[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 152 (Tuesday, October 9, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H11375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO MARGUERITE FREEMAN, TEACHER OF TRUTH AND LOVING ENCOURAGER 
                              TO CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Franks) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, this last Sunday one of America's 
grandest ladies turned 97 years old. And tonight it is a sincere 
privilege for me to stand here in this well to speak a few words of 
heartfelt tribute to a woman whose impact on three generations of 
children will be felt in the human family I believe even after this 
Chamber is dust.
  I knew this special lady as Mrs. Freeman. Four decades have passed 
since I gathered my belongings as a fourth grader and left the warmth 
and safety of her classroom for the very last time. As we all reflect 
on our childhood, I suppose each of us has that one teacher in our 
memory who affected our lives more than any other. My memory of her is 
always that of a truly warm and elegant lady who completely personified 
class, dignity, and grace.
  Mrs. Freeman was the model teacher that I believe every teacher truly 
aspires to be. She made books come alive in class. She made every 
lesson exciting, every life was important. She made us realize that 
each of us had an important part to play that only we could play. This 
gracious lady encouraged us to pursue a standard of integrity simply by 
the way she lived. And in those times when we disappointed her, Mr. 
Speaker, she never failed to correct us truthfully but gently, and she 
was always willing to forgive us and to affirm that we were fully 
restored in her eyes.
  While there were so many ways that the guidance of Mrs. Freeman 
prepared me for life, perhaps the greatest gift I ever received from 
her and have carried with me through all these years was that of her 
words of encouragement. I may never have come to this Chamber at all, 
Mr. Speaker, without some of the soul-lifting things that she said to 
me. And I am convinced that not a day goes by that I am not affected by 
those words.
  And I can say to you, Mr. Speaker, that not a day ever went by in her 
class that did not include a moment when Mrs. Freeman looked into the 
eyes of one of her students and, with a warm smile and a loving wink, 
she would utter those simple words ``You can do it.'' I know without a 
doubt that mine was only one of hundreds of lives that were changed 
forever by those magnificent words, not only because they empowered and 
encouraged but because we each knew that she meant those words from the 
depth and core of her soul.
  There were many other lessons she left us with that I have greatly 
cherished on this road to the United States Congress. When one of us 
would be left out, she would come along beside us and encourage us with 
that authentically gracious and generous spirit that characterized her 
life. When my home burned down, Mr. Speaker, taking nearly every 
material belonging I had, including my school books, and leaving me 
feeling a little lost, it was Mrs. Freeman that reminded me that God 
had spared all of my family and that the rest really didn't matter. And 
I knew then and I know now more than ever that she was so very right.
  She also taught me through school plays just to speak my lines 
sincerely from my heart, and I seek to do that even tonight, Mr. 
Speaker. Few gifts could have served me better over these many years.
  When I first ran for the United States Congress, this sweet lady made 
the trip to attend one of the major events supporting my candidacy. She 
made a campaign contribution and included a note that ended with those 
words, ``You can do it.''
  But a narrow loss in that election, Mr. Speaker, was a deep 
disappointment. And still I received a letter from her shortly 
afterward, and once again she offered hope and encouragement that I 
will cherish as long as I live. But it was her last five words that I 
remember most. They were the hallmark phrase of Marguerite Freeman, 
teacher of truth and loving encourager to children. Her letter closed 
with those words, ``You can still do it.''
  Mother Theresa once said, ``Kind words can be short and easy to 
speak, but their echoes are endless.'' Mr. Speaker, if Mrs. Freeman 
could be here in this Chamber tonight, I would say to her something 
like this: that words fail me to express the loving impact that you 
have had on my life and so many others. And I truly believe that this 
generation and many generations to come will inherit the beauty and 
legacy of those endless echoes of your encouragement that you cast into 
the hearts of so many of those children whose priceless gift it was to 
call you teacher. Beloved and gallant lady, may God bless you forever.

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