[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 183 (Tuesday, December 8, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H13574-H13576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ANN MARIE BLUTE POST OFFICE

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4017) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 43 Maple Avenue in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, as the 
``Ann Marie Blute Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4017

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ANN MARIE BLUTE POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 43 Maple Avenue in Shrewsbury, 
     Massachusetts, shall be known and designated as the ``Ann 
     Marie Blute Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Ann Marie Blute Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cao) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and add any extraneous materials.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the chief sponsor of this measure.
  Mr. McGOVERN. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to rise in support of H.R. 4017 to 
rename the post office at 43 Maple Avenue in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, 
as the ``Ann Marie Blute Post Office.''
  Mrs. Blute was a beloved and active member of the tight-knit 
Shrewsbury community, which is located in my district. She passed away 
on May 1 of this year after suffering a stroke, and she is dearly 
missed by her family and all who knew her.
  Mrs. Blute was a true pillar of her community. Her life revolved 
around helping others, especially children. She once told her son 
Joseph that all she ever wanted to be was a mother. Along with her 
husband, Dr. Robert Blute, Sr., she did just that, raising 11 wonderful 
children, including former Congressman Peter Blute.

                              {time}  1315

  Over the years, she took great pride in watching her children, and 
later her 23 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, thrive and 
prosper. What truly distinguished Mrs. Blute, however, is that she was 
not only a mother to her own children, but she was also a mother figure 
to so many of the children she came in contact with through her 
volunteer work.
  Mrs. Blute had a deep and unwavering passion for social justice and 
committed herself to helping the sick and the poor. The diversity of 
Mrs. Blute's community work is truly impressive. She volunteered with 
the Nazareth Home for Boys, which provides stable housing and a 
nurturing environment for young boys in difficult times. She also 
worked with the Mustard Seed, a volunteer soup kitchen that offers hot 
meals to the homeless. A devout Roman Catholic, she was especially 
active in St. Mary's Church in Shrewsbury where she served on the 
Women's Guild and as a catechism teacher and a Eucharistic minister.
  One of Mrs. Blute's proudest moments came in 1994, when Cardinal John 
J. O'Connor called her to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City to 
receive the title of Dame of Malta. This is one of the highest honors 
bestowed by the Catholic church and is given to those individuals who 
demonstrate an intense devotion to service. I can think of no one more 
deserving of this prestigious honor than Mrs. Blute.
  Mr. Speaker, all too often we fail to adequately recognize one of the 
toughest yet most important jobs of all, being a mother. Mrs. Blute 
exemplified all of the best qualities of a mother--kindness, 
compassion, dedication, and hard work. She was kind enough to share 
herself not only with her own children and family, but also with the 
entire Shrewsbury community. Hundreds of children in central 
Massachusetts are no doubt better off today because they had the 
privilege of knowing Mrs. Blute.
  We are all eternally grateful for her service and her lasting 
kindness. The

[[Page H13575]]

