[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 28, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2430-S2431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO MAGGIE INOUYE AND ERMA ORA BYRD
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I join with my colleague from Kentucky in
expressing my deep sense of sorrow, as well, over the passing of two
members of our family. And I speak of both the wife of our colleague
from Hawaii, Senator Inouye, who lost his beloved Maggie a week or so
ago and, of course, the recent news we received over the weekend of the
passing of Erma Ora Byrd. These are members of our family, in a sense.
I have known both Mrs. Byrd and Mrs. Inouye since I was a child. My
father was a Member of this body and was elected, in fact, to the
Senate on the same day Robert Byrd was, in 1958. So I have had the
privilege of serving with Senator Byrd both indirectly and directly for
these now more than 40 years. In fact, I have the unique privilege of
being his seatmate in this body, something which I have enjoyed
immensely over the past decade and a half that I have sat at this seat
in the Senate next to the distinguished senior Senator from West
Virginia.
I certainly remember Maggie Inouye. She was wonderful to my parents
and was good to me over the years. To watch two of our colleagues about
whom we care so deeply go through the tremendous suffering they are
going through as a result of the loss of their life mates is something
all of us--regardless of where we sit in this Chamber, to what party we
belong, in what direction our ideological compass may lead us--we all
have a deep sense of loss for these wonderful people.
Dan and Maggie Inouye were very close to my parents, as I mentioned.
She was born in 1924 and attended schools in Hawaii and then went on to
receive degrees at the University of Hawaii and Columbia University and
was highly respected in the area of speech pathology. She was a
remarkable woman in her own right who could have had a very
distinguished career independently of her husband.
She and Dan met in 1947, and as Dan Inouye likes to tell the story,
on the second date he proposed marriage. Not one to delay at all, he
had met the person he clearly decided was going to be his life mate.
And for the next 57 years, they were just that.
They celebrated the birth of their son Kenny who was again a
wonderful child and has done a remarkable job in his own right.
I will remember Maggie best for her grace and poise and I was
saddened to hear of her passing after a long battle with cancer earlier
this month.
I went out to Hawaii last week and attended Maggie's funeral along
with Senator Stevens and his wife Catherine. It was a long trip, and I
know that Dan did not expect a large number of his colleagues to make
that journey. It was not a hard trip to make. It would have been harder
not to make it in my case, given the closeness of our families over the
years. And for me I knew there was nowhere else I could be than being
present with Dan and his family to celebrate the life of Maggie.
During the visitation period prior to the funeral service, I was
deeply moved by watching literally a couple thousand people express
their condolences to Dan, to his son Kenny, Kenny's wife, Jessica. Each
expression was heartfelt. It was personal. These were relationships
that were solidified over years of friendship with Dan Inouye, with his
wife Maggie, and the constituents and friends of theirs from Hawaii.
I was also moved by the peacefulness of the funeral service, and most
especially by the very touching and eloquent eulogy delivered by
Maggie's longtime friend, Sumi McCabe.
I would like to close by offering my thoughts and prayers, once
again, to Dan, to his son Kenny, and to his daughter-in-law Jessica.
As we mourn the loss of this wonderful woman, let us remember that
her spirit will be with us and that her inspirational legacy will live
on in the generations to come of her family.
So again, to our friend Dan, we want to express our deep sense of
loss and our sense of solidarity with him.
Mr. President, to lose, just a few days later, of course, the wife of
our great friend and leader, Senator Byrd, was a major blow as well.
Certainly, the history of Erma Ora Byrd is well known to all of us.
As Senator McConnell just pointed out, she was the daughter of a coal
miner. She had been the life mate, for 69 years, of our colleague from
West Virginia. It was clear to anyone who had the fortune of knowing
them that they loved each other very deeply.
Erma Ora James was born in Floyd County, VA, in 1917. The daughter of
a coal miner, as I just mentioned, her family moved to Raleigh County,
WV, where she met Robert while attending the Mark Twain Grade School.
They were married when they were both 19 years of age in 1937.
Shortly thereafter they began a loving family that has grown to two
daughters, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Even though she was content to remain out of Washington's limelight,
Erma became quickly known and loved for her commonsense values and her
devotion to her family.
