Bill Text: NY J00597 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulating Clarence Zurn upon the occasion of celebrating his 100th Birthday

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-04-20 - ADOPTED [J00597 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-J00597-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 597

BY: Senator AKSHAR

        CONGRATULATING  Clarence Zurn upon the occasion of
        celebrating his 100th Birthday

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative  Body  to  commemorate
and  recognize  certain  milestones celebrated by citizens of this great
Empire State; and

  WHEREAS, Senior citizens bring a wealth of experience and  knowledge
to  the  increasingly  active  roles they play in today's society; their
past contributions and future participation are a  vital  part  of,  and
valuable asset to, the fabric of community life and activity; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
congratulate  Clarence  Zurn  upon  the  occasion of his 100th Birthday,
celebrated with a surprise drive-by parade on Saturday, April  3,  2021,
at his home in Hancock, New York; and

  WHEREAS,  Clarence  Zurn was born on April 7, 1921, in Johnson City,
New York, at what  is  now  Wilson  Medical  Center,  to  dairy  farmers
Clarence Cecil Zurn and Blanche Jenson Zurn, who worked for the Southern
Tier shoe manufacturer at the time; and

  WHEREAS,  At  three years old, Clarence Zurn and his family moved to
the French Woods area of the Town of Hancock, where he and his brothers,
Charles and Elmer, spent their summer afternoons playing baseball; and

  WHEREAS, Along with his brothers, Clarence Zurn attended a  one-room
schoolhouse  in Pea Brook, next to the cemetery and the Methodist church
the family attended on Sundays; he went  on  to  graduate  from  Hancock
Central  School  in  1938;  it would be nearly another decade before the
Zurn family home, now at the end of Silas Tompkins Road, was  wired  for
electricity; and

  WHEREAS,  Clarence  Zurn  and  the  former  Leona  Eunice Smith, the
daughter of another dairy farming family from just over  the  border  in
Stockport,  Pennsylvania,  were united in marriage in 1952, and together
they raised their four children, Robert, Dennis, Peggy and Frederick, in
the same house his parents lived in; and

  WHEREAS,  Clarence  Zurn  lived  through  many  of  history's  great
milestones  throughout the 20th century, including the D-Day invasion at
Normandy, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's first steps on the moon,  and
the  assassinations  of  countless political leaders; he can also recall
when the dirt road where he spent  nearly  97  years  of  his  life  was
transformed  from  a  horse-and-buggy  path  to a street, as well as the
development of state Route 17, necessitated in part  by  the  midcentury
growth of Catskills tourism; and

  WHEREAS, In 1986, Clarence Zurn retired his farming operation, which
by then had expanded to include cauliflower crops; he worked for several
years   as   a  courier  for  the  Callicoon  Community  Bank,  ferrying
thousand-dollar bags of quarters between its five branches; and


  WHEREAS,  Furthermore, with a steadfast and unwavering commitment to
his community, Clarence Zurn served as Hancock Town Assessor  from  1990
to 2010; and

  WHEREAS,  In  his  free  time,  Clarence  Zurn  enjoys hunting deer,
fishing in the Delaware River and reading; a fan of waltzes  and  polka,
he  is  an  ardent  admirer  of  American  accordionist  Lawrence  Welk;
additionally, as his mobility allows, he continues to ride  his  tractor
and helps chop his own wood; and

  WHEREAS,  Clarence  Zurn  with  his  zest for life, has inspired and
enhanced the lives of his family and friends; and

  WHEREAS, This distinguished man has experienced the incredible  joys
and  sorrows  characteristic  of and reserved for those with the stamina
and courage to savor a full life; and

  WHEREAS, Clarence Zurn has enriched the lives of  those  around  him
through his joyous and sincere love for others and through the quiescent
charm and wisdom which comes only from a fullness of years; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  intent  of  this Legislative Body to publicly
recognize those who have reached such a  remarkable  age  and  who  have
witnessed  and  celebrated  the  innovations,  cultural developments and
awesome achievements of this country  during  the  last  century,  while
themselves  contributing  to  the  growth  and  excellence of this great
Empire State; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
congratulate  Clarence  Zurn  upon the occasion of celebrating his 100th
Birthday; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to Clarence Zurn.