Family just now learning of 2021 legislation
A late Gilmer County business owner who was an avid volunteer for several different local civic organizations was honored as part of fairly recent state legislation, but that news is just now being heard by her family.
That resolution, which was part of the 2021-22 state legislative cycle, honors Sally Daniels, who passed away at age 80 in January 2021.
After moving here from the Atlanta area, Sally and husband, Bill Daniels, operated Cellular Trends, a local mobile phone business that was one of the first of its kind in the county.
Daniels volunteered for Gilmer’s Chamber of Commerce, Optimist Club and Rotary Club for many years. The Gilmer Chamber’s Member of the Year award was renamed in honor of her memory and longstanding commitment to chamber activities.
The state resolution, HR90, proclaims that Daniels was “a highly active member of the community” who “gave inspiration to many through her high ideals, morals, and deep concern for her fellow citizens ... and was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness and by the example she made of her life.”
A copy of this type of state resolution, which often honors outstanding citizens in a community or renames roads or bridges in memory of citizens who’ve passed away, is normally provided to members of that person’s family shortly after the legislation passes.
The resolution was read and adopted by the House in February 2021, shortly after Daniels died. Former House Speaker and 7th District Rep. David Ralston, who sponsored the resolution, passed away in November of last year.
Bill Daniels said he didn’t know anything about HR90 until two strangers with the late House Speaker’s office knocked on his door recently. They were delivering a bound folder containing the formal resolution.
“They found it in his (Ralston’s) office, which they were cleaning out,” Bill said. “Nobody told me or anybody else around that this had happened. I was floored.”
Bill said he’s proud that it happened, but would’ve liked to have known before now.
“I would’ve liked to have known about it. That’s a pretty important document,” he added.
Kaleb McMichen, who was Ralston’s communications director, said the former speaker would sponsor resolutions to honor pillars of the local community who’ve passed away, like all House members do from time to time. He doesn’t know why the family wasn’t contacted about this one.
“He (Ralston) would have these drafted by legislative counsel personally, so I’m afraid I don’t have any further information to offer,” McMichen added.