Read the full stored bill text
H. R. No. 30 *HR26/R1709* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2
26/HR26/R1709
PAGE 1 (DJ\KW)
To: Rules
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Mangold
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 30
A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE, MOTHERHOOD AND WISE COUNSEL 1
OF MRS. JUANITA PAULINE SMITH BURNS AND CONGRATULATING HER UPON 2
THE OCCASION OF THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF HER BIRTH ON 3
FEBRUARY 19, 2026. 4
WHEREAS, on February 19, 1926, the United States was under 5
the leadership of President Calvin Coolidge, the State of 6
Mississippi was governed by Governor Henry L. Whitfield, rural 7
electrification had yet to reach much of the South, and the nation 8
stood between the trials of World War I and the economic hardship 9
that would soon follow with the Great Depression; and 10
WHEREAS, on that historic date, Mrs. Juanita Pauline Smith 11
Burns was born in her family home in the Pleasant Hill Community 12
of Lincoln County, Mississippi, to the union of her late parents, 13
Mrs. Bertha Norton Smith and Mr. Robert Leon Smith, beginning a 14
life that would span a full century of faith, perseverance, family 15
devotion and service to others; and 16
WHEREAS, the eighth of ten children, Mrs. Burns' life was 17
shaped by the values of hard work, humility and community that 18
defined her upbringing, values she would later impart to 19
H. R. No. 30 *HR26/R1709* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R1709
PAGE 2 (DJ\KW)
generations of her family and all who came under her influence, 20
both direct and indirect; and 21
WHEREAS, a 1944 graduate of Lincoln County's Enterprise High 22
School, the genteel and demure Southern Belle who was embodied in 23
the elegant poise and grace of Miss Smith would in that same year 24
marry the chivalrous and charming Carl M. Burns, the gentlemen the 25
holy deity designed especially for her, on May 5, 1944, beginning 26
a devoted marital union as bone of another's bone and flesh of one 27
another's flesh, which endured as a timeless treasure for nearly 28
53 years, until God's chariot angels escorted his soul into the 29
Lord's presence in 1997; and 30
WHEREAS, Mrs. Burns' life journey carried her to Brownsville, 31
Texas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before she returned home, 32
residing for more than seventy-four years in the Pleasant Hill 33
Community, where her presence became the hallmark emblem as a 34
steady and trusted pillar of strength, resilience and faith; and 35
WHEREAS, through decades of honorable labor, Mrs. Burns 36
worked as a cashier at Jitney Jungle, as a clothing apparel 37
inspector at Kellwood in Summit, Mississippi, for 34 years, and 38
later continued her service as a senior aide at Mamie Martin 39
Elementary School and as a receptionist at the Social Security and 40
Unemployment Office in Brookhaven, Mississippi, exemplifying 41
diligence, integrity and grace in every role she assumed; and 42
WHEREAS, the proud mother of one son, Roe Burns, and 43
mother-in-law to Kay Wallace Burns, the branches of Mrs. Burns' 44
H. R. No. 30 *HR26/R1709* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R1709
PAGE 3 (DJ\KW)
familial tree has been further blessed with the fruitful addition 45
of three grandchildren, three grandchildren-in-law, eleven 46
great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, allowing her 47
to stand as the matriarch in the orchard of her five-generation 48
family, whose foundation is rooted in faith, wisdom and 49
unconditional love; and 50
WHEREAS, Mrs. Burns is the oldest living member of Pleasant 51
Hill Baptist Church, where she has faithfully served as a 52
beginner's Sunday School teacher, church hostess, member of the 53
Woman's Missionary Union and participant on a pastor search 54
committee, offering steady guidance and wise counsel within her 55
church family; and 56
WHEREAS, her life has been further enriched by her generosity 57
of spirit, expressed through her love of cooking and baking, her 58
gift of sharing chocolate and coconut pies, her skill in quilting, 59
and her enduring commitment to maintaining meaningful 60
relationships throughout her life; and 61
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Mississippi House of 62
Representatives to pause in honor to a woman whose century of life 63
reflects steadfast faith, selfless service, nurturing motherhood 64
and wisdom that has strengthened family, church and community 65
alike: 66
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF 67
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby 68
commend the life, motherhood and wise counsel of Mrs. Juanita 69
H. R. No. 30 *HR26/R1709* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR26/R1709
PAGE 4 (DJ\KW)
ST: Mrs. Juanita Pauline Smith Burns; commend
and congratulate upon the occasion of the
centennial anniversary of her birth.
Pauline Smith Burns, congratulate her upon the occasion of the 70
centennial anniversary of her birth and induction as the newest 71
member of the centenarian club, and extend to her heartfelt wishes 72
for continued peace, joy and the abiding love of family and 73
friends. 74
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be 75
furnished to Mrs. Juanita Pauline Smith Burns and to the members 76
of the Capitol Press Corps. 77