Sanford D. Bishop
Representative for Georgia · Democratic · United States
“with his family and founding or co-owning Americus Creosote Company, T&T Logging, and Georgia Forest Products. But to Russell Thomas, the land was never merely a business.”
“with his family and founding or co-owning Americus Creosote Company, T&T Logging, and Georgia Forest Products. But to Russell Thomas, the land was never merely a business.”
“was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Andrea Patterson Thomas; his son, Russell Thomas, III; his parents, Dr. Russell Thomas and Margaret Camp Thomas; his sister, Margaret T. Sullivan; and his brothers, Frank Gordon Thomas and John Laurence Thomas.”
“was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Andrea Patterson Thomas; his son, Russell Thomas, III; his parents, Dr. Russell Thomas and Margaret Camp Thomas; his sister, Margaret T. Sullivan; and his brothers, Frank Gordon Thomas and John Laurence Thomas.”
“Benjamin Franklin Cochran, Jr., and together they made their life in Albany, Georgia. Mr. Cochran became Albany's first Black professional photographer. Mr. Speaker, I want my colleagues to understand what that meant.”
“Benjamin Franklin Cochran, Jr., and together they made their life in Albany, Georgia. Mr. Cochran became Albany's first Black professional photographer. Mr. Speaker, I want my colleagues to understand what that meant.”
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“was faithful--faithful to his family, faithful to his land, faithful to his hometown, and faithful to the God he served. On behalf of my wife, Vivian and the more than 765,000 residents of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, I extend my deepest condolences to the Thomas family, and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life, the legacy, and the extraordinary public service of the Honorable Russell Thomas, Jr.--Mayor, steward, builder, and friend--a good and faithful servant who has entered into the joy of his Lord. ____________________”
“was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Andrea Patterson Thomas; his son, Russell Thomas, III; his parents, Dr. Russell Thomas and Margaret Camp Thomas; his sister, Margaret T. Sullivan; and his brothers, Frank Gordon Thomas and John Laurence Thomas. He leaves to cherish his memory his children, Mary Frances ``Mimi'' Thomas, Anne Camp Thomas, Beth Thomas Cheek (James), and John Braxton Thomas; his daughter-in-law, Angie Ballard Thomas; eight grandchildren: ten great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, stepchildren, extended family, and friends who loved him dearly. Mr. Speaker, the Scriptures teach us in Matthew 25:21, ``Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.'' Russell Thomas, Jr.”
“Here was a man who buried a beloved wife, Andrea, after forty-five years of marriage; a man who bore the deepest grief a parent can know in the loss of his son, Russell, III; a man who carried the weight of a city on his shoulders for fifteen years. And when the sorrows came--as they come to every life--he did not grow bitter, and he did not withdraw from the people. He drove out to the land, under the longleaf pines he had protected, with his dog beside him, and he made his peace--and then he came back to his beloved Americus, and went back to work, and kept on serving. That quiet resilience, that faithfulness that outlasted heartbreak, is the truest measure of the man, and it is the inheritance he leaves to all of us who remain. Russell Thomas, Jr.”
“Who he was could be found in his office at the back of the old Americus Hardware Store--another of his renovations--where, long past the age when most men retire, friends and neighbors stopped by daily to talk politics, business, and the affairs of the town he loved. Who he was could be found in his backyard, where this former mayor and bank chairman raised tomatoes and waged a good-natured annual contest with the backyard animals to see who could reach the ripe ones first. And who he was could be found riding the dirt backroads of Thomas Farms in his old Tahoe, with his faithful dog Barnabas at his side. It is said that throughout his life, and in its most difficult times, Russell found solace and peace driving those backroads. And Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to sit with that image for a moment.”
“Mix Memorial Fund, including more than twenty years as its chairman; on the South Georgia Technical College Foundation Board of Trustees; and on the governing board of the Rosalynn Carter Institute at Georgia Southwestern State University. Elected to the Board of Directors of Citizens Bank of Americus in 1985, he served as Chairman of the Board from 1985 to 1999--a period in which the bank was rated the number one community bank in Georgia--and remained on the board until 2025, serving his community's financial wellbeing across five decades. Mr. Speaker, the record of offices held, and buildings restored tells us what Russell Thomas did. But it does not tell us who he was.”
