R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to honor
1-2 11-year-old Jennifer Diane "Jen" Dykstra, a true Texas heroine, for
1-3 displaying remarkable bravery by saving her father's life in the
1-4 "Flood of '98"; and
1-5 WHEREAS, Born on July 24, 1987, in New Braunfels, Jen is a
1-6 sixth-grader at Navarro Middle School in Geronimo; known for her
1-7 academic excellence and strong work ethic, she maintains a 97 grade
1-8 average and is described by her teachers as a delight to have in
1-9 the classroom and a diligent, polite student who exhibits strong
1-10 leadership skills; and
1-11 WHEREAS, On October 17, 1998, and continuing into the next
1-12 night, Jen demonstrated a maturity beyond her young years as she
1-13 and her father, Dan Dykstra, fought the violent floodwaters of the
1-14 Guadalupe River for their lives; the ordeal began when Jen awakened
1-15 in the middle of the night to find water in their house and alerted
1-16 her father; with life jackets secured, they were soon forced to
1-17 jump from a window into the black, swirling water; and
1-18 WHEREAS, The strong current had pushed their house off its
1-19 foundation and into the water behind them, pinning them against a
1-20 tree; Mr. Dykstra suffered a crushed chest, collapsed lung, and a
1-21 broken leg, but he had protected his daughter with his body and she
1-22 was not hurt; they were propelled downstream, where they were
1-23 slammed into a field of debris and struggled onto it to escape the
1-24 floodwaters; Miss Dykstra and her father were now safe from the
2-1 river, but their new shelter was covered with fire ants and fuel
2-2 from a leaking 300-gallon propane tank, and both Jen and her father
2-3 sustained hundreds of ant stings; and
2-4 WHEREAS, For the next 18 hours, Jen focused on keeping her
2-5 critically injured father alive; she talked and joked with him,
2-6 worked to keep him warm, and repeatedly attempted to signal
2-7 rescuers searching the area by screaming for help, using an air
2-8 horn they had found, and by waving her arms at passing helicopters
2-9 and planes; and
2-10 WHEREAS, Jen kept her composure for the sake of her father,
2-11 although later she admitted she had been "scared out of my wits"
2-12 and worried about snakes; this devoted daughter sang to her father,
2-13 prayed with him, bailed water in the boat they found for shelter,
2-14 and, ultimately, directed rescuers to their location in the dark;
2-15 she maintained steadfast courage during an extreme situation that
2-16 would have defeated many people; and
2-17 WHEREAS, Jennifer Dykstra's courage and perseverance in the
2-18 face of life-threatening danger serve as an inspiration to
2-19 individuals everywhere, and it is indeed appropriate that she be
2-20 honored at this time; now, therefore, be it
2-21 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-22 Legislature hereby honor Jennifer Diane "Jen" Dykstra for her
2-23 heroic actions and extend to her warmest best wishes for continued
2-24 success and happiness; and, be it further
2-25 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-26 prepared for Miss Dykstra as an expression of high regard by the
2-27 Texas House of Representatives.
Kuempel
Laney Glaze Moreno of El Paso
Alexander Goodman Morrison
Allen Goolsby Mowery
Alvarado Gray Naishtat
Averitt Green Najera
Bailey Greenberg Nixon
Berman Grusendorf Noriega
Bonnen Gutierrez Oliveira
Bosse Haggerty Olivo
Brimer Hamric Palmer
Brown of Kaufman Hardcastle Pickett
Brown of Brazos Hartnett Pitts
Burnam Hawley Puente
Capelo Heflin Ramsay
Carter Hilbert Rangel
Chavez Hilderbran Reyna of Bexar
Chisum Hill Reyna of Dallas
Christian Hinojosa Ritter
Clark Hochberg Sadler
Coleman