[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17694]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         REFLECTIONS OF A LIFE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Al Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there are unsung heroes and 
heroines among us. These are the persons who overcome great challenges 
just to do the ordinary. They're not born into plenty--they're often 
born into poverty--but they have lives that are rich in that they 
overcome great obstacles in life just so that they can be of benefit to 
the lives of others.
  One such heroine was born on January 26, 1934. She passed last week 
on November 9, 2011. Her story is one that I would hope we would 
remember simply because it exemplifies the life of a person who met 
challenges, who did everything that was required, who played by the 
rules--and sometimes these persons go unnoticed.
  Lola Mae Bolton Davis was born in Anderson, Texas, to Arllie Pratt 
Sanders and Charlie Bolton. She was their second born. She attended 
Allen Farm School up to the eighth grade. She joined Rockwest Baptist 
Church.
  At the age of 16, she moved to Houston, Texas, where she acquired her 
first job as a housekeeper. At the age of 18, she met the love of her 
life, Ruben George Davis, Sr. A year later, they had their first child, 
Pamela. She went on to attend Franklin Beauty School. Eventually, she 
opened her own business, and it was known as the Lola Davis Beauty 
Nook. She later had three additional children--Ruben, Paula and 
Renwick.
  She was hired by Texas Instruments in 1969. While she was working 
there, she received her GED. Later, she received her associate's degree 
from Houston Community College. She enrolled at Texas Southern 
University and graduated with a degree in education. She taught in the 
Houston Independent School District.
  Mind you, this is a person who dropped out of high school, who 
received a GED, who went on to get an associate's degree, who got her 
degree in education, and now she's teaching in the Houston Independent 
School District.
  She was known as ``Grandma Davis'' to her students. Her son Ruben 
became a constable in Harris County. He is still a constable, but is 
now in Fort Bend County. Her children have done well.
  She played by the rules. She did not receive all of the awards that 
one might receive who has excelled and made a great contribution by way 
of an invention or maybe made a great contribution of having been 
elected to public office, but she did do this--she was a good citizen 
who did the right thing: took care of her family and produced offspring 
who have done well.
  So, today, I salute her as an unsung heroine. Thank God for the many 
unsung heroes and heroines who are at the very foundation of what makes 
this Nation great. God bless you.
  God bless the United States of America, and God bless our unsung 
heroes and heroines.

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