2009 SESSION
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 272
Commending Gladys Cook Bushrod.

Agreed to by the Senate, January 15, 2009
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 23, 2009

WHEREAS, Gladys Cook Bushrod, a beloved citizen of Mason Neck, is recognized for her leadership and many efforts in support of her community and the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Bushrod was born on February 9, 1908, in Mason Neck on Gunston Road, where she still resides on land owned by her family for over a century; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Bushrod was delivered by her grandmother, Rose Gant, a licensed midwife who delivered several generations of children born in Mason Neck and who raised Gladys and her sister after their mother’s death in 1916; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Bushrod is the oldest known alumna of what was known as the Gunston Colored School, which was established in 1882; and

WHEREAS, a resilient and inspirational woman, Gladys Bushrod completed her GED studies at the age of 70 and was awarded her diploma by Governor John N. Dalton at a ceremony in Annandale; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Bushrod is a longtime deaconess at Mason Neck’s historic Shiloh Baptist Church, which was established in 1878 on land purchased by two trustees, who were freed African-American slaves; and

WHEREAS, Gladys Bushrod also served as secretary of Shiloh Baptist Church for 40 years and as superintendent of the church’s Sunday School for 45 years; and

WHEREAS, an enthusiastic supporter of her community who cares deeply about the well-being of her neighbors, Gladys Bushrod has graciously continued her family’s legacy of leadership in Mason Neck; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly recognize Gladys Cook Bushrod for her dedication and service to her community on the occasion of her 100th birthday; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Gladys Cook Bushrod as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for her life of remarkable achievement and best wishes for continued good health and happiness in the future.