The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“IN MEMORY OF MR. HILTON R. SEGLER” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E891 on July 10, 2019.
The Department is primarily focused on food nutrition, with assistance programs making up 80 percent of its budget. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department implements too many regulations and restrictions and impedes the economy.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN MEMORY OF MR. HILTON R. SEGLER
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HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.
of georgia
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated public servant and dear friend of longstanding, Mr. Hilton R. Segler. Sadly, Hilton passed away on July 4, 2019, at the age of 82. His passing marks the close of a long and prolific life, and his departure leaves a void in the hearts of many Georgians. He leaves behind an impeccable legacy of service that will never be forgotten. A funeral service was held on Saturday, July 6, 2019, at 11 a.m. at Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors in Albany, Georgia.
Mr. Hilton Ray Segler was born in Ozark, Alabama, on April 26, 1937, to the union of the late Mr. William Foy and Mrs. Willie Clyde (Dunn) Segler. In 1948, his family moved to Albany, Georgia, where he went on to graduate from Albany High School and pursue several correspondence degrees in Law and Business.
In 1957, Hilton started working for Southeastern Liquid Fertilizer in Albany, Georgia, before serving as the Assistant to the President of Planters Chemical Company in Virginia. He then moved back to Albany in 1964 to work for the Thompson/Hayward Chemical Company and was appointed Regional Manager for the company in 1981. Hilton also has served as a salesman for the TIDA Farm Service Center where his sales exceeded $1.5 million in his first year and $3 million in his second year, thus proving his acuity as a salesman. In the early 1990s, he purchased a pecan farm and farmed over 1,900 acres of pecan trees for almost six years. He later started a nickel nutrient supplement company, Nipan, LLC, in 2003. Products from his company have gained tremendous popularity in the last few years and are shipped all over the United States.
In 2002, Hilton, along with Bucky Geer and James Lee Adams, testified before the Risk Management Agency on behalf of pecan growers. His undying efforts helped pecan growers across the United States attain crop insurance. Hilton also testified before the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture in an effort to obtain larger provisions for the pecan industry in the 2008 Farm bill. Consequently, pecans were included in the Country of Origin labeling requirements and also in the crop insurance program.
Hilton continued to work on expanding pecan exports to China and other agricultural economies, by partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture and Georgia Department of Agriculture, and pushing for pecan farmers' participation in the Market Access program, a program that helps finance promotional activities for U.S. agricultural products.
In 2004, Hilton championed efforts to obtain ``clean up'' assistance for pecan farmers who were hurt by hurricanes that devastated parts of Georgia and Alabama. In 2010, he testified before the House Agriculture Committee on the future of the pecan industry and the importance of nutrition and trade to this industry, for the 2010 Farm bill.
Hilton accomplished much throughout his life, but none of this would have been possible without his enduring faith in God and the love and support of his wife, Faye; his children, Rhonda, Scott, and Jamie; and a host of family and friends who will miss him deeply.
On a personal note, Hilton was my friend. I will miss his sage advice and wise counsel. He never told me what I wanted to hear; he always told me what I needed to hear. The state of Georgia and our Nation have been truly blessed to benefit from Hilton's leadership and advocacy.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with the almost 730,000 people in Georgia's Second Congressional District and countless others across America in paying tribute to Mr. Hilton R. Segler for a life well lived and in extending our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time of bereavement. Moreover, we pray that they will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
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