world would be a better place with more people like Ann Marie Blute. 
Mr. Speaker, naming the Shrewsbury Post Office after Mrs. Blute is a 
permanent reminder of her beautiful life and commitment to service. I 
hope that it will also inspire others to take up the call of service 
that Mrs. Blute answered with such passion.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 
4017, and I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, my colleague, Mr. 
Lynch, for yielding me the time.
  Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4017, which designates 
the United States Postal Facility located at 43 Maple Avenue in 
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, as the Ann Marie Blute Post Office.
  Ann Marie Blute was born on May 30, 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts. As 
the oldest of eight, she helped raise her siblings, which would only 
help prepare her for raising 11 children of her own one day. In 1947, 
she married Dr. Robert Blute, Sr., an Army doctor, and sailed to 
Germany where they lived for 2 years. After returning to the States, 
her husband began practicing medicine in Worcester, Massachusetts, 
while she raised her family and volunteered tirelessly within the 
Catholic church.
  A parishioner at St. Mary's Church in Shrewsbury since 1954, Mrs. 
Blute served on many committees as a mother at the school. She taught 
catechism, worked with the Women's Guild, and was a Eucharistic 
minister. In 1994, she received the ultimate honor for all of her 
service to the Shrewsbury community through the Catholic church with 
the title of Dame of Malta, one of the oldest Catholic religious orders 
dedicated to charitable service.
  Her generosity extended outside of her family and her neighbors. 
After her children had left for college, Mrs. Blute offered her home 
and her hospitality to young Vietnamese immigrant, Lucy Hoang, who was 
searching for a better life. Ms. Hoang, now 44 years old and a chemical 
engineer, said of her host, ``When I first came here, she was standing 
at the door waiting for me with arms wide open. I felt shaky, but as I 
came to her, she hugged me.'' Ann Marie Blute's kindness knew no 
bounds.
  Mrs. Blute sadly passed away at the age of 84. She is survived by her 
husband, children, and large extended family. Please join me in 
supporting this bill in honor of Ann Marie Blute who fervently served 
her community in Shrewsbury.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, as a procedural matter, H.R. 4017 was 
introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Jim McGovern, who 
we heard from earlier, on November 4, 2009, and was favorably reported 
out of the House Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on November 
18, 2009. In addition, I am proud to say that I am an original 
cosponsor of H.R. 4017, which enjoys the support of the entire 
Massachusetts House delegation.
  A beloved resident of the town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, Mrs. Ann 
Marie Blute passed away on May, 1, 2009 at the age of 83. While Mrs. 
Blute is no longer with us, she will forever be remembered for her 
dedication to her loving family as well as her genuine and longstanding 
commitment to public service.
  Born in the city of Boston on May 30, 1925, and as the oldest 
daughter of eight children, Mrs. Blute quickly learned how to help in 
raising a large and very busy family. In addition, Mrs. Blute was also 
able to witness the value of public service at a very early age as her 
father, Colonel Paul Hines, a distinguished veteran of World War I, 
went on to serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. As 
noted by the Boston Globe upon Mrs. Blute's passing, a commitment to 
public service ``ran in the genes'' of the Blute family, as Mrs. 
Blute's brother, Peter, served as chairman of the Boston city council 
and her son, Peter, as has been mentioned earlier by Mr. McGovern, was 
elected to the United States Congress.
  After receiving her education in the Boston public school system, 
Mrs. Blute accepted a position in the business office at the Boston 
Post newspaper where her mother, Margaret Galvin Hines, worked as a 
reporter. In 1947, however, Mrs. Blute left Boston for the town of 
Bremerhaven, Germany, after marrying Dr. Robert Blute, a doctor with 
the United States Army and Mrs. Blute's beloved husband for the next 62 
years. Together, Mr. and Mrs. Blute would go on to have 11 children--
five sons and six daughters.
  Upon their return from Germany, the Blute family settled in the town 
of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, where Mrs. Blute embarked on her life's 
work and journey as a mom, not only to her own 11 children but also to 
the many neighborhood children that entered her life. In addition, Mrs. 
Blute's arrival in Shrewsbury also marked the continuation of her 
lifelong dedication to serving others. A devout Roman Catholic and 
devoted parishioner of St. Mary's, as has been mentioned, Mrs. Blute 
actively participated in a variety of church community programs and 
activities. Specifically, Mrs. Blute served on the Women's Guild, 
taught catechism, as Mr. Cao has mentioned, and became a Eucharistic 
minister. In addition, she was a founding member of the Associates of 
the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, based in Ipswich, Massachusetts. 
And in 1994, Mrs. Blute, as Mr. McGovern has mentioned, was called to 
St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York by Cardinal John O'Connor to 
receive the title of Dame of Malta, granted to those who demonstrate an 
intense devotion to service and one of the Catholic church's highest 
honors.
  Moreover, Mrs. Blute also served as a dedicated board member of 
various community organizations, some of which have been mentioned, 
including the Nazareth Home for Boys in Leicester, Massachusetts, and 
the Mustard Seed homeless shelter in the city of Worcester.
  In addition, Mrs. Blute's community work included her service as a 
trustee of the Shrewsbury Library, as well as her membership in the 
Shrewsbury Garden Club, the Ladies Auxiliary of St. Vincent's Hospital, 
and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Massachusetts Medical Society. Notably, 
Mrs. Blute also spent several years volunteering for the non-profit 
organization, Aid to Incarcerated Mothers.
  As so eloquently stated by her beloved husband, Robert, Mrs. Blute's 
lifelong ambition was ``to perform each of the works of mercy--to feed 
the hungry, to help the poor, to visit the prisoner, and give aid to 
the sick and the stranger.'' Mrs. Blute's driving purpose was evidenced 
time and time again through her many good deeds. Among them was the 
kindness and generosity that she displayed toward Lucy Hoang, a 
Vietnamese immigrant who Mrs. Blute lovingly took into her home for 3 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, the life of Mrs. Ann Marie Blute stands as a testament 
to public service. Her memory will undoubtedly live on through her 
husband, Robert; their 11 children, 23 great grandchildren, four great-
grandchildren, her four siblings, and the countless friends and 
neighbors for whom Mrs. Blute's dedication to community service made 
the ultimate difference. It is my hope that we can pay further tribute 
to Mrs. Blute's remarkable legacy through the passage of this 
legislation to rename the Shrewsbury post office in her honor. I urge 
my colleagues to join Mr. McGovern, the chief sponsor of this bill, in 
doing so and supporting H.R. 4017.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of 
H.R. 4017, and I would like to congratulate Mr. McGovern.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Again, Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge Members on both 
sides of the aisle to support Mr. McGovern in the sponsorship of this 
measure, H.R. 4017.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4017.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the

[[Page H13576]]

Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________