By Patti Parish-Kaminski –
Evalyn Moore. Photo by Nesossi Studios
On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, an era ended in Richmond, Texas. Hilmar G. Moore passed away at age 92 after being hospitalized for a lengthy illness. But Moore wasn’t only an esteemed resident, community servant and philanthropist for Richmond; Moore was the mayor of the town of 12,000 for over 63 years. He is believed to be the longest serving mayor in the United States and won 32 consecutive elections including the most recent election held in May 2012 when he ran unopposed.
So how did this sixth generation cattle rancher, World War II veteran, businessman and Native Texan become a Texas legend and revered public servant for over 63 years? And, what happens to the City of Richmond now?
The Future of Richmond
Fast forward 63 years of Mayor Moore’s “no nonsense, hands-off” approach to governing the city and the residents he so deeply cared about, and you will find a city that has grown by nearly 10,000 in the six decades under the mayor’s watch. And, on another historic afternoon at 4 pm, another Richmond resident was asked to take the oath of office and serve out the unexpired term of the late Mayor Hilmar G. Moore: his wife, Evalyn Wendt Moore.
Standing in Richmond City Hall with her hand on her husband’s Bible, Evalyn Wendt Moore became the mayor of Richmond on December 17, 2012 at the historic hour: 4 pm. “When I agreed to serve, I asked if I could be sworn into office at the same time as my husband,” said Moore, who was sworn in by Fort Bend County Commissioner Richard Morrison with Richmond City Commissioners Bill Dostal and Gary Gillen looking on.
Moore was approached by some of the city officials regarding her husband’s unexpired term shortly after his passing. “They didn’t ask me if I would serve initially,” said Moore, “but inquired that if the discussion came up, would I consider fulfilling Hilmar’s term.” Moore was agreeable, and city officials held a private meeting where the commissioners decided to appointed her as mayor. After the meeting, she was called and notified that she had been appointed. “I had more time than Hilmar had to consider the idea. The commissioners gave me a couple of days to really think about it because I had other factors I needed to consider.” Moore was then on the OakBend Hospital board and would soon serve as incoming president. As an elected Richmond official, she could no longer serve on the board. “It made me sad that I wouldn’t be able to continue my service for the hospital, but it was such an honor for both Hilmar and myself to be considered to complete his term that I told the commissioners I would be honored to do so.”
Evalyn Moore being sworn in as Richmond Mayor by Fort Bend Commissioner Richard Morrison on December 17, 2012. Photo by Nesossi Studio
The New Mayor Moore
Richmond City Commissioner Gary Gillen felt Moore was the perfect choice for the city. “Agreeing to serve so soon after Hilmar’s passing shows her love for our community. I have had the opportunity to get to know Mrs. Moore during my time as a City Commissioner, and I can think of no one as able to continue Mayor Moore’s legacy.”
While the new Mayor Moore has her own list of priorities for serving Richmond, fulfilling Hilmar’s vision for the city is at the top of her list. As his closest confidant for the past 28 years, she knows the drill. “Before my first city meeting in January, I was delivered my brown envelope on Friday afternoon. I remember for years that Hilmar’s brown envelope would be waiting on him the Friday before the Monday meeting that outlined everything that would come before the council. I reviewed all of the items that would come before the council and was ready for my first meeting.”
The first female mayor of Richmond, Evalyn’s first meeting was literally the day she was sworn into office. During her brief remarks, she expressed her gratitude for giving her the opportunity to serve and honor her husband, and she gave tribute to her husband and his vision for Richmond. “Hilmar’s vision for our city was pretty simple,” she said. “Hilmar wanted Richmond to be a nice place to live, work and raise your family. He said many times – and he was quite serious on the matter – that Richmond and Houston received their charter from the Republic of Texas in 1837 at the same time. Houston is Houston but due to farsighted mayors like himself, Richmond is a nice place to live.”
The late Mayor Hilmar Moore with Evalyn in Vienna, 1987.
Forging Ahead
Now, with a year and half left on her term, Mayor Moore will work with the city on some of their greatest challenges which include changing the city charter. “The city’s annexation rights are under home rule,” explained Moore. “We don’t have annexation powers. Groups have to petition to be a part of Richmond.” According to Moore, there are areas the city would like to annex but under their current charter, they cannot.
Mayor Moore feels that water is one of the greatest challenges facing the city today. “Water is a critical issue that Richmond will be working on along with the other mayors in the county. Richmond is facing growth just like the rest of the county, and we will need to plan ahead to keep up with the services our residents will need.”
Working with neighboring cities was part of her husband’s tenure as mayor. Former Rosenberg Mayor Joe M. Gurecky worked with Mayor Hilmar Moore for the 12 years he was in office. “Not only our community, but also the State of Texas lost a great statesman with the passing of Hilmar Moore,” said Gurecky. “I always considered the City of Richmond as our ‘Sister City’ and Mayor Moore as a true municipal partner.”
“It is really important to me to keep a wonderful working relationship with our neighbors, especially Rosenberg,” said the current Mayor Moore. “We are neighbors, and we both have limited resources so we have to work together.”
Many of the city and county officials have reached out with offering support for Richmond’s new mayor. The current mayor of Rosenberg, Vincent M. Morales, Jr., attended Mayor Moore’s swearing in and is looking forward to continuing the sister city’s relationship. “Rosenberg and Richmond are sister cities – our livelihoods, our quality of life, and our communities depend on one another for their continued success. I truly feel that the more we work in cooperation with each other, the more efficiently we can each lead our respective municipalities. I am excited to work with Mayor Moore to continue to build the partnership between our two towns for the betterment of the entire Richmond-Rosenberg area.”
Though she has some big boots to fill, Mayor Moore is ready with sage advice learned from her husband. “Hilmar believed in being accessible. Just like Hilmar, I will be available to listen to any and all of our resident’s concerns. Our home phone number is listed in the phone book. Anyone who has a concern is free to call, and their concerns will be taken seriously. We are public servants; Hilmar felt strongly about that, and I do as well.”
I asked the new Mayor Moore to sum up what she felt her husband’s greatest legacy was, and what she hopes her legacy of service to the citizens of Richmond will be. “Hilmar’s greatest legacy was his dedication to serving. He served his family, his friends, and most importantly, the citizens of Richmond. Despite his different endeavors, his main dedication was to the citizens of Richmond, and this dedication to service was his greatest bequest to all of us, especially his family. He felt to whom much is given, much is expected, and he lived that. In his honor, I will continue to live that philosophy as well.”