Bill Text: GA HR810 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Warthen, Mr. William Donovan; condolences
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2009-03-26 - House Read and Adopted [HR810 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2009-HR810-Introduced.html
09 LC 94
1281
House
Resolution 810
By:
Representative Morris of the
155th
A
RESOLUTION
Honoring
the life and memory of Mr. William Donovan Warthen; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
the State of Georgia celebrates the life of one of its most distinguished
citizens, Mr. William Donovan Warthen; and
WHEREAS,
Mr. Warthen was born on January 27, 1924, in Vidalia, Georgia, and he remained
in Vidalia his entire life; and
WHEREAS,
in 1944, while attending the Citadel, Mr. Warthen volunteered for the United
States Army Infantry, 84th Division; and
WHEREAS,
Mr. Warthen was awarded a Purple Heart for his courage as a POW after being
captured in November of 1944, at one point being forced to walk over 325 miles
from one camp to another before his liberation in May of 1945; and
WHEREAS,
upon his return home from his military service, Mr. Warthen was united in love
and marriage to Dorothy Lewis, and the two shared 63 wonderful years together,
welcoming three children, Katherine, John, and Ellen; and
WHEREAS,
Mr. Warthen worked on his family farm for 50 years raising cattle and growing
soybeans, peanuts, tobacco, oats, cotton, and onions; and
WHEREAS,
he sold irrigation systems and owned a cotton gin in 1953, before becoming
affectionately known as the "Pecan Man" through his operation of the Georgia
Pecan Auction; and
WHEREAS,
Mr. Warthen earned numerous awards and distinctions throughout the years,
including being named the Vidalia Citizen of the Year in 1974, and a George
Hixon Fellow from the Kiwanis Club, an organization to which he devoted 40 years
and for which he served as president and key sponsor; and
WHEREAS,
a man devoted to the Democratic Party, Mr. Warthen served as president of the
Vidalia Chamber of Commerce, secretary and treasurer of the Vidalia School
Board, and served on the boards of the Library, Meadows Memorial Hospital,
AgFirst, and the Boys & Girls Club; and
WHEREAS,
a great source of pride and joy for Mr. Warthen were his children, two
grandsons, Boyce and William, and his two great-grandchildren, Owen and Georgia;
and
WHEREAS,
Mr. Warthen was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable
reputation for integrity, intelligence, and fairness, and his faith and kindness
continue to serve as an inspiration to others; and
WHEREAS,
a compassionate and generous man, the passing of Mr. Warthen affected the lives
of many; he will long be remembered for his love of God, country, family,
history, and politics; and this loyal husband, father, neighbor, and friend will
be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body join in honoring the life and memory of Mr. William Donovan Warthen
and commending his accomplishments and contributions to the State of
Georgia.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the family of
Mr. William Donovan Warthen.
