[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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