[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 132 (Thursday, September 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BILL HEFNER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 17, 2009

  Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, it is an honor to pay tribute to a great 
American servant in light of his passing on September 2, 2009, former 
Congressman Bill Hefner, who died of a brain aneurysm at the age of 79 
years old.
  Bill Hefner served for 24 years in the House of Representatives and 
was a committed and devoted husband and father.
  Mr. Hefner joined the U.S. House back in 1975 and was later 
considered the dean of North Carolina's U.S. House delegation. He 
represented the Eighth Congressional District of North Carolina, which 
includes cities like Charlotte suburbs, Kannapolis and Concord and 
other cities like Monroe and Laurinburg. He served in Congress from 
January 3, 1975 until January 3, 1999.
  I had the honor to also serve with Bill Hefner on the House 
Appropriations Committee. As a member of the Committee he fought for 
funding for Fort Bragg in his home state when he was chairman and later 
ranking minority member of the military subcommittee.
  Mr. Hefner also prided himself in working very hard on veterans' 
issues and transportation projects that benefited the entire East 
Coast.
  Having spent much of his life growing up in the district I represent, 
Bill Hefner decided to retire in the Fourth Congressional District of 
Alabama. In 1998, Bill Hefner moved to Guntersville in Marshall County 
to enjoy the beauty that North Alabama has to offer.
  After his time in Congress, his days of public service were not over. 
Congressman Hefner served from October of 2001 until November of 2002 
as a District Commissioner for Marshall County, Alabama.
  What most people don't know about Bill Hefner is that the 12-term 
Democratic Congressman was also a southern gospel singer and was a 
founding member of the very popular Harvesters Quartet, which began in 
1953 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
  Mr. Hefner was born in Elora, Tennessee and graduated from high 
school in Sardis, which is located in North Alabama. He graduated 
college from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
  Mr. Hefner leaves behind his wife, Nancy, and two daughters, Stacey 
and Shelly. Our prayers and condolences go out to his family and the 
many fans of southern gospel music, like myself, who will always 
remember his great tenor voice.

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