Why Texas History?

My family has lived in Texas since the early spring of 1833. They moved to Texas from Illinois and purchased over 1600 acres of land located between what is now Conroe and Willis. They came with a letter of recommendation from the Governor of Illinois. The father was Samuel Washington Lindley. His son, Jonathan, enlisted in the Texas Army in 1835 and was stationed in Gonzales, until they were called as reinforcements to the Alamo. He died there on March 6, 1836. He was the only man from Montgomery County killed at the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Samuel's other son, William, had a son named John Wood Lindley who married Cynthia Goodnight - niece of Charles Goodnight, a famous rancher and cattle drive entrepreneur in Texas. John Wood and Cynthia Goodnight Lindley were my great grandparents. The Lindleys were forced to sell their land for pennies on the dollar after the Civil War when they were desperate for money to survive. They moved over to Grimes County, close to Washington on the Brazos where my grandmother and my father were born.

The family moved to the Houston area about 1933. My father was just out of high school at the time. My parents were married in 1935, and lived in the Houston area the rest of their lives. I grew up in the Spring Branch area, graduated from Spring Branch High School, and Sam Houston State University.

I became interested in family history when I started having children, because I wanted them to know the deep roots they had in Texas. I began by interviewing older family members, and their stories and memories led me to do research at the library run by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas on the Alamo grounds and at Clayton Genealogical Library in Houston. I did enough research on the Lindley's to qualify for the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and the DRT (Daughters of the Republic of Texas)

I have always taught junior high, I am certified to teach Computer Applications, Language Arts, and Social Studies. I was a drill team sponsor at Peet Jr. High for four years and this is the 12th year I have been one of the cheer coaches at Knox Jr. High.

I have four children:

Leslie is 35 and has three children - Shelby, Andrew & Meghan. She is a nurse and her husband, Brent, is a Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy. They live in Montgomery, Texas. (Birthplace of the Texas Flag!)

Ashley is 30 and has three children also - Cody, Cade & Cole. She is a proud member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of '03. Her husband, T.J. teaches high school chemistry. They live in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Jonathan (named after Jonathan Lindley) is 24, graduated from Oklahoma Christian University, and works for Insight Creative Group in Oklahoma City. He is married to Jillian, and they are the proud parents of two dogs.

Chandler is 19, and is a Freshman at the University of Oklahoma. She is majoring in Public Relations and is a member of Alpha Phi sorority. She was a cheerleader at Knox and all through high school at The Woodlands College Park. She did competitive dance/drill team for 14 years.

No matter where you were born, you are a Texan now. My goal is to teach students to appreciate the unique history of this area, to give them an appreciation of what others sacrificed to create the Texas of today, and to become productive, responsible citizens of the future.