“He was likewise instrumental in the restoration of the Rylander Theatre, establishing it as the center of the performing arts in Americus, for which he received the Lifetime Friend of the Rylander Award in 2016. Under his leadership, in 2000, Americus was designated one of the first ten Georgia Cities of Excellence. In 1994, in recognition of his public service, the City of Americus named its public safety building the Russell Thomas, Jr. Public Safety Building-- an honor rarely bestowed upon the living and richly deserved. His service extended far beyond City Hall. He served on the Americus Board of Education from 1972 to 1980; as chairman of the Sumter County Board of Tax Assessors from 1976 to 1980; on the board of directors of The Charles L.”
“In his first term, he worked with the City Council to confront substandard housing and expand housing opportunity. He would later join with Millard Fuller and Habitat for Humanity on the Sumter County Initiative, an audacious campaign to eliminate substandard housing in Americus and Sumter County--a partnership that helped make our corner of Georgia a beacon to the world for what neighbors can accomplish when they take up hammers and hope together. Mayor Thomas may be best remembered for leading the multi-year effort to restore the historic Windsor Hotel. When many said the grand old landmark could not be saved, Russell Thomas simply refused to give up-- and today the Windsor stands as the crown jewel of downtown Americus, a monument in brick and mortar to one man's stubborn faith in his hometown.”
“with his family and founding or co-owning Americus Creosote Company, T&T Logging, and Georgia Forest Products. But to Russell Thomas, the land was never merely a business. Long before conservation of the longleaf pine ecosystem became a national cause, he was protecting the native longleaf stands at Thomas Farms, quietly practicing the belief that productive timber management and wildlife conservation should go hand in hand. He was a steward in the oldest and truest sense of the word--a man who understood that we do not really own the land; we hold it in trust for our children. The people of Americus first elected Russell Thomas, Jr. as their Mayor in November 1979. and he served from 1980 to 1988. They called him back in 1993, and he served again from 1994 to 2001--fifteen years in all of steady, visionary, and selfless leadership.”
“A memorial service celebrating his extraordinary life will be held on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at Americus First Methodist Church, with Reverend Tom Dowdy and Reverend Daryl Brown officiating. Russell Thomas, Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 22, 1934, to Dr. Russell Thomas and Margaret Camp Thomas. In 1939, the family returned to Dr. Thomas's hometown of Americus, and from that day forward, Russell Thomas and Americus, Georgia belonged to one another. He graduated from Americus High School in 1952, earned a degree in Agricultural Management from Auburn University, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and completed his military service as a medic in the United States Army Reserve. Mayor Thomas built his career in agriculture and forestry, owning Thomas Farms, Inc.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E721] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE HONORABLE RUSSELL THOMAS, JR., FORMER MAYOR OF AMERICUS, GEORGIA ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 21, 2026 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart, but with profound gratitude, to honor the life and legacy of one of Southwest Georgia's most devoted public servants, the Honorable Russell Thomas, Jr., former Mayor of Americus, Georgia, who departed this life on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at the age of 91.”
“And she will hold them, and she will smell them, and she will know--beyond any possibility of doubt-- exactly how much she is loved. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife Vivian and me, on behalf of the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, in extending our warmest congratulations to Mrs. Lovye Williamson Cochran on the occasion of her 100th birthday. We thank her for a century of faith, family, teaching, and service. We salute her children, her grandson, her sorors, and her neighbors. We pray God's continued blessing upon her in the years yet to come. ____________________”
“This evening, more than 200 Deltas of the Albany community are gathering at the Galleria on Dawson Road to celebrate her. They have made only one request of those who come: bring flowers. Not gifts. Flowers--in her own words, so that she can smell them, while she is living. Mr. Speaker, there is a whole sermon in that sentence. Too often in this country we save our finest words for funerals. We wait until a woman can no longer hear us to say what she has meant to us. We send the roses to the graveside when we could have set them on the kitchen table. Mrs. Lovye Cochran, at 100 years old, has taught this community one final lesson, and it may be the most important one she has ever given: love people out loud, and do it while they are here to enjoy it. So tonight the flowers will come.”