Erma also became well respected for her advocacy on issues affecting
children across West Virginia and, of course, our Nation as well. Two
academic scholarship programs at Marshall University and West Virginia
University, respectively, have been named in her honor as a result of
her efforts.
Four years ago, at the couple's 65th wedding anniversary, Senator
Byrd said of his wife:
Erma and I are complete and whole, a total that is more
than the sum of its parts. In my life, Erma Ora Byrd is the
diamond. She is a priceless treasure, a multifaceted woman of
great insight and wisdom, of quiet humor and common sense. I
wish that more people could know the joy I have had in
finding one's soul mate early in life and then sharing that
deep companionship over many happy years.
Mr. President, my thoughts and prayers, along with those of our
colleagues, I know, are with Senator Byrd and his family in these
hours. I wish to extend my sympathies to Robert; his daughters, Mona
and Marjorie; their husbands, Mohammed and Jon; Robert and Erma's
grandchildren, Erik, Darius, Fredrik, Mona, and Mary; and Robert and
Erma's great-grandchildren, Caroline, Kathryn, Anna, Emma, Hannah, and
Michael.
Knowing of Senator Byrd's love for poetry, I am reminded of a passage
in Thomas Gray's ``Elegy in a Country Churchyard,'' which happened to
be my father's favorite poem. Gray's ``Elegy'' says in one of its
stanzas:
Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,
Heaven did a recompense as largely send:
He gave to Misery all he had, a tear,
He gained from Heaven ('twas all he wished) a friend.
Robert gained a wonderful friend, obviously, and a companion--a life
companion--in Erma. It is my hope that her spirit remains with us and
will inspire all of us and future generations to come.
Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I wish to take a minute to offer my
sincerest condolences to Senator Byrd on the passing of his beloved
wife Erma. In a love story that is both moving and inspiring to all
people, Robert Byrd's grade school sweetheart became his lifelong best
friend in a marriage that spanned almost seven decades. While this
makes the loss that much more profound, I would imagine it makes the
[[Page S2431]]
memories that much sweeter and the love all the more enduring.
As somebody who is fortunate enough myself to be married to a
wonderful woman for the past 14 years, I can only imagine the difficult
transition this causes for our dear colleague from the State of West
Virginia, but I pray that the Byrd family will find strength in this
difficult time. I pray that Erma may now rest in eternal peace.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I join many of my colleagues who have been
speaking today and yesterday extending their heartfelt sympathy to
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia for the loss of the diamond of his
life, Erma. She truly was the light of his life. On many occasions, I
have eased over into the chair next to Senator Byrd, and we have talked
about how blessed we are with our two wives. He knows my wife Tricia
and often asks about her, typically the courtesy that Senator Byrd
extends to all of us.
I have asked him about Erma and how she was doing. We talked a lot
about what a difference they have made in our lives. There is no
question that he is going to miss her greatly, as will all of the
family, I know. To all of them, we extend our heartfelt sympathies. We
know the children and grandchildren are with Senator Byrd now and with
Mrs. Byrd.
I remember an occasion on a Friday afternoon standing here when
Senator Byrd asked me to yield. You are not always sure what Senator
Byrd is asking you to yield for because it could be that you violated
some rule of the Senate. But he asked if I would yield so that he could
speak on the beauty of the grandson. I had just had my first
grandchild, and it happened to be a grandson. He spoke so beautifully,
so eloquently, totally from memory, and ended with a beautiful quote of
what a grandson means to a grandfather. I was moved by it, literally to
tears. And of course, when it came out in the Congressional Record, I
had it framed. It hangs on the wall of my son's home in Paris, KY.
Obviously, he doesn't think much of it right now, doesn't fully
appreciate it. But some day, he will read that, and I know he will
think of his grandfather and where he has served.
I tell that story to remind my colleagues about the kind of man
Senator Byrd is. He can be a tough adversary. He can cause leaders to
have a lot of heartburn. I have had it a couple of times when I was
standing here in this place. But it is because he reveres the
institution, because he does care about us as individual men and women.
He knows about every one of us. He knows about our families. And not
only does he love the institution, but he loves knowledge and great
history and poetry.
