[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 135 (Saturday, November 20, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING TEDDY ``PILLAR OF TRUTH'' BENNETT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 19, 2004

  Ms. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, in East Prairie, Missouri, there is no more 
well-known or better-loved gentleman than Teddy ``Pillar of Truth'' 
Bennett. Across our Nation, many fine Americans have met Mr. Bennett 
and he has had a great effect on their lives. I am certainly one of 
them.
  Mr. Bennett was born in the spring of 1930. He grew up on the banks 
of the wild and mighty Mississippi River. The usual entree in his 
Depression-era lunch was a gravy sandwich. Mr. Bennett served our 
Nation in the Korean war in the U.S. Army. When he returned, he came 
back to East Prairie. Eventually, Mr. Bennett formed his own business 
and began to gain fame for his fabulous fish fries. His cooking skills 
are renowned throughout the Nation--as are his character and his pure 
heart. The ``Pillar of Truth'' is a man who knows the age-old axiom 
that you nourish people with fish as well as with ideas.
  Teddy Bennett is more than an entrepreneur or a ``people person'' or 
a great storyteller. His whole life teaches us what it is about to grow 
up in Southern Missouri and make something of yourself. Teddy began his 
life's journey during the Great Depression. He learned the lessons of 
hard work and overcoming challenges as he grew up. He didn't set out to 
inspire us. It just happened that way.
  You hear a lot of stories about the Pillar of Truth--but I know lots 
of things that are true about him: Though he has made many friends, he 
has never lost one. He makes his living, and his life, out of bringing 
people together. And he knows that you feed people with more than food. 
Teddy is a sage--an intelligent, dedicated man who is just as proud of 
his community as we are of him.
  In recent years, Teddy Bennett has fought a war of his own with 
cancer, but he has not been alone. Every one of his many friends has 
stood shoulder to shoulder with him. They deserve the thanks of our 
Nation. Most of all, however, I would like to thank Mr. Bennett for 
being a trusted friend to the Emerson family and an inspiration in our 
world. You are our Pillar of Truth.

                          ____________________