“Cochran's sorors in Delta Sigma Theta was the late Honorable Shirley Chisholm of New York, the first Black woman elected to this body and the first to seek the presidential nomination of a major party. Congresswoman Chisholm gave us a definition of a life well spent that has never been improved upon: ``Service is the rent that you pay for the space that you occupy here on this earth.'' By that measure, Mr. Speaker, Lovye Williamson Cochran does not owe this world one thin dime. She paid her rent in full--in classrooms and in church pews, in board rooms and in her sorority and on her street, in the raising of three children and in a hundred years of quiet, faithful, unglamorous good. She paid it early, she paid it often, and she is paying it still.”
“Cochran has given her time and her judgment to the community's institutions, serving on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs and with the Albany ARC, known today as the Arc of Southwest Georgia. Mr. Speaker, those two commitments say something about the shape of her heart. She gave herself to children who needed somewhere safe to go after the last bell, and she gave herself to citizens with developmental disabilities--neighbors whom too much of the world has been content to overlook. She never overlooked anybody. Mrs. Cochran is a devoted member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and remains active in the sorority at 100 years of age. She holds the honored designation of Delta Dear. Mr. Speaker, among Mrs.”
“There are grown men and women in Albany today--parents, deacons, business owners, public servants--who first learned to believe in themselves in her classroom. A teacher's monument is not made of stone. It walks around, and it talks back, and it raises its own children the way she taught it to. She and Mr. Cochran raised three children--Beverly, Juanita, and Benjamin, III--and she is the proud grandmother of Anthony. For decades she has lived on Lily Pond Road in Albany, which the older residents still remember as Westbrook Road. Mrs. Cochran is the longest surviving resident of that street. She has watched the road change its name, watched the houses change hands, watched the city change around her-- and through all of it, she never changed who she was. Her service did not end at the schoolhouse door. Mrs.”
“Benjamin Franklin Cochran, Jr., and together they made their life in Albany, Georgia. Mr. Cochran became Albany's first Black professional photographer. Mr. Speaker, I want my colleagues to understand what that meant. In those years, a Black family's wedding, a Black child's graduation, a Black church's anniversary, a Black mother's Sunday best--these were not events the wider world considered worth preserving. Benjamin Cochran preserved them anyway. He spent his life making sure that our community could see itself, and see itself beautiful. And while he was capturing the faces, his wife was in the classroom shaping the very children whose portraits he took. He kept the pictures. She helped make the people in them. Mrs. Cochran is a retired educator, and in Southwest Georgia that title carries a particular weight.”
“She was born on July 21, 1926, in Reidsville, North Carolina, the firstborn daughter of Weldon and Hessie Williamson, and the eldest of four girls. She was raised in a home where education was not a luxury but an inheritance, and she took that inheritance seriously. She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Reidsville, then went on to Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina--that historic institution which has been turning out Bennett Belles of uncommon dignity and backbone for generations. She later earned her master's degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, also in Greensboro. In an era when this Nation placed obstacle after obstacle in the path of a young Black woman seeking to be educated, Lovye Williamson simply kept walking. In 1950, she married Mr.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E718] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING MRS. LOVYE WILLIAMSON COCHRAN ON THE OCCASION OF HER 100TH BIRTHDAY ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 21, 2026 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a woman whose life has spanned a century of American history, and who has spent nearly every year of it giving something away--knowledge, kindness, service, and love. Today, July 21, 2026, Mrs. Lovye Williamson Cochran of Albany, Georgia, celebrates her 100th birthday.”
“was faithful--faithful to his family, faithful to his land, faithful to his hometown, and faithful to the God he served. On behalf of my wife, Vivian and the more than 765,000 residents of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, I extend my deepest condolences to the Thomas family, and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life, the legacy, and the extraordinary public service of the Honorable Russell Thomas, Jr.--Mayor, steward, builder, and friend--a good and faithful servant who has entered into the joy of his Lord. ____________________”
“was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Andrea Patterson Thomas; his son, Russell Thomas, III; his parents, Dr. Russell Thomas and Margaret Camp Thomas; his sister, Margaret T. Sullivan; and his brothers, Frank Gordon Thomas and John Laurence Thomas. He leaves to cherish his memory his children, Mary Frances ``Mimi'' Thomas, Anne Camp Thomas, Beth Thomas Cheek (James), and John Braxton Thomas; his daughter-in-law, Angie Ballard Thomas; eight grandchildren: ten great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, stepchildren, extended family, and friends who loved him dearly. Mr. Speaker, the Scriptures teach us in Matthew 25:21, ``Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.'' Russell Thomas, Jr.”
