Edmund Kuempel
Encyclopedia
Edmund Perry Kuempel was a Republican
member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 44, based at Seguin
, the seat of Guadalupe County
in central Texas
.
, Kuempel was the son of Henry H. Kuempel (born ca. 1911) and the former Ludora "Ludie" Langston (1909–1995). He graduated from Austin High School
and received his Bachelor of Business Administration
degree fromn Texas Lutheran University
in Seguin. He played baseball at both schools. From 1965 until his death, Kuempel had been employed by Commercial Metals Company of Seguin.
, the seat of Comal County
, declined to seek reelection in the then heavily Republican District 46, which since 2003, as District 44, has included Guadalupe, Gonzales
and Wilson
counties. Kuempel was nominated and elected to succeed Bock in a year in which the Republican candidates lost all statewide races in Texas, including the defeat of Governor
Bill Clements
. The district then included the Texas Hill Country
counties of Guadalupe, Comal and Kendall
. After the 1990 Census, Kendall was dropped from the district. At the time of his death, Kuempel was the last member of the House Class of 1982 still serving in the body.
In 2009, Kuempel had joined ten wayward Republican House members to vote with the Democrats
to deny a fourth term to conservative Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
Tom Craddick
of Midland
. The opposition successfully pushed the election of Joe Straus
of San Antonio
, considered a much more moderate member of the GOP
.
During his tenure, Kuempel chaired the House Committees on Retirement and Aging, Administration, State Recreational Resources, and Licensing and Administrative Procedures. In the latter position from 1990–1993, he worked to restore the Texas State Capitol
and the construction of the underground extension. He emphasized development of state parks and recreational areas and practical environmental regulations. Kuempel worked to enhance the retirement funds for state, teacher, municipal, and county employees.
, but the lawmaker, still under anesthesia
, hung up on Bush, not realizing who was calling. During the final drive to the hospital, Kuempel sustained a heart attack
. Emergency room personnel tried in vain for twelve minutes to resuscitate him. Oddly, Kuempel had been at Brackenridge as a legislative guest two weeks earlier touring the building.
(born May 11, 1970) and wife, Michelle; a daughter, Margaret K. Brady and husband Walter; a granddaughter, Rose Brady; and twin grandsons, Will and Sam Kuempel.
Services were held at Kuempel's home church, Faith Lutheran in Seguin. Interment was at the Texas State Cemetery
in Austin, a prerogative of all former legislators and their spouses.
State Representative Harvey Hilderbran
of Kerrville
described Kuempel as "one of the great Texans of all times. Speaking politically, he was the original compassionate conservative [a term coined by George W. Bush]. Regardless of party, regardless of anything, he was clearly the most beloved member (of the Texas House) and will be missed dearly."
State Representative Dan Branch
of Dallas
recalls having sat directly behind Kuempel in two regular and seven special legislative session. "I always enjoyed being in his presence . . . Edmund was a giant of a man with a big heart. He had a broad smile and a kind word for everyone he met. His passing leaves a huge hole in our chamber. Our thoughts and prayers are with Birdie and the Kuempel family."
Jan Koehne, chairman of the Guadalupe County Republican Party, described Kuempel, accordingly, "What a wonderful man he was. I can’t imagine life without him. He was bigger than life and had a heart as big as Texas. He was a good leader who cared about his constituents and brightened up a room wherever he went. What a great sense of humor he had! He could turn any situation into a funny event. We all loved him very much and will miss his powerful voice and special kisses."
, also a salesman for Commercial Metals Company, was elected on December 14, 2010, to succeed his father in the House. With some 66 percent of the vote, he defeated eight opponents, including two Democrats, a Libertarian
and five other Republicans. None of Kuempel's opponents reached 10 pecent of the vote. Also running for the seat were two candidates defeated earlier by the Democrat Henry Cuellar
of District 28
in the United States House of Representatives
, Ron Avery (born 1947), an architect from Seguin who ran in 2006, and Jim Fish (born 1957), a small business owner from Cibolo
, who filed in 2008. Avery and Fish, both crushed by Cuellar, filed as Republicans for the special election, but Avery had previously been a Constitution Party
candidate for Congress.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from District 44, based at Seguin
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...
