[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 105 (Thursday, July 22, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO DEAN AND SHARON TRAVIS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAVE CAMP

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 1999

  Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dean and Sharon 
Travis of Gratiot County, Michigan, who will be honored at a special 
ceremony in Midland on July 24 when they will be presented with a 
Centennial Farm marker by Consumers Energy.
  At this celebration, the Travis family and other farm families will 
have the opportunity to share their stories. The Travis family will 
relay with appropriate pride how their farm, located in Pine River 
Township, was purchased by their great-great-grandfather in 1857 and 
has remained in their family ever since.
  The festivities are being held in conjunction with a special 
Smithsonian Institution exhibit, ``Barn Again: Celebrating an American 
Icon.'' This exhibit celebrates America's rich agricultural heritage, 
telling the story of farmers and their varying needs throughout our 
history.
  The barn represents growth and prosperity of Americans, and it is 
important to recognize the agricultural community's contribution to our 
nation. This year the exhibit tours Michigan for the first time; 
residents of Alabama, Illinois, Oregon, Utah, Ohio, Missouri, West 
Virginia and Georgia have already been privileged to see it.
  It is with great pleasure that I recognize the Travis family today. 
Their success has been a source of pride to Gratiot County, and their 
barn and Centennial Farm designation symbolize the hard work and 
determination that is characteristic of mid-Michigan's farm families.
  I am pleased to have the opportunity to honor them today in the U.S. 
House of Representatives and I wish them many more generations of 
bounty.

                          ____________________