“Here was a man who buried a beloved wife, Andrea, after forty-five years of marriage; a man who bore the deepest grief a parent can know in the loss of his son, Russell, III; a man who carried the weight of a city on his shoulders for fifteen years. And when the sorrows came--as they come to every life--he did not grow bitter, and he did not withdraw from the people. He drove out to the land, under the longleaf pines he had protected, with his dog beside him, and he made his peace--and then he came back to his beloved Americus, and went back to work, and kept on serving. That quiet resilience, that faithfulness that outlasted heartbreak, is the truest measure of the man, and it is the inheritance he leaves to all of us who remain. Russell Thomas, Jr.”
“Who he was could be found in his office at the back of the old Americus Hardware Store--another of his renovations--where, long past the age when most men retire, friends and neighbors stopped by daily to talk politics, business, and the affairs of the town he loved. Who he was could be found in his backyard, where this former mayor and bank chairman raised tomatoes and waged a good-natured annual contest with the backyard animals to see who could reach the ripe ones first. And who he was could be found riding the dirt backroads of Thomas Farms in his old Tahoe, with his faithful dog Barnabas at his side. It is said that throughout his life, and in its most difficult times, Russell found solace and peace driving those backroads. And Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to sit with that image for a moment.”
“Mix Memorial Fund, including more than twenty years as its chairman; on the South Georgia Technical College Foundation Board of Trustees; and on the governing board of the Rosalynn Carter Institute at Georgia Southwestern State University. Elected to the Board of Directors of Citizens Bank of Americus in 1985, he served as Chairman of the Board from 1985 to 1999--a period in which the bank was rated the number one community bank in Georgia--and remained on the board until 2025, serving his community's financial wellbeing across five decades. Mr. Speaker, the record of offices held, and buildings restored tells us what Russell Thomas did. But it does not tell us who he was.”
“He was likewise instrumental in the restoration of the Rylander Theatre, establishing it as the center of the performing arts in Americus, for which he received the Lifetime Friend of the Rylander Award in 2016. Under his leadership, in 2000, Americus was designated one of the first ten Georgia Cities of Excellence. In 1994, in recognition of his public service, the City of Americus named its public safety building the Russell Thomas, Jr. Public Safety Building-- an honor rarely bestowed upon the living and richly deserved. His service extended far beyond City Hall. He served on the Americus Board of Education from 1972 to 1980; as chairman of the Sumter County Board of Tax Assessors from 1976 to 1980; on the board of directors of The Charles L.”
“In his first term, he worked with the City Council to confront substandard housing and expand housing opportunity. He would later join with Millard Fuller and Habitat for Humanity on the Sumter County Initiative, an audacious campaign to eliminate substandard housing in Americus and Sumter County--a partnership that helped make our corner of Georgia a beacon to the world for what neighbors can accomplish when they take up hammers and hope together. Mayor Thomas may be best remembered for leading the multi-year effort to restore the historic Windsor Hotel. When many said the grand old landmark could not be saved, Russell Thomas simply refused to give up-- and today the Windsor stands as the crown jewel of downtown Americus, a monument in brick and mortar to one man's stubborn faith in his hometown.”
“with his family and founding or co-owning Americus Creosote Company, T&T Logging, and Georgia Forest Products. But to Russell Thomas, the land was never merely a business. Long before conservation of the longleaf pine ecosystem became a national cause, he was protecting the native longleaf stands at Thomas Farms, quietly practicing the belief that productive timber management and wildlife conservation should go hand in hand. He was a steward in the oldest and truest sense of the word--a man who understood that we do not really own the land; we hold it in trust for our children. The people of Americus first elected Russell Thomas, Jr. as their Mayor in November 1979. and he served from 1980 to 1988. They called him back in 1993, and he served again from 1994 to 2001--fifteen years in all of steady, visionary, and selfless leadership.”
