[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING ROY CUTBIRTH OF LYNCHBURG, TX

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 25, 1997

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a valued member of my 
community, Mr. Roy Cutbirth of Lynchburg, TX. Mr. Cutbirth is a man who 
truly loves his community, and his dedication and commitment of 
Lynchburg has won him the admiration and respect of his fellow 
citizens. He is the election judge of Lynchburg, but to the community 
he is so much more. The following article from the February 20, 1997, 
Highlands Star Courier illustrates what Roy Cutbirth means to 
Lynchburg:

            [From the Highlands Star Courier, Feb. 20, 1997]

                        A Salute to Roy Cutbirth

       In the wake of a recent election, it is fitting to 
     recognize one resident of Lynchburg who is a highly noted 
     figure in our community. He has probably been to your home 
     collecting for the Highlands Volunteer Department or for the 
     Lynchburg Flower Fund. You may even have driven by his house 
     and been greeted with his characteristic wave--a quick twist 
     of his hand with a pointed index finger. Most likely, you 
     have seen him at the local election sites when you cast your 
     vote. he has even been lightheartedly referred to as the 
     ``Mayor of Lynchburg'' (even though we do not have a mayor). 
     Who is this man? He is our own Election Judge. Mr. Roy 
     Cutbirth.
       Roy Cutbirth and his lovely wife, Pauline, have lived in 
     Lynchburg since 1950 and have raised four children here. 
     Their daughter, Gladys Leap, lives in the Woodlands with her 
     husband Howard; Roy, Jr. and his wife, Janie, live in La 
     Porte where son, Roy III is a high school student; Paula and 
     her husband, Barney Stagner, have two children--Bo and 
     Jennifer--and live in Spring; and Jason Cutbirth and his 
     wife, Tiffany, make their home in Dallas where they are 
     raising four young children--Jason, Jr., Austin, Katelyn, and 
     little Christian Tucker Cutbirth.
       Roy worked for Exxon/Humble Oil Refinery for 38 years and 
     retired in 1986. But he has more than a few memorable stories 
     to share about 18 of those years when he was a Master 
     Firefighter. He recalls the day in 1974 at 2:05 a.m., when a 
     tugboat full of gasoline hit an underwater line and exploded 
     and how it took 23 hours, 2 fire boats, and Roy with his men 
     on dock No. 4 to put out the fire. Three men were killed in 
     that explosion. In another incident, Roy sustained burns on 
     his head and his hands in one of the worst accidents he could 
     recall.
       ``An 85-ft. tower had a line about 20-ft long coming down 
     beside it and that line split like a watermelon. It shot up 
     flames about 350 feet high. It took 6 big diesel fire trucks, 
     1200 gallons of water, and aerial truck with a 100-ft. boom, 
     and 50 ladders to put it out.''
       Mr. Cutbirth is now in his 34th year as an election judge 
     and says that he first got involved with politics because his 
     mother was always active in politics. He says, ``When my 
     mother believed that someone would do the best job in a 
     political office, she would go out and hand out materials and 
     try to get him elected. My dad was not involved like that 
     because he was busy making a living for us kids.''
       In his years as an Election Judge, Roy has had an 
     opportunity to meet a few special people. He has met ``lots 
     of senators'', and during one of the campaigns while at the 
     Rice Hotel, he shook hands with President Lyndon Johnson and 
     Vice President Hubert Humphrey.
       When he first started in 1959, Roy and Pauline took the 
     responsibility of election judge as a team, with Pauline as 
     Alternate Judge. Pauline does all the paperwork but could 
     step in for Roy if needed. Currently, their back-up is Liz 
     Parsons with help from Jim and Kathryn Johnson and Joanne 
     Shaw.

                          ____________________