, the seat of Guadalupe County
Guadalupe County, Texas
Guadalupe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 89,023. It is named for the Guadalupe River. The seat of the county is Seguin. It was founded in 1846....
in central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Background
A native of AustinAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Kuempel was the son of Henry H. Kuempel (born ca. 1911) and the former Ludora "Ludie" Langston (1909–1995). He graduated from Austin High School
Austin High School (Austin, Texas)
Stephen F. Austin High School, or more commonly Austin High, founded in 1881, is one of the oldest public high schools west of the Mississippi River, and was the first public high school in the state of Texas....
and received his Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
degree fromn Texas Lutheran University
Texas Lutheran University
Texas Lutheran University is an undergraduate, private, coeducational university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The University was founded in 1891, and currently serves approximately 1,400 students each semester....
in Seguin. He played baseball at both schools. From 1965 until his death, Kuempel had been employed by Commercial Metals Company of Seguin.
Legislative matters
In 1983, Republican state Representative Bennie Bock of New BraunfelsNew Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
, the seat of Comal County
Comal County, Texas
Comal County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 108,472. Its seat is New Braunfels.Comal County is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History Timeline:...
, declined to seek reelection in the then heavily Republican District 46, which since 2003, as District 44, has included Guadalupe, Gonzales
Gonzales County, Texas
Gonzales County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 18,628. It is named for its seat, the city of Gonzales.-History Timeline:* Paleo-Indians Hunter-gatherers, and later Coahuiltecan, Tonkawa, Karankawa...
and Wilson
Wilson County, Texas
Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 32,408. Its county seat is Floresville. The county is named after James Charles Wilson....
counties. Kuempel was nominated and elected to succeed Bock in a year in which the Republican candidates lost all statewide races in Texas, including the defeat of Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Bill Clements
Bill Clements
William Perry "Bill" Clements, Jr. was the 42nd and 44th Governor of Texas, serving from 1979 to 1983 and 1987 to 1991. Clements was the first Republican to have served as governor of the U.S. state of Texas since Reconstruction...
. The district then included the Texas Hill Country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
counties of Guadalupe, Comal and Kendall
Kendall County, Texas
Kendall County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2008 census, its population was 32,886. Its seat is Boerne....
. After the 1990 Census, Kendall was dropped from the district. At the time of his death, Kuempel was the last member of the House Class of 1982 still serving in the body.
In 2009, Kuempel had joined ten wayward Republican House members to vote with the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to deny a fourth term to conservative Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives. The Speaker's main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the Rules of the House...
Tom Craddick
Tom Craddick
Thomas Russell Craddick, known as Tom Craddick , was the first Republican to have served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives since Reconstruction. Craddick wielded the Speaker's gavel from 2003-2009...
of Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
. The opposition successfully pushed the election of Joe Straus
Joe Straus
Joseph R. Straus, III, known as Joe Straus , is the current Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. He represents District 121, which comprises northeastern Bexar County, including part of San Antonio, Texas, and several surrounding communities...
of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, considered a much more moderate member of the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
During his tenure, Kuempel chaired the House Committees on Retirement and Aging, Administration, State Recreational Resources, and Licensing and Administrative Procedures. In the latter position from 1990–1993, he worked to restore the Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
and the construction of the underground extension. He emphasized development of state parks and recreational areas and practical environmental regulations. Kuempel worked to enhance the retirement funds for state, teacher, municipal, and county employees.
Death
Kuempel had been unopposed for reelection to a fourteenth term on November 2, 2010, two days before he was pronounced dead at University Medical Center Brackenridge in Austin. He had been brought to the hospital by ambulance from a convenience store on Riverside Drive in Austin. The lawmaker had asked store personnel for assistance after his internal defibrillator was activated. The device had been implanted after Kuempel collapsed in May 2009 in an elevator at the state capitol, which he had helped to restore. While recuperating from the 2009 surgery, Kuempel received a courtesy call from former U.S. President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, but the lawmaker, still under anesthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
, hung up on Bush, not realizing who was calling. During the final drive to the hospital, Kuempel sustained a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. Emergency room personnel tried in vain for twelve minutes to resuscitate him. Oddly, Kuempel had been at Brackenridge as a legislative guest two weeks earlier touring the building.