“A memorial service celebrating his extraordinary life will be held on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at Americus First Methodist Church, with Reverend Tom Dowdy and Reverend Daryl Brown officiating. Russell Thomas, Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 22, 1934, to Dr. Russell Thomas and Margaret Camp Thomas. In 1939, the family returned to Dr. Thomas's hometown of Americus, and from that day forward, Russell Thomas and Americus, Georgia belonged to one another. He graduated from Americus High School in 1952, earned a degree in Agricultural Management from Auburn University, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and completed his military service as a medic in the United States Army Reserve. Mayor Thomas built his career in agriculture and forestry, owning Thomas Farms, Inc.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E721] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE HONORABLE RUSSELL THOMAS, JR., FORMER MAYOR OF AMERICUS, GEORGIA ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 21, 2026 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart, but with profound gratitude, to honor the life and legacy of one of Southwest Georgia's most devoted public servants, the Honorable Russell Thomas, Jr., former Mayor of Americus, Georgia, who departed this life on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at the age of 91.”
“And she will hold them, and she will smell them, and she will know--beyond any possibility of doubt-- exactly how much she is loved. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife Vivian and me, on behalf of the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, in extending our warmest congratulations to Mrs. Lovye Williamson Cochran on the occasion of her 100th birthday. We thank her for a century of faith, family, teaching, and service. We salute her children, her grandson, her sorors, and her neighbors. We pray God's continued blessing upon her in the years yet to come. ____________________”
“This evening, more than 200 Deltas of the Albany community are gathering at the Galleria on Dawson Road to celebrate her. They have made only one request of those who come: bring flowers. Not gifts. Flowers--in her own words, so that she can smell them, while she is living. Mr. Speaker, there is a whole sermon in that sentence. Too often in this country we save our finest words for funerals. We wait until a woman can no longer hear us to say what she has meant to us. We send the roses to the graveside when we could have set them on the kitchen table. Mrs. Lovye Cochran, at 100 years old, has taught this community one final lesson, and it may be the most important one she has ever given: love people out loud, and do it while they are here to enjoy it. So tonight the flowers will come.”
“Cochran's sorors in Delta Sigma Theta was the late Honorable Shirley Chisholm of New York, the first Black woman elected to this body and the first to seek the presidential nomination of a major party. Congresswoman Chisholm gave us a definition of a life well spent that has never been improved upon: ``Service is the rent that you pay for the space that you occupy here on this earth.'' By that measure, Mr. Speaker, Lovye Williamson Cochran does not owe this world one thin dime. She paid her rent in full--in classrooms and in church pews, in board rooms and in her sorority and on her street, in the raising of three children and in a hundred years of quiet, faithful, unglamorous good. She paid it early, she paid it often, and she is paying it still.”
“Cochran has given her time and her judgment to the community's institutions, serving on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs and with the Albany ARC, known today as the Arc of Southwest Georgia. Mr. Speaker, those two commitments say something about the shape of her heart. She gave herself to children who needed somewhere safe to go after the last bell, and she gave herself to citizens with developmental disabilities--neighbors whom too much of the world has been content to overlook. She never overlooked anybody. Mrs. Cochran is a devoted member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and remains active in the sorority at 100 years of age. She holds the honored designation of Delta Dear. Mr. Speaker, among Mrs.”
“There are grown men and women in Albany today--parents, deacons, business owners, public servants--who first learned to believe in themselves in her classroom. A teacher's monument is not made of stone. It walks around, and it talks back, and it raises its own children the way she taught it to. She and Mr. Cochran raised three children--Beverly, Juanita, and Benjamin, III--and she is the proud grandmother of Anthony. For decades she has lived on Lily Pond Road in Albany, which the older residents still remember as Westbrook Road. Mrs. Cochran is the longest surviving resident of that street. She has watched the road change its name, watched the houses change hands, watched the city change around her-- and through all of it, she never changed who she was. Her service did not end at the schoolhouse door. Mrs.”
“Benjamin Franklin Cochran, Jr., and together they made their life in Albany, Georgia. Mr. Cochran became Albany's first Black professional photographer. Mr. Speaker, I want my colleagues to understand what that meant. In those years, a Black family's wedding, a Black child's graduation, a Black church's anniversary, a Black mother's Sunday best--these were not events the wider world considered worth preserving. Benjamin Cochran preserved them anyway. He spent his life making sure that our community could see itself, and see itself beautiful. And while he was capturing the faces, his wife was in the classroom shaping the very children whose portraits he took. He kept the pictures. She helped make the people in them. Mrs. Cochran is a retired educator, and in Southwest Georgia that title carries a particular weight.”
