Bill Text: TX HR1122 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Paying tribute to the legacy of San Antonio restaurateur Viola Barrios.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-04-23 - Reported enrolled [HR1122 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HR1122-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 1122 | ||
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| WHEREAS, April 2019 marks the 11th anniversary of the death | ||
| of San Antonio restaurateur Viola Barrios, and this occasion | ||
| provides a fitting opportunity to reflect on the life and | ||
| accomplishments of this beloved woman; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Viola Barrios was born in Bustamante, Nuevo León, | ||
| Mexico, to Alfredo and Evangelina Botello, and she grew up with the | ||
| companionship of four sisters, Connie, Mary, Gloria, and Irma; | ||
| after moving to the United States in her early 20s, she settled in | ||
| San Antonio and married the love of her life, Jose C. Barrios; the | ||
| couple shared a rewarding marriage that spanned almost two decades | ||
| before Mr. Barrios was killed in an automobile accident in 1975; | ||
| Mrs. Barrios suddenly found herself a single parent of three | ||
| children; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 1979, with only $3,000 and a passion for cooking, | ||
| Ms. Barrios opened the original Los Barrios Restaurant in an old | ||
| boat garage downtown; for nearly 30 years, she worked seven days a | ||
| week cooking, cleaning, prepping food, bussing tables, and doing | ||
| any other job necessary to help the business survive and grow; | ||
| through her hard work, Los Barrios prospered, expanding to a second | ||
| location and earning national acclaim by being featured in numerous | ||
| publications and television programs; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A San Antonio legend, Ms. Barrios was renowned for | ||
| her generosity; she lent a helping hand to those in need and | ||
| returned to Mexico annually to assist the residents of her | ||
| hometown; following her death, the tradition of selfless service | ||
| that she began has been carried on by her three children, Teresa | ||
| Barrios-Ogden, Louis Barrios, and Diana Barrios Treviño, and by her | ||
| many grandchildren; in 2008, they started the Viola's Huge Heart | ||
| Foundation to provide scholarships to low-income students; the | ||
| family has also sponsored dozens of fund-raisers for various | ||
| nonprofit groups and further honored their matriarch by opening | ||
| additional businesses, including the Viola's Ventanas restaurant | ||
| that bears her name; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Throughout her life, Viola Barrios set an inspiring | ||
| example of perseverance, professional achievement, and concern for | ||
| others, and her memory will long be cherished by residents of the | ||
| San Antonio area; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby pay tribute to the legacy of Viola Barrios and | ||
| honor her many contributions to her community; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for her family as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
| House of Representatives. | ||
| Minjarez | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 1122 was adopted by the House on April | ||
| 18, 2019, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
