[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3306]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2030
                  HONORING THE LIFE OF FRANCES BARHAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a life well lived. 
Last week a great American and a good friend of mine Mrs. Frances 
Barham of Mayodan, North Carolina, passed away.
  My friend Frances was a lifelong North Carolinian, a woman dedicated 
to her community, her State, and her country. She was renowned for her 
unflagging attention to community issues both large and small. Her 
example of service is perhaps best exemplified by her receiving the 
distinguished North Carolina Long Leaf Pine Award, a high honor 
bestowed on only the finest of North Carolina citizens.
  Over the course of her remarkable life, Frances positively influenced 
countless students in her three-decade-long service in Rockingham 
County schools. She was an active member of her church for more than 70 
years, and was a fixture of community involvement and service.
  Everywhere Frances invested her time, she made a difference, whether 
as a Girl Scout leader, as a member of the Mayodan Historical Society, 
or as a board member of the John Motley Morehead School of the Blind. 
In 1990, her long record of service was recognized by the people of 
Mayodan when she was named the town's Citizen of the Year.
  She was also actively involved in the political process, because she 
knew that freedom meant exercising her political rights as an American. 
A reflection of her involvement and commitment to the realm of public 
service is that she was the first woman to chair the Board of Elections 
of Rockingham County.
  While I was not able to attend her funeral on Monday, I know that her 
life was celebrated by many, and her passing leaves a hole in many, 
many people's lives. To all she left behind, I extend my sincere 
condolences. She was a great woman, and we will miss her ready smile 
and sharp wit.

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