HONORING LYNN ROMANS

On 2026-06-15, Representative Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-3) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING LYNN ROMANS" in the House.

HONORING LYNN ROMANS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 100 (Monday, June 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 100 (Monday, June 15, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E578] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING LYNN ROMANS ______ HON. MORGAN McGARVEY of kentucky in the house of representatives Monday, June 15, 2026 Mr. McGARVEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lynn Romans on the occasion of her 70th birthday and to recognize her lifetime of public service, personal sacrifice, and extraordinary devotion to others. Lynn grew up in Trimble County, Kentucky, a small rural community located between Louisville and Cincinnati. Her parents, lssac and Fredia Romans, provided for Lynn and her two brothers by working blue collar factory jobs. After graduating high school, she attended God's Bible School and College in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. She and her husband went on to pastor churches across the Commonwealth, serving communities in Flemingsburg, Frankfort, Maysville, and Louisville, where they raised their two children. Lynn's life was forever changed in 2003 when her twenty-four-year-old son, Sergeant Darrin Potter, was killed in action while serving in Iraq, becoming the first Kentucky National Guard combat casualty since the Vietnam War. As a Gold Star Mother, Lynn has carried an unimaginable loss with grace, courage, and purpose. Because Lynn is a truly special human being, she turned sorrow into service, dedicating herself to helping other Gold Star families, veterans, servicemembers, and military families understand that they are seen, valued, and never alone. For more than 31 years, Lynn served with the American Red Cross, including as a Program Specialist for Service to the Armed Forces. She has also been deeply active with American Gold Star Mothers and the Woody Williams Foundation, educating others about the meaning of the Gold Star and the sacrifices it represents. You cannot attend a military event in Kentucky without meeting someone who knows Lynn-- someone she has helped, comforted, picnicked with, paraded with, or served alongside. For the past two years, Lynn has continued that service as a Green and Gold Fellow in our district office. At a time when she more than earned the right to be sipping sweet tea on a balmy beach and enjoying retirement, Lynn chose instead to work full time on behalf of Kentucky veterans and their families. VA casework is challenging, but Lynn always tackles it with her unending patience, warmth, bubbly humor and--of course--a great pair of high heels. Her signature expression, ``Oh my lands'' has become an office favorite. Lynn is a proud Mimi to two beloved grandchildren, a woman of faith, a devoted public servant, and a gift to our Commonwealth and our country. We are honored to call her our colleague, and even more honored to call her our friend. I wish Lynn a happy 70th birthday. ____________________