--- title: HR 329. Rutland, Guy Jehue, Jr.; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr329 cite_as: HR 329, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr329 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr329.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr329/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70619 date: 2025-02-20 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr328.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr330.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr329.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 329 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-20 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Trey Kelley text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR329/2025 upstream_id: 1978299 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - Polk County - Georgia House of Representatives - memorial tribute --- # HR 329. Rutland, Guy Jehue, Jr.; condolences ## Text House Resolution 329 By: Representative Kelley of the 16th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Guy Jehue Rutland Jr.; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Guy Jehue Rutland Jr. on January 24, 2025; and WHEREAS, Guy Jehue Rutland Jr. was born on January 23, 1935, in Polk County, Georgia, a beloved son of Guy Jehue Rutland Sr. and Ida Davis Rutland; and WHEREAS, during his distinguished career in education, he dedicated over 33 years to teaching and coaching in the Polk School District, earning recognition as Coach of the Year in Wrestling from the Georgia Athletic Association, and served for 12 years as part of the Polk School District Board of Education; and WHEREAS, he further served his community as owner and operator of both Rutland Farm, a Georgia Centennial Farm he inherited from his parents, and Christmas Tree City, which has served the community for 47 years; and WHEREAS, a man of deep and abiding faith, Guy Jehue Rutland Jr. was an active and devoted member of Victory Baptist Church; and WHEREAS, he was united in love and marriage to his wife, Lynda, and was blessed with two remarkable children, Ashley and Jud, as well as three wonderful grandchildren, Julia, Sam, and Annika; and WHEREAS, he gave inspiration to many through his high ideals, morals, and deep concern for his fellow citizens, and the devotion, patience, and understanding he demonstrated to his family and friends were admired by others; and WHEREAS, he was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness, and by the example he made of his life, he made this world a better place in which to live; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Guy Jehue Rutland Jr. will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Guy Jehue Rutland Jr. and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Guy Jehue Rutland Jr. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors the life of Guy Jehue Rutland Jr., a longtime Polk County educator, farmer, and businessman who died in January 2025. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a memorial statement from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it formally recognizes the life of Guy Jehue Rutland Jr., who died on January 24, 2025, and recounts his decades of service to Polk County as a teacher and coach, his 12 years on the Polk School District Board of Education, and his ownership of Rutland Farm and Christmas Tree City. The resolution states that the House joins in honoring his memory and expresses regret at his passing. It directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for delivery to his family, which is the resolution's only concrete action. ### What it does - Formally honors the life and memory of Guy Jehue Rutland Jr. on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives. - States the House's regret at his passing and recounts his career and community service in Polk County. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for his family. ### Who it affects This resolution directly affects the family of Guy Jehue Rutland Jr., who will receive an official copy, and involves the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is tasked with preparing it. It has no effect on the general public or on Georgia law. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial effect and changes no Georgia law. Its significance is symbolic, providing a formal, permanent record of the legislature's recognition of a private citizen's life and community contributions for his family and Polk County. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount Rutland's life, including his birth in Polk County in 1935, his 33 years teaching and coaching in the Polk School District, and 12 years on its Board of Education. - The resolved clause has the House of Representatives join in honoring his memory and expressing regret at his passing. - The final clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy available to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-20) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-20) - Sponsors: Trey Kelley - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70619 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr329.md?full=1