HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 79
(By Delegates Sobonya, C. Miller,
Reynolds and Stephens)
Requesting the Division of Highways to name the bridge to the
Western Regional Jail in Barboursville in Cabell County,
bridge number 306-26-4.89, as the "Lt. Ronnie D. Ferrell
Vietnam Veteran, Police Officer, Public Servant Memorial
Bridge".
Whereas, Lieutenant Ronnie D. Ferrell was born on June 22,
1946, in Huntington, the son of Oscar Ferrell and Harriett Knight
Ferrell; and
Whereas, Lieutenant Ferrell grew up in Cabell County and
attended the Beverly Hills Church of Christ in Huntington; and
Whereas, Lieutenant Ferrell enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1966,
served in combat in Vietnam and was promoted to the rank of
sergeant before being honorably discharged in 1966; and
Whereas, Lieutenant Ferrell worked as electrician at INCO from
1968 to 2002 and served as shop steward, United Steel Workers Local
40 from 1990 to 2002; and
Whereas, Lieutenant Ferrell was an officer with the
Barboursville Police Department from 1975 to 1986 and attained the
rank of lieutenant; and
Whereas, Lieutenant Ferrell was a member of the Board of
Directors for the Cabell Huntington Hospital from 2005 to 2009, was a member of Minerva Lodge No. 13 AF&AM, the American Legion Post
177 of Barboursville and the VFW Post 9738 of Guyandotte; and
Whereas, Lieutenant Ferrell was instrumental in keeping the
names and memories of those who served their country well by
working for many years unofficially with the Legislature to secure
and place plaques on state bridges honoring and commemorating our
state residents who served in the United States Armed Forces ; and
Whereas, In his unofficial capacity Lieutenant Ferrell gathered
information, performed research on the state's bridges and our many
veterans and arranged for the ceremonies both at the Legislature,
including assisting the presence of family members, and at the
bridges themselves; and
Whereas, Lieutenant Ferrell passed away on December 18, 2009 at
the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House having been under the care of
Dr. Gabriella Ballester; and
Whereas, It is fitting to honor Lieutenant Ferrell for his
service to his community, his state, his country and the invaluable
service to this Legislature by naming the bridge to the Western
Regional Jail in Barboursville in Cabell County, bridge number 306-
26-4.89, as the "Lt. Ronnie D. Ferrell Vietnam Veteran, Police
Officer, Public Servant Memorial Bridge"; therefore, be it
Resolved by the West Virginia Legislature:
That the Legislature hereby requests the Division of Highways
to name the bridge to the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville in
Cabell County, bridge number 306-26-4.89, as the "Lt. Ronnie D. Ferrell Vietnam Veteran, Police Officer, Public Servant Memorial
Bridge"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby
requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge
as the "Lt. Ronnie D. Ferrell Vietnam Veteran, Police Officer,
Public Servant Memorial Bridge"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
forward a certified copy of this resolution to the Secretary of the
Department of Transportation, to his wife, Cathy Mace Ferrell, his
son, Ronnie Dale "RD" Ferrell, his daughter, Beth Ingels and her
husband Daniel Ingels, his sister, Charlotte Blake, his grandson,
Bryson Ingels, Silas Beam, whom he thought of as a grandson, and to
Dr. Gabriella Ballester and her staff at the Emogene Dolin Jones
Hospice House.