[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H1958-H1959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING JOANNE POWELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Pfluger) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
sacrifice of Mrs. JoAnne Powell, a pillar of the San Angelo community 
and one of the most distinguished public servants in the U.S. House of 
Representatives.
  JoAnne served the constituents of the 11th District of Texas for over 
35 years in the San Angelo office. During this time, she solved 
thousands of cases with Federal agencies, helped thousands of people, 
and was the eyes and ears of the office on the ground and throughout 
our district.
  Her pride and joy in mentoring hundreds of men and women who would 
later go to service academies truly changed our Nation and our military 
service. She trained four Congressmen over her tenure: Tom Loeffler, 
Lamar Smith, Mike Conaway, and now myself. It has been a priceless 
honor to have her mentorship and her guidance as I begin my journey in 
Congress.
  On top of her congressional service, the influence she and her 
beloved husband, Colonel Powell, have had on our community cannot be 
overstated. She married her childhood sweetheart, Charles Powell, in 
December 1954, just months after his graduation from the U.S. Naval 
Academy. Charles would go on to become a colonel in the U.S. Air Force 
and the two would take a long journey and a successful journey in 
service to this country before settling in San Angelo in 1980 when 
Colonel Powell became the wing commander of Goodfellow.
  At that time, the base was scheduled for closure. Both Colonel Powell 
and

[[Page H1959]]

JoAnne were instrumental in making sure that that mission of training 
our intelligence personnel in the Air Force, the Marines, the Army, and 
the Navy continued to become one of the most important in the United 
States.
  When she settled in San Angelo, JoAnne became one of the most 
involved members of the Concho Valley community and received many 
honors for serving on boards and for her philanthropic and 
organizational leadership. She was the epitome of service before self, 
working hard and handling casework right up until the week before she 
passed away.
  She genuinely cared for every single person and showed Christ's love 
to everybody she encountered. I cannot express how great this loss is 
to our team and the entire 11th District.
  JoAnne and Colonel Powell, we will miss you.


                      Honoring Gregorio Gutierrez

  Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and the service 
of Gregorio Gutierrez, a man with a servant's heart, a strong faith in 
God, and an unmatched ability to connect with all sorts of people.
  Born in Mexico, Gregorio came to the United States in 1984; married 
his wife, Araceli, in 1990; and earned his citizenship in 2000. He 
followed his passion and founded Conexion San Angelo, the area's first 
and only bilingual news organization. Since then he has expanded 
throughout west Texas, and his operation still lives today.
  He was an amazing man with a strong legacy that will live on through 
his wife, Araceli; his son, Ricardo; and all who know him.
  San Angelo has honored Gregorio and his family with Gregorio 
Gutierrez Day which will fall every year on January 23. His family 
should be proud of his amazing legacy and his service to the Spanish-
speaking community, the members of San Angelo, and all of the Concho 
Valley.


                         Honoring J.C. Campbell

  Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of J.C. Campbell, a valued member of the Granbury community who passed 
away on March 30, 2021.
  He served our country admirably in the U.S. Navy during the Korean 
war aboard the USS Frank E. Evans. After coming home, he met and 
married Sylvia, the love of his life, at North Texas State, and they 
moved to Granbury in 1960 and have called it home ever since.
  He has given much of himself to our community with positions on the 
Granbury City Council, the volunteer fire department, the Granbury 
Masonic Lodge, the Bluff Dale Lodge, and as president of the USS Frank 
E. Evans Association, helping to tell the story of the ship he once 
sailed aboard.
  He was an incredible friend to students and staff and a regular 
fixture at school board meetings. He was a mentor to many and known as 
the community's biggest cheerleader.
  Madam Speaker, I know his family and friends will miss him terribly, 
and his loss will be felt deeply in Granbury and throughout the 11th 
District.
  Thank you for your service, J.C.


                Honoring the Lipan Girls Basketball Team

  Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the Lipan girls 
basketball team who recently won the AA State Championship in Texas.
  To Coach Amber Branson and the entire team, congratulations on yet 
another victory and yet another State championship.

                          ____________________