“She was born on July 21, 1926, in Reidsville, North Carolina, the firstborn daughter of Weldon and Hessie Williamson, and the eldest of four girls. She was raised in a home where education was not a luxury but an inheritance, and she took that inheritance seriously. She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Reidsville, then went on to Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina--that historic institution which has been turning out Bennett Belles of uncommon dignity and backbone for generations. She later earned her master's degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, also in Greensboro. In an era when this Nation placed obstacle after obstacle in the path of a young Black woman seeking to be educated, Lovye Williamson simply kept walking. In 1950, she married Mr.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E718] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING MRS. LOVYE WILLIAMSON COCHRAN ON THE OCCASION OF HER 100TH BIRTHDAY ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 21, 2026 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a woman whose life has spanned a century of American history, and who has spent nearly every year of it giving something away--knowledge, kindness, service, and love. Today, July 21, 2026, Mrs. Lovye Williamson Cochran of Albany, Georgia, celebrates her 100th birthday.”
“and Earnestine B. Greene; grandparent: Mr. Lacy Lee Smith; siblings: Buffy; Daryl D. Warren; and Riccardo C. Greene; many nieces and nephews; a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and beloved friends. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, my wife Vivian, and the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's Second Congressional District in honoring the life and legacy of Ms. Chiquita Michele Greene and in extending our deepest sympathies to her family, friends, colleagues, and all those who mourn her tragic loss. We pray that all will be consoled by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead. ____________________”
“Among her numerous accolades were the 2021 Trellis Cuffie Volunteer Award; the 2021 Multicultural Award from the Georgia Council of Teachers of English; the Distinguished Delta Award; 2017 Albany State University ``A Future to Fulfill'' Award; Leadership Academy for Women of Small-town America--Class of 2016; 2007 Caring Person in the Community- Brunswick, Georgia; 2016 DCSS Leadership Academy Selectee; and recognition as one of Albany State University's 50 Under 50. These honors are a testament to a life lived with purpose and service at the forefront. None of Ms. Greene's momentous accomplishments and contributions would have been possible without the enduring love and support of her God, her family, and her beloved friends across the state of Georgia. She is survived by many loved ones, including her parents: Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L.”
“She also served as co-advisor to the Delta Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at her beloved alma mater, Albany State University. Former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm once said that ``Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy on this earth.'' Ms. Chiquita Michele Greene paid her rent and continued going the extra mile to give her time and efforts to benefit others. Ms. Greene held leadership roles in the National Council of Negro Women, the ASU Alumni Association, Ma Flora's Helping Hands, the Marching Rams Show Band National Alumni Association, the Worth County NAACP, and several other civic, educational, and fraternal organizations. She was a mentor to many and a pillar of strength, especially in spaces dedicated [[Page E352]] to uplifting young women, promoting scholarship, and preserving Black heritage.”
“She also advised student teams, including the Black History Quiz Bowl, Delta GEMS, and EMBODI, helping to cultivate a sense of school pride, heritage, and academic excellence among the students at the institutions she supported. Ms. Greene's service extended well beyond the school walls where she worked. She was a fierce advocate for her community and a transformational leader within numerous civic and social organizations. She served as President of the Albany, Georgia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where under her leadership, the chapter earned national Red Ribbon recognition. She championed historical preservation, helping to secure a mayoral proclamation honoring Delta Sigma Theta cofounder, Osceola Macarthy Adams, and initiated a petition for a historical marker in her name.”
“She was a lifelong learner who transformed her knowledge into service, becoming a beacon of empowerment for students and colleagues alike. As a teacher in the Dougherty County School System (DCSS), she poured her passion into every classroom she entered--most notably at Albany Early College and Westover High School, where she was named the 2018- 2019 Teacher of the Year and a finalist for the district-wide honor. Over her career, she served with distinction in multiple Georgia school districts, including Savannah-Chatham and Glynn counties, holding leadership positions such as English Department Chair, Instructional Coach, Graduation Coach, and more.”
