[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 64 (Thursday, May 1, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN LASTING MEMORY OF RONALD LaGRONE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. MIKE ROSS

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 30, 2003

  Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to acknowledge the life 
and legacy of Ronald LaGrone, a colleague and a friend of mine from 
Hamburg, Arkansas. I was honored to have known Mr. LaGrone, a man who, 
in deed and action, distinguished himself as a husband, father, 
businessman, and church and community leader.
  Ronnie LaGrone owned and ran the LaGrone Drug Store in Hamburg with 
his brother Fred. For 38 years, he helped to care for the health of his 
friends and neighbors. Ronnie leaves behind him a proud legacy of 
service and compassion. He served as Deacon of the First Baptist 
Church, as Hamburg City Councilman, and as board member of the Arkansas 
Pharmacy Association.
  As a pharmacy owner, I owe him a debt of gratitude for his long 
service of leadership to our profession. Ronnie set out to improve the 
lives of others through both his professional and his private life. As 
a member of a small community, I know what men like Ronnie mean to 
their neighbors; his service was out of true concern for their 
livelihood.
  Ronnie's contributions were recently recognized by the Hamburg 
Chamber of Commerce, as he was named winner of the Fred LaGrone 
Lifetime Achievement Award for his role as community pharmacist and as 
community leader. Clearly, his community mourned his loss. I know 
Ronnie's passing was especially difficult for his wife, Patricia, and 
their three daughters, Terri, Kelli, and Staci, and I have kept all of 
them in my thoughts and in my prayers. While Ronnie LaGrone may no 
longer be with us, his spirit and his legacy live on in the example he 
set and the many lives he touched.

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