[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 48 (Thursday, March 22, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNITION OF IDA MAE BYRD

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 22, 2012

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and to honor Ms. 
Ida Mae Byrd. A native of Waycross, Georgia, Ms. Byrd has enjoyed a 
very active life looking after her family and her community. We 
celebrate your 100th birthday.
  Ms. Byrd was born to Maebelle and Jack Smith in Waycross, Georgia, on 
March 13, 1912. She is the third of six children. At the young age of 
16, Ms. Byrd was looking for more opportunities so she moved to 
Brooklyn, New York. Once in New York City, Ms. Byrd worked diligently 
to bring her immediate family with her.
  At the age of 19, Ms. Byrd married Wily Byrd, forming a strong union 
that produced five children. The family was a close knit group held 
together by her strict control and discipline. She set an example for 
her siblings on how to properly raise children--supporting a strict 
environment with a loving and warm personality.
  In her younger days, Ms. Byrd loved to dance and one of her favorite 
places to dance was the Savoy Manor in the Bronx. Along with dancing, 
Ms. Byrd enjoyed her occasional Miller High Life beer and her beloved 
New York Mets. As an avid fan, she was rewarded with two World Series 
championships. Through the years she was an active member of Pilgrim 
Baptist Church under the leadership of Bishop Roy E. Brown. Ms. Byrd 
enjoyed these church events most with her family who attempted to make 
every moment a memorable one.
  Ms. Byrd has lived through an incredible century that has witnessed 
two World Wars, the Jim Crow South, the invention of the television and 
the computer, and the Civil Rights movement. She has also lived to see 
apartheid end in South Africa and the election of the first African 
American President of the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Ms. 
Ida Mae Byrd on the celebration of her 100th birthday.

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