2024 -- H 8339

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LC006236

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

VENERATING THE HONORABLE PATRICIA A. MEHRTENS ON THE JOYOUS

OCCASION OF HER 90TH BIRTHDAY

     Introduced By: Representatives Place, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Fenton-Fung, Ajello,
Boylan, Shallcross Smith, Potter, Bennett, and Cortvriend

     Date Introduced: June 06, 2024

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, In 1934, a loaf of bread cost 8¢, gasoline was 10¢ a gallon, the country was

finally turning the corner on the Great Depression with the inauguration of Franklin Delano

Roosevelt the previous year, and Patricia Ann Mehrtens was born on June 21st; and

     WHEREAS, A lifelong resident of the Town of Burrillville, Mrs. Mehrtens graduated

with honors from Burrillville High School, followed by the Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School.

On September 24th of 1955, she married the love of her life, Donald Mehrtens and together they

raised their three children, Donna, John, and Thomas; and

     WHEREAS, In addition to making a wonderful home for her family, Mrs. Mehrtens was

employed at GMAC in Providence, worked for her father at the Delma Press for many years, and

owned Pat’s Antiques in Pascoag for seven years; and

     WHEREAS, Active in the community, Mrs. Mehrtens was elected to the Burrillville

Town Council in 1982, and re-elected in 1984. She was later appointed by the Town Council to

fill the vacancy of the deceased Town Clerk until the next election in 1986; and

     WHEREAS, An accomplished author, Mrs. Mehrtens has published several books on

Burrillville, including Images of America Burrillville and One Hundred Years Ago in Burrillville,

Rhode Island, and has self-published many more, has presented numerous slide retrospectives on

the Town of Burrillville, and created the website, BurrillvilleHistory.net, which contains “the best

information available on our great Town of Burrillville”; and

     WHEREAS, Mrs. Mehrtens has also been a Charter member of the Burrillville Historical

& Preservation Society since 1970, was appointed as a Commissioner to the Blackstone River

Valley National Heritage Corridor where she was an active member for fifteen years, was the

Vice Chair of the Burrillville Historic District Commission, served on the Committee of the St.

Patrick’s Church for its 150th Anniversary Celebration, and co-chaired the Burrillville

Bicentennial Committee; and

     WHEREAS, Patricia Mehrtens is the matriarch of her family and the official Burrillville

Town Historian. She has impacted the lives of so many people with her service and knowledge of

the community, and all who have been lucky enough to be a part of her extraordinary life are

happy to call her a dear friend; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

joins the family and many friends of Patricia Ann Mehrtens to honor her on the joyous occasion

of her 90th Birthday. We moreover extend sincerest wishes for her continued happiness and

health; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Honorable Patricia A. Mehrtens.

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LC006236

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