“A celebration of her life was held on Monday, April 14, 2025, at Unity Baptist Church in Sylvester, Georgia. Ms. Greene was born from the union of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. and Earnestine Greene. Raised in Sylvester, Georgia, Ms. Greene embodied academic excellence, purpose, and pride in her heritage from an early age. A 1995 graduate of Worth County High School, she made history as the first African American member of the school's dance team--an early indicator of the pioneering spirit that would define her life's work. After high school, Ms. Greene attended Albany State University (ASU), earning her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and later pursued advanced degrees in education at Wheelock College, Walden University, Georgia Southern University, and Northcentral University.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E351-E352] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MS. CHIQUITA MICHELE GREENE ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Monday, April 28, 2025 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Ms. Chiquita Michele Greene--a devoted educator, trailblazer, and servant leader from Southwest Georgia. Her unwavering commitment to her students and the greater community has profoundly touched countless lives across Georgia and the Nation. Sadly, Ms. Greene transitioned from labor to reward on April 6, 2025.”
“Star's family and all those who mourn her loss during this difficult time of bereavement. I pray that they will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead. [[Page E347]] ____________________”
“Lila Mae Star was a great woman and accomplished many things in her life, but none would have been possible without the Grace of God and the love and support of her family, to include her late children Sarah Porter and Leonard Goodwin; her daughter Carolyn Ross; her late granddaughter, Kimberly Porter; her great grandchildren and other extended family. The world is better because Ms. Star touched our lives. Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian, and I, along with the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's Second Congressional District, salute and honor the life and legacy of Ms. Lila Mae Star for her commitment to serving humankind through the power of love, hospitality and food. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join us in extending our deepest condolences to Ms.”
“She received accolades from Mayors, Legislators, Members of Congress and the Columbus Ledger Enquirer newspaper. And she was loved by the community at large for her life of service. On a personal note, Ms. Star and her family have been dear friends for many years. I was the family lawyer and was proud to have earned her confidence. She supported my career in public service and never told me what she thought I wanted to hear but always told me what she thought I needed to hear. I will be forever grateful for the fidelity of her friendship and support. Ms.”
“The Royal Cafe was always the place where people who wanted good food could find it. Mrs. Lila Mae Star was an entrepreneur extraordinaire. Moreover, it was so appropriate that her ``Royal Celebration of Life'' was held at the historic St. James AME Church, which is located next door to the Royal Cafe, where she spent so many years of her remarkable life. Not only did Ms. Star make a difference with the Royal Cafe, she also made a difference in the community by her involvement in civic and social clubs. It has been said that ``Service is the rent that we pay for the space that we occupy here on this earth.'' She paid her rent, and she paid it well. She was a proud member of the Jolly Matrons Social Club which has as its mission, sisterhood, service and fellowship. She was honored by The United Negro College Fund for her philanthropy.”
“Her experience there kindled her dream of one day owning her own restaurant. That dream became a reality on August 12, 1963, when she opened the Royal Cafe. For almost six decades she and family members and other dedicated staff maintained a ``destination'' cafe, known for good homestyle cooking and frequented by a clientele, ranging from laborers, domestics, and factory workers to doctors, lawyers, judges and corporate executives. Ms. Star loved her customers and treated them all with respect, but from time to time she was known to have a ``sharp tongue'' for anyone she believed to be disrespectful to any of her customers. She was also known to have ``favorites'' such as her doctor, the late Dr. M. Delmar Edwards, who upon his arrival would be treated to his choice of fare--whether on the menu or not.”
“The life of Lila Mae Star had its genesis with her birth to the union of the late Mr. Freeman ``Bear'' Goodwin and Mrs. Mary Luttrell Jones in Ellerslie, Georgia on April 17, 1931. She received her education at Longstreet School in Harris County. Ms. Star's life was driven by her faith as she gave herself to Christ at an early age never ceasing her connection to the Church and her God. For more than half a century, she fellowshipped with the saints at Nazareth Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, serving in a variety of capacities to include the Nazareth Missionary Society, Nazareth Early Morning Choir, the Benevolent Group President, and the Senior Usher Board The impetus for her life's work began when she was only 12 years old and working at the Seminole Diner and Coffee Depot for Mr. Hatterfield.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E346-E347] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING MS. LILA MAE STAR ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Monday, April 28, 2025 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a loving mother, devoted grandmother, dedicated great grandmother, a culinary maestro, iconic entrepreneur and friend of longstanding, Ms. Lila Mae Star. Sadly, Ms. Star transitioned from labor to reward on April 2, 2025. A ``Royal Celebration of Life'', reflecting her remarkable 93 years and 11 months, was held on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at the Saint James AME Church in Columbus, Georgia.”