In memory of Dr. Nedra Kinerk of McAllen.

89(R) HR 1254 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

H.R. No. 1254

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Residents of McAllen lost a beloved member of their

community with the passing of Dr. Nedra Kay Swart Kinerk on May 13,

2025, at the age of 92; and

WHEREAS, The daughter of Marvin and Okal Swart, the former

Nedra Swart was born in Frankton, Indiana, on June 30, 1932, and she

grew up with the companionship of two sisters, Marilyn and Leanna;

she graduated from Anderson High School in 1950, and she received a

bachelor's degree in education in 1955 and a master's degree in 1962

from Ball State Teachers College in Muncie; she went on to earn a

doctorate from the institution in 1970, after it became Ball State

University; and

WHEREAS, She married the love of her life, Robert Lewis

Kinerk, in 1951, and the couple shared a fulfilling union that

spanned nearly six decades before his passing in 2010; she took

great pride in her four children, Michael, Karen, Steven, and

Cheryl Marie, who preceded her mother in death; over the years,

Dr. Kinerk saw her treasured family grow to include three

grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Kinerk enjoyed a rewarding career as an educator

in Anderson, and in 1970, she was appointed professor at the Indiana

University campus in Kokomo; she was later named chair of the

education division, and she continued to serve as an administrator

until her retirement in 1988; she accepted her first appointment as

an Indiana Civil Rights Commissioner in 1973, and she held that post

for 14 years; in October 1987, she was named a Sagamore of the

Wabash, one of the highest honors bestowed by the governor of

Indiana; and

WHEREAS, After vacationing in South Texas in 1979, Dr. Kinerk

and her husband bought property in the area, and they owned local

citrus groves for several years; the couple made Texas their

year-round home in 1988, and Dr. Kinerk became highly involved in

the McAllen and Hidalgo County communities; in 1999, she cofounded

the civic organization Futuro McAllen, and she helped to expand its

efforts to serve the entire Rio Grande Valley area; the

organization became Futuro RGV in 2014, and two years later, she was

elected its president; she also played an instrumental role in

establishing the McAllen Heritage Center and the Fiesta de Palmas

festival, and she served on numerous municipal boards and

committees; a woman of deep faith, she was a member of the First

Christian Church, where she served as an elder; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of her myriad civic contributions,

the City of McAllen proclaimed February 24, 2025, as Dr. Nedra

Kinerk Day, and she has also had the distinction of being named

McAllen's Woman of the Year in 2014 and being inducted into the RGV

Walk of Fame in 2020; and

WHEREAS, Admired for her warmth, generosity, and unwavering

dedication to her community, Nedra Kinerk lived a caring and

purposeful life, and she leaves behind a record of service that her

loved ones can remember with great pride; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas

Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Nedra Kay Swart

Kinerk and extend heartfelt sympathy to her family and to her many

friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of

Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dr. Nedra

Kinerk.

Guerra

______________________________

Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 1254 was unanimously adopted by a

rising vote of the House on May 23, 2025.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House