[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5109]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING WILLIAM TELFORD BARNHOUSE II ON HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY

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                      HON. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 11, 2013

  Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise to 
commemorate William Telford Barnhouse II, known as Bill to his friends, 
was born on April 18, 1923 and is celebrating his 90th birthday this 
year along with family and friends. Bill was raised in Austin, Texas 
when it was still a small town. He graduated in 1940 from Austin High 
School where he competed on the debate team. His fondest memories of 
those years are of his family, his dog and the car he was able to buy 
with the money he made selling fireworks.
  After high school Bill went to the University of Texas in Austin 
where he joined the United States Navy as a Naval Reserve Officer 
Cadet. He received his commission as an Ensign in the United States 
Naval Reserve on February 26, 1944, married his college sweetheart 
Margaret Pierson on February 27, 1944, received his degree in Business 
Administration on February 29, 1944 and his orders to report to the USS 
Kidd, Destroyer 661 in the South Pacific that same day.
  After surviving repeated kamikaze attacks during the battle of 
Okinawa, on April 11, 1945 the Kidd was struck by a kamikaze killing 
thirty-seven and wounding seventy-five of the Kidd's sailors and 
officers. Bill survived the attack and helped sail the Kidd back to the 
United States for repairs. After it was decommissioned, the Kidd 
eventually sailed to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where it now serves as 
Louisiana's Naval War Memorial in Baton Rouge.
  After the war, Bill worked in a number of jobs before going to work 
for Southern Union Gas Company as its Office Manager in Austin, Texas. 
In 1961, Southern Union moved Bill to Albuquerque to be its office 
manager here, where he worked in the building now housing the Flying 
Star at 8th Street and Central. After advancements that required moving 
to El Paso and Dallas, Bill was named President of the Gas Company of 
New Mexico and returned to Albuquerque in 1975. He retired from that 
position in 1983.
  Margaret and Bill were married for fifty years and were blessed with 
five children: William T. Barnhouse III (known as Tig to friends and 
family) who lives in La Union, New Mexico and, along with his wife 
Lydia, owns two businesses operating out of El Paso, Texas; Gene 
Barnhouse who along with his wife Carmen owns Albuquerque Lighting; 
Kyle Barnhouse who owns Southwest Childcare and its three child care 
centers in Albuquerque; Dolph Barnhouse, a lawyer practicing in 
Albuquerque; and Marlane Barnhouse, who works as a special education 
teacher for the Albuquerque Public Schools. After Margaret passed away 
in 1994, Bill renewed an old friendship with Glyn Walker, who he knew 
from his days in Austin. Bill and Glyn enjoyed sixteen years of 
marriage before she passed away. Glyn's daughter Donna Agler and her 
husband Hal live in Santa Fe and remain close to Bill and his family. 
Bill was again blessed when a close cousin introduced him to Anne 
Weigers, who he married last year. Anne's daughter Margaret Vitullo and 
son David bring to eight the number of Bill's children and step 
children.
  During his ninety years Bill has always worked to help others and 
build his community. In addition to his service during WW II, Bill 
helped establish the New Mexico Museum of Natural History (where he is 
honored by name on its wall of recognition), the El Paso Cancer 
Research Center, the Board of Advisors for the New Mexico Cancer 
Research Center, and the USS Kidd and Louisiana Veterans Memorial in 
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Other highlights of his nine decades include 
his tenure as Chairman of the Lovelace Medical Center Board of 
Advisers, Chairman and President of the El Paso United Way and his 
service as a Boy Scout Troop Leader for nine years.
  Family and friends will join Bill on April 18 to celebrate his 
ninetieth birthday, and honor all he has done over those ninety years.

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