[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 159 (Wednesday, November 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PAYING TRIBUTE TO FRANCES GRAY ``PEGGY'' RICHARDS

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                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 5, 2003

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise before 
this body of Congress and this nation today to pay tribute to the life 
and memory of an outstanding citizen from my district. Frances Gray 
``Peggy'' Richards of Durango, Colorado recently passed away at the age 
of eighty-three. Peggy was very active in her community and cared 
deeply for her fellow Coloradans. As her family and friends mourn her 
passing, I am honored to pay tribute to Peggy here today.
  Peggy was a powerhouse of community service, beginning in the mid-
1950s when she served as the Pagosa Springs Town Clerk and Justice of 
the Peace. During the 1960s, she served simultaneously as an Archuleta 
County Judge and the Chief Judge of the Jicarilla Apache Tribal 
Council, while remaining active in numerous community groups. Over the 
years, Peggy worked as Executive Director of the Southern Ute Community 
Action Programs and Director of Program Operations for Upland, Inc., 
promoting rural development in eleven Colorado counties and three 
American Indian reservations. In addition, Peggy was the Director of 
Economic Development for the Southern Ute Tribe, where she wrote the 
Tribal Comprehensive Plan and generated $15 million in much needed 
funds through grants and loans.
  Mr. Speaker, Peggy Richards dedicated her life to her community, and 
many of the successful development projects in southern Colorado can be 
traced back to Peggy's hard work. She was truly one in a million, and 
while Peggy has passed, her legacy is sure to live on. I am honored to 
join with my colleagues in paying tribute to the life and memory of 
Frances Gray ``Peggy'' Richards. My thoughts are with her family during 
this difficult time.

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