Bill Text: MS HR43 | 2011 | Regular Session | Engrossed
Bill Title: Mrs. Melvina Swaggard King Strong; commend life and legacy upon her passing.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-03-04 - Enrolled Bill Signed [HR43 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2011-HR43-Engrossed.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2011 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representative Banks
House Resolution 43
(As Adopted by House)
A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE, LEGACY AND SERVICE OF MRS. MELVINA SWAGGARD KING STRONG AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HER PASSING.
WHEREAS, Melvina Swaggard King Strong, born Melvin Swaggard, on June 1, 1912, in Fannin, Mississippi, as one of 11 children, to Mr. Ed Swaggard and Mrs. Estella Archie Swaggard, departed this earthly life on Monday, January 17, 2011, to enter into eternal rest with her Heavenly Father, rendering great sorrow and loss to her family and friends; and
WHEREAS, deriving from a family who stressed the magnitude and benefits afforded an individual with a qualified educational background, Mrs. Strong began her first employment as an educator in the Tougaloo School System after completing her primary education in Fannin, Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, when purposed by her life's destiny to surrender her heart and submit herself as a wife, she married Mr. Eddie B. King of Pelahatchie, Mississippi, after their paths intersected at the crossroads of love and happiness, and through their union their only child, a son, Frederick King, was born; and
WHEREAS, with education and service to others being of paramount importance in her life, Mrs. Strong's background and experience was not only as a teacher but also as a registered nurse, as she worked in nursing homes caring for the elderly and at the Veteran's Administration Hospital while she lived in Boston, Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS, during World War II when the men were at battle many women picked up the baton and filled the vacancies left by those men, maintaining the country's productivity, and Mrs. Strong was one among many women to advance and sustain our nation's economic viability, when she went to work as a "weld inspector" at Hingham Shipyard just outside of Boston, working on battleships; and WHEREAS, due to her name being "Melvin" many assumed she was a male, including the United States Selective Service, as she was forever being "drafted" and receiving draft papers, in addition to not being recognized as the inspector called to approve each weld, and so to avoid the confusion, she changed her name to Melvina; and
WHEREAS, she was a lesson in strength on how to do things well, how to be a mother, how to be courageous and how to be a devout parishioner, as a longtime Catholic and a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Brockton, Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS, after retiring from nursing and upon her return to Jackson in 1975 from Brockton and Boston, she continued her religious fellowship with Holy Ghost and Christ the King Catholic Churches as well as her service to those in need of assistance or just a show of affection, having taken a keen interest in the elderly whom she took to baseball games, other events and cared for in her own home; and
WHEREAS, though she has traversed the river of life to now stand on the celestial shores of Heaven, in a family reunion of the ages with those who have preceded her in life's transition into eternity, including her 10 siblings, and the tenor of her service will be cherished by those who are the best testimony of her legacy of strength: son, Frederick D. King; daughter-in-law, Athalia E. King; grandchildren, Stephanie King-Latham (Timothy), Alecia King and Vivian Weathersby; special nephew, Christiaan, whom she helped raise, and his brother, Jordan Jones; their mother and her niece, Emily Jones; and a host of other relatives and friends; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to commend the life of such a selfless and noble individual as Mrs. Strong, who poured herself into the lives of others with every fabric of her being without reservation:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the life, legacy and service of Mrs. Melvina Swaggard King Strong and express deepest sympathy to her family and friends upon her passing.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Mrs. Strong and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.
