On the recordJuly 28, 2017
I appreciate the gentleman for Texas sharing the story about Megan with this Chamber, and I look forward to supporting him in his efforts to try to keep these things from happening again in the future. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Emil Ogden of College Station, Texas, who passed away on July 25, 2017. Emil Ogden was born on September 15, 1927, in Blackwell, Oklahoma. He was raised by his loving mother, Mary Ogden, in Bowling Green, Missouri. Growing up during the worst of the Great Depression, Emil experienced poverty firsthand and lived in a one-room house. To provide for her son, Emil's mother worked as a maid at his grandfather's hotel for $2 a week. To help the family, Emil worked any odd job he could find. During this time, an act of kindness from a member of the local Rotary Club would change his life. Emil was enamored with baseball and would often visit the local hardware store owned by Rotary Club member Ed Dunlap. Ed noticed that Emil loved baseball but could not afford the equipment. He sent a bat, a glove, and a ball to Emil. The care that Ed and the Rotary members showed to Emil put his life on a better course. Emil valued their support, once stating: ``I could have been very rebellious as a child. Things like poverty can make you grow up with some resentment. But all of a sudden, I had a whole town of surrogate fathers, and they cared about me. It motivated me to be a better example as a young man.…