Many have quoted from his favorite poem in the last couple of days. I
don't have a poem. I don't have some great saying from memory. I only
rise to join all the others in saying how much I admire and appreciate
this Senator who is an institution in his own right in this body. I
know how much he is suffering right now.
Sometimes we get so busy these days in this institution, trying to
make it move forward or trying to keep up with the mail and the
constituents and the flying back and forth, we really need a few who
have very firm rudders and their sails set in the right direction for
the best interests of the country. I know that is true of Senator Byrd.
Again, I extend my best wishes to him. When he returns, I will join
all my colleagues in paying my respects to him and my appreciation for
the example he set for himself and Erma, his wife of 69 years.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to Erma Ora Byrd,
the wife of our esteemed colleague, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. It
has always warmed my heart to watch the Senator from West Virginia
speak of his wife in conversation, of which we have had many, or as he
has stood on this Senate floor. He has mentioned her name, and whenever
he mentioned it, he immediately got this glow on his face in reverence
to his friend, his wife, his love of nearly seven decades.
Love of this magnitude should be celebrated. And their marriage of 69
years should be celebrated. As a matter of fact, recently I talked to
Senator Byrd about his marriage, and he said: I just hope that we can
celebrate 70 years of marriage. Well, they did not get to 70 years.
They got to 69, plus. And although her body failed her this past
weekend, and their time together on this Earth ended, the love they
shared--Senator Byrd and Erma--that love is timeless and that love is
forever.
Robert Byrd is known throughout the country for his intellect and his
patriotism, for his devotion to this country, to the State of West
Virginia, his reverence for the Constitution, and his reverence for the
Senate. But as famous as he is, and as eloquent as he is, and as far as
he has gone in this Senate--he has been the leader here; he has been
the chairman of committees here--he never would fail to share the
credit for his many accomplishments with his wife, who inspired him and
humbled him.
Erma never sought the spotlight, nor, according to Robert, would she
allow her husband to bask in it for any longer than absolutely
necessary. She strived to be a model of duty and service--service to
one's family and service to one's country.
Erma Byrd has always been by her husband's side, ever since they were
married, both of them at the age of 19. Imagine: the age of 19. Their
love never waned. It is as strong now as it was on the very day they
said their wedding vows. And I would posit that it has actually grown
deeper, far deeper. That love is a bond that will never be broken, and
even in her death her spirit will remain by his side to guide him on.
Erma had been struggling with illness for the past several years. God
ended her battle, allowing her to be at rest. Although Erma's struggle
with illness is over, and the deep pain that Robert felt as he watched
her struggle with this illness is over, we should all know that he
needs us now, his friends and his colleagues. He needs us to be his
friend as he grieves for the loss of his soulmate.
Although we mourn her loss, we must not forget to also celebrate the
rich, full life she made with her husband, her children, and her
grandchildren.
The good Senator from West Virginia has always had a penchant for
poetry, especially when it was used to help him describe Erma. So in
closing, I will quote a poem by Charles Jeffreys that the Senator
himself has used to describe his marriage to Erma:
We have lived and loved together
Through many changing years;
We have shared each other's gladness
And wept each other's tears;
I have known ne'er a sorrow
That was long unsoothed by thee;
For thy smiles can make a summer
Where darkness else would be.
Like the leaves that fall around us
In autumn's fading hours,
Are the traitor's smiles, that darken,
When the cloud of sorrow lowers;
And though many such we've known, love,
Too prone, alas, to range,
We both can speak of one love
Which time can never change.
We have lived and loved together
Through many changing years,
We have shared each other's gladness
And wept each other's tears.
And let us hope the future,
As the past has been will be:
I will share with thee my sorrows,
And thou thy joys with me.
When Robert Byrd spoke these words, he meant them deeply in his soul
toward his one love. And so my husband joins me, and our family joins
me, and I know all of our colleagues feel this way: We offer our
thoughts and prayers to our dear friend Senator Byrd, to his family,
and to the good people of West Virginia during this difficult time. I
know my friend Robert will dedicate his future in the Senate not only
to the people of West Virginia, whom he serves so proudly, but to his
incomparable soulmate who so inspired him.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
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