[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 112 (Monday, June 28, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H3162]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING AMELIA BROWN WILSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Comer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to report 
some very sad news that late last week Kentucky lost a champion, and my 
congressional office lost a friend and a true warrior with the passing 
of our beloved field representative, Amelia Brown Wilson, at the young 
age of 39.
  Amelia was born and raised in Monroe County. Like me, she graduated 
from Monroe County High School and her family and my family go back 
many generations through Monroe County.
  Amelia was someone that I noticed coming up along the public school 
system as someone who was going to be a future superstar, someone who 
had class, who had brains, who had a work ethic, who had charisma. And 
I followed Amelia through her educational career. Amelia's older sister 
Kelly and I played ball together on the varsity girls' and boys' 
basketball team of Monroe County. We also went to Western Kentucky 
University at the same time. Amelia obviously was a little younger.
  Amelia went to the University of Kentucky because she was the biggest 
University of Kentucky fan in the history of Kentucky. She got three 
degrees from the University of Kentucky. I don't know anyone else that 
can say that. Amelia got her bachelor's degree, her master's degree, 
and her Ph.D. all from the University of Kentucky.
  Amelia worked right out of the University of Kentucky in the 
Cooperative Extension Service as the family consumer scientist for 
Fayette County, which is Lexington, Kentucky, for many years.
  Amelia and I always kept in touch, and I knew she was someone with a 
very bright future.
  But while Amelia was at University of Kentucky, she had to receive a 
liver transplant, and she went through that battle. And for the 20 
years after her liver transplant she battled sickness almost daily, but 
you would never know that because Amelia always had a positive 
attitude.
  Amelia was one of the kindest, most sincere people that you would 
ever meet. Amelia is someone that everyone who met her loved her, 
respected her, and was inspired by her, especially if they heard her 
story.
  Amelia was very active in the Kentucky Organ Donor Program. She was a 
spokesperson for that program and gave speeches around the State and 
got thousands and thousands of people to sign up on the back of their 
Kentucky driver's license to be a Kentucky organ donor.
  So we will never know how many lives Amelia saved because of her 
testimony and her story that she would deliver all over Kentucky.

                              {time}  1230

  When I was elected Commissioner of Agriculture in Kentucky, I asked 
Amelia to come join me at the Department of Agriculture and be my 
Kentucky Director of Agriculture Tourism. She did that.
  Madam Speaker, I had about 275 employees. I can say with confidence 
that Amelia was the most popular employee in the Kentucky Department of 
Agriculture. Everybody loved her. And when I got elected to Congress in 
2016, Amelia followed me. She was the one employee who I asked to go 
from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture in Frankfort, Kentucky, 
with me to create my new field office in Madisonville, Kentucky. Amelia 
was my field representative for the northwestern part of the First 
Congressional District of Kentucky.
  Madam Speaker, every county judge and every mayor--every elected 
official--Democrat and Republican--in those counties worked with 
Amelia, respected Amelia, loved Amelia, and are saddened by the tragic 
loss of Amelia's life this past week.
  I can't say that I have ever met a person who was more sincere and 
more inspiring than Amelia Wilson. She is a Christian. She is someone 
who lived a purpose-driven life, and she is someone who we will all 
greatly miss.
  Heaven gained an angel last week with Amelia Brown Wilson. Our 
prayers go out to her husband, Allen; and her mother, Sarah Faye; and 
her sisters, Kellie and Keri Jo.

                          ____________________