[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 21470-21471]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING FIRST LADY HOVAH HALL UNDERWOOD

  (Mrs. CAPITO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the passing and honor 
the life of and contributions of a former first lady of the State of 
West Virginia, Hovah Hall Underwood. Hovah was a young wife and mother 
when she and her husband, Cecil, moved into the Governor's mansion in 
1956. Cecelia was a toddler, and Craig and Sharon were both born while 
the family lived in the mansion. She served as a gracious first lady, 
all the while focusing her energies on the task of raising three very 
young children.
  In 1996 the citizens of West Virginia once again elected Cecil 
Underwood as Governor, and Hova was once again our First Lady. Building 
upon a lifelong

[[Page 21471]]

dedication to the work of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, she always liked to 
say that this term she focused her energies on all the children of West 
Virginia. She was the driving force behind new programs to strengthen 
early learning and volunteerism in our State.
  She took seriously the charge to serve others each day of our lives, 
and her legacy is the many thousands of lives that she touched. Our 
thoughts today are with Governor Underwood, their children, Cecelia 
Baker, Craig Underwood and Sharon Underwood, grandchildren Christopher 
and Coleman Richardson, Mary and Quinton Baker, and Jordan and Myles 
Underwood.
  All West Virginians have indeed lost a very special friend.

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