[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 44 (Friday, April 7, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF JOHNNY RYE, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARION BERRY

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 2006

  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to Johnny 
Rye, Sr., of Poinsett County, Arkansas, a great friend, and someone who 
has made countless contributions to his community.
  Johnny was born into a sharecropping family on September 2, 1924, in 
Smithville, Mississippi but moved to Arkansas just 8 years later. After 
finishing school, Johnny started his own grocery business in the Black 
Oak Community. He has operated that grocery for more than 50 years, 
making it the oldest grocery business in all of Poinsett County.
  In addition to being a great businessman, Johnny is an active member 
of his community. He is known for his generosity to many local 
charities, and has been a member of the Marked Tree Church of God since 
1946. He has also taken the time to get involved in civic activities, 
serving as a delegate to the Democratic State Convention and helping 
Bill Clinton win Poinsett County in his 1982 race for Governor.
  Johnny Rye and his wife, Maxine Branch Rye, have two sons, Johnny 
Rye, Jr., the Assessor of Poinsett County, and Randy Rye who works for 
the family business. They also have one granddaughter, Robin Rye who is 
studying to be a nursing major at the University of Central Arkansas.
  I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me 
today in recognizing Johnny Rye, Sr. for his significant contributions 
to eastern Arkansas. He is a great friend, a great businessman, and a 
great American.

                          ____________________