. Thanks to her hard their platforms. It’s not because lawmakers sociation, Ressie became ‘‘First Lady’’ of an- work, the town of Double Oak has operated are too stupid to understand Facebook. It’s other church, independently established by her efficiently and reliably—a significant benefit to because our available resources and our pol- husband. They named it Mount Moriah Baptist icy staffs, the brains of Congress, have been its citizens. so depleted that we can’t do our jobs prop- Church. Dr. English guided this church until I am grateful for Charlotte Allen’s contribu- erly. his death in 1987. Ressie always put God and tions to the town of Double Oak, and I wish Americans who bemoan a broken Congress family first, and in her spare time, she enjoyed her all the best in the chapters ahead. rightly focus on ethical questions and elec- gardening and harvesting fruit and vegetables f toral partisanship. But the tech hearings at her Lake Como home. Trips to the now ob- demonstrated that our greatest deficiency solete retailers, Handy Dan and Sutherland’s, HONORING CHRIS LARSON may be knowledge, not cooperation. Our were her favorite places to buy outdoor and founts of independent information have been home improvement items. While she did enjoy cut off, our investigatory muscles atrophied, HON. SAM GRAVES our committees stripped oftheir ability to fresh food; she never turned down a good OF MISSOURI develop policy, our small staffs overwhelmed Breakfast Jack or a two-piece meal from IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES by the army of lobbyists who roam Wash- Churches on Lackland and Camp Bowie. Thursday, January 24, 2019 ington. Congress is increasingly unable to In addition to gardening, Ressie was also comprehend a world growing more socially, very handy at sewing; and always kept a ma- Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, economically and technologically multi- chine, which she was very proud of, nestled I proudly pause to recognize Chris Larson. faceted—and we did this to ourselves. When near a corner window in her dining room. But Chris is a very special young man who has the 110th Congress opened in 2007, Democrats most importantly Ressie enjoyed studying the exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship rode into office on a tide of outrage at the George W. Bush administration and the Re- Bible, and for most of her 106 years, she and leadership by taking an active part in the publican Congress, which had looked the could quote scripture and the words of Jesus Boy Scouts of America, Troop 374, and earn- other way during the Tom DeLay, Jack Christ with remarkable accuracy and clarity. ing the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Abramoff and Duke Cunningham scandals. She oftentimes hummed churched hymns Chris has been very active with his troop, My colleagues and I focused our energies on while knitting, reading, or working outdoors. participating in many scout activities. Over the exposing corruption. But we missed crucial

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