Legacy
Kuempel is survived by his wife, the former Roberta "Birdie" Blumberg (born 1943); a son, John Langston KuempelJohn Kuempel
John Langston Kuempel is a salesman for Commercial Metals Company in Seguin, Texas, and a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 44....
(born May 11, 1970) and wife, Michelle; a daughter, Margaret K. Brady and husband Walter; a granddaughter, Rose Brady; and twin grandsons, Will and Sam Kuempel.
Services were held at Kuempel's home church, Faith Lutheran in Seguin. Interment was at the Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Texas State Cemetery is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and Vice-President of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War...
in Austin, a prerogative of all former legislators and their spouses.
State Representative Harvey Hilderbran
Harvey Hilderbran
Harvey Ray Hilderbran is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 53, which includes fifteen central Texas counties. Hilderbran resides in Kerrville west of San Antonio.-Legislative matters:Rep...
of Kerrville
Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population was 20,425 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the population was 22,826...
described Kuempel as "one of the great Texans of all times. Speaking politically, he was the original compassionate conservative [a term coined by George W. Bush]. Regardless of party, regardless of anything, he was clearly the most beloved member (of the Texas House) and will be missed dearly."
State Representative Dan Branch
Dan Branch
Dan Branch is a member of the Texas House of Representatives from Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. First elected in 2002, as a Republican, Branch is currently in his fourth term representing District 108, the "heart of Dallas", which includes Downtown, Uptown, Historic East Dallas, Greenland Hills, Lower...
of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
recalls having sat directly behind Kuempel in two regular and seven special legislative session. "I always enjoyed being in his presence . . . Edmund was a giant of a man with a big heart. He had a broad smile and a kind word for everyone he met. His passing leaves a huge hole in our chamber. Our thoughts and prayers are with Birdie and the Kuempel family."
Jan Koehne, chairman of the Guadalupe County Republican Party, described Kuempel, accordingly, "What a wonderful man he was. I can’t imagine life without him. He was bigger than life and had a heart as big as Texas. He was a good leader who cared about his constituents and brightened up a room wherever he went. What a great sense of humor he had! He could turn any situation into a funny event. We all loved him very much and will miss his powerful voice and special kisses."
Special election
Republican John KuempelJohn Kuempel
John Langston Kuempel is a salesman for Commercial Metals Company in Seguin, Texas, and a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 44....
, also a salesman for Commercial Metals Company, was elected on December 14, 2010, to succeed his father in the House. With some 66 percent of the vote, he defeated eight opponents, including two Democrats, a Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
and five other Republicans. None of Kuempel's opponents reached 10 pecent of the vote. Also running for the seat were two candidates defeated earlier by the Democrat Henry Cuellar
Henry Cuellar
Henry Roberto Cuellar is the U.S Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district extends from the Rio Grande to the suburbs of San Antonio, including Guadalupe County and nearby Wilson County.Outside of politics, he has served as a professor at the...
of District 28
Texas's 28th congressional district
-2006 election:On June 28, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the Texas legislature's redistricting plan violated the Voting Rights Act in the case of District 23. As a result, on August 4, 2006, a 3 judge panel announced replacement district boundaries for 2006 election for the 23rd...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, Ron Avery (born 1947), an architect from Seguin who ran in 2006, and Jim Fish (born 1957), a small business owner from Cibolo
Cibolo, Texas
Cibolo is a city in Guadalupe County in the U.S. state of Texas.-Schools:The City of Cibolo is served by the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District .Maxine and Lutrell Watts ElementaryO.G. Wiederstein Elementary...
, who filed in 2008. Avery and Fish, both crushed by Cuellar, filed as Republicans for the special election, but Avery had previously been a Constitution Party
Constitution Party (United States)
The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
candidate for Congress.