[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 4 (Thursday, January 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E20]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE DALLAS THEODORE YATES

                                  _____
                                 

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 7, 2016

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor the memory 
of a godly and enterprising soul from Florida: my uncle, the Honorable 
Dallas Theodore Yates.
  Mr. Yates, affectionately known as ``Uncle Dallas,'' was born in 
Caryville, Florida on September 22, 1919. From a young age, he was a 
person of deep and abiding faith, giving his life to Christ at the age 
of eight while attending Saint Mary's African Methodist Episcopal 
(A.M.E.) Church. In 1951, Uncle Dallas would go on to help establish 
the Gregg Chapel A.M.E. Church in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Later, he 
moved to south Florida with his wife, Jane Eva Davis Yates, where they 
reared their children: Phyllis Rose Bryant Gilley, Raymond Lawrence 
Bryant, Sr., Harold Dwight Yates, Dallasteen Joy Yates and Jeffrey 
Arles Yates. There, in 1957, he entered into Christian fellowship with 
New Bethel A.M.E. Church. Over the course of his tenure at the church, 
he held the positions of Trustee Board Chairman Pro Tempore, Steward 
Board Chairman Pro Tempore, District Steward, as well as Annual 
Conference Delegate, all while giving generously to support the 
church's maintenance and services. In 1998, after many years of 
faithfully serving the Lord, he became a ``licensed Exhorter of the 
word of God.''
  Throughout his life, he was known for his entrepreneurial spirit and 
industrious nature. While living in Fort Walton Beach, Florida as a 
young man, he owned and operated the ``Chicken in the Basket 
Restaurant'' and was the co-owner of the ``Silver Cab Company'' with 
his brother Charlie Yates. He also owned and developed residential 
properties in the city. In 1962, he moved to Indian River County, 
Florida and became the first black law enforcement officer and Deputy 
Sheriff in the county. He is said to have been known for his 
professionalism and ability to deescalate situations. In the 1970s, 
after honorably serving Indian River County, he and his wife 
established D & J Citrus Inc., a fruit harvesting and packing company. 
He also established the Yates Supermarket, which was family-owned and 
operated into the 1980s.
  I am blessed to have the opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of 
an exceptional man: my uncle, the Honorable Dallas Theodore Yates, who, 
despite facing what many would describe as insurmountable obstacles, 
accomplished his dreams of becoming a businessman and a trailblazer in 
law enforcement, while remaining a man of faith until his passing on 
December 30, 2015 at the age of 96.
  Mr. Speaker, I shall remember Uncle Dallas as a devoted husband, a 
dedicated father, and a mentor who provided me with a sense of 
direction, which has led me to the Congress of the United States of 
America.