[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 173 (Thursday, November 8, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2362]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE MEMORY OF ROBERT MILLER CRESWELL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 8, 2007

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, Wilcox County and indeed the entire State 
of Alabama recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor him 
and pay tribute to his memory. Mr. Robert Miller Creswell, known to his 
many friends as ``Mr. Bob,'' was a devoted family man and a dear friend 
to his community.
  Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, Mr. Bob graduated from 
Massachusetts State College in Amherst, now known as the University of 
Massachusetts. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on February 11, 1941. 
Mr. Bob served with distinction as a combat trooper during World War 
II, dropping into the battlefields of the Netherlands under hostile 
Nazi fire.
  While stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, Mr. Bob met Grace Morgan, a 
teacher in Columbus, Georgia. The two married in 1954 and had four 
children: Barbara, John, Phil and Tom.
  Following his service in the U.S. Army, Mr. Bob served in the U.S. 
Army Reserve until retiring in 1977 as a lieutenant colonel. In 1964, 
he became reservoir ranger at Lake Allatoona, Georgia. Mr. Bob and 
Grace brought their family to Camden, Alabama in 1969, when he was 
promoted to reservoir manager for the Alabama River Lakes.
  Hollis Curl, publisher of the Wilcox Progressive Era and personal 
friend of Mr. Bob, wrote, ``I don't know just what Mr. Bob saw as his 
major achievement, but I believe it is safe to say that he looked with 
extreme pride on the family he and his wife, Grace, raised together.'' 
Hollis went on to write, ``Mr. Bob's tenure as the man in charge of the 
Corps of Engineers Alabama River Lakes was impressive. Unlike many in 
similar positions, Mr. Bob was a friend to the community and to the 
people he served. He knew the role of the Corps and he was a master at 
abiding by the rules while at the same time helping citizens conform to 
regulations they might not have understood.''
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a 
dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout south Alabama. 
Throughout his life, Mr. Bob Creswell set a standard of excellence 
second to none. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Grace, 
and his daughter, Barbara. He will be deeply missed by his family--his 
sons, Philip M. Creswell, John R. Creswell, and Thomas L. Creswell; two 
grandchildren, Joshua Morgan Creswell and Laura Grace Creswell; four 
step-grandchildren, Clayton R. Tartt, T. Hester Tartt, Jennifer R. 
Goggans, and N. Anne Goggans--as well as the countless friends he 
leaves behind.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this difficult time.

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