[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 57 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2717-H2718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING JANIS BLOCKER

  (Mr. Norman of South Carolina was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Mr. NORMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mrs. Janis 
Blocker, a South Carolinian whose legacy and impact on those around her 
has been nothing short of remarkable.
  Janis was born in Colleton County in 1938. Following what she saw as 
God's calling for her, she became a devoted teacher for many years and 
was deeply beloved by all of her students.
  She first attended Charleston Southern University where she graduated 
summa cum laude and later received a master's degree in teaching 
English from The Citadel in 1981. That is the degree that she used to 
teach for over 49 years.
  She taught a range of topics, including English honors and 
journalism, and was heavily involved in the State education system. Her 
students honored her with Teacher of the Year in 1987, and she had a 
yearbook dedicated to her as a testament to her hard work spanning many 
years.
  Janis is also known for her complete dedication to her local 
community, serving for all of the 24 years as a chair of the Colleton 
County Republican Party and as a delegate to three national 
Presidential conventions.
  She was even recognized with the Dr. James B. Edwards Award for her 
dedicated and conspicuous service to the South Carolina Republican 
Party. These achievements are nothing short of exceptional.
  She is now the vice chair of the Colleton County Board of Elections 
and has served as a chair of the Colleton County Library Board of 
Trustees from 2019 to this day, as well as a longstanding member of the 
Colleton Library Board of Trustees.
  Janis has served as a board member of the Colleton County Board of 
Voter Registrations and Elections. She served two terms on the County 
Council and is a former member of the United Way board. As if this 
wasn't enough, she is also a member and officer of the South Carolina 
Artisans Center Board and the Colleton Historical Society.
  Faith has always been an integral part of her life story. Janis not 
only graduated from the South Carolina School of Theology, but she is a 
lifelong member of the Bethel Presbyterian Church in Walterboro, South 
Carolina, where she has been a choir director for 67 years.

                              {time}  1045

  She was also a clerk of sessions at Bethel Presbyterian Church for 25 
years, among many other church activities.
  Her outstanding life's work has led her to receive numerous awards. 
Janis received the Walterboro-Colleton Chamber of Commerce Lifetime 
Achievement Award; the Walterboro-Colleton Chamber of Commerce 
Outstanding Achievement in Education Award; the First Star of the 
Southeast award from Delta Kappa Gamma Southeastern District; the State 
Achievement Award from the State teachers' society, Alpha Eta State; 
and the Order of the Rose award from the Zeta chapter of Delta Kappa 
Gamma.
  I would be remiss to omit that she has a husband, a beautiful family, 
and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
  This is only an inkling of the life and legacy of Mrs. Janis Blocker. 
She has deeply impacted her students, her community, and her home State 
through her vested commitment to building up all those with whom she 
comes in contact.
  Janis Blocker's legacy demonstrates a life truly well lived. I am 
proud to

[[Page H2718]]

recognize her today in the United States House of Representatives 
Chamber, and I thank her for her service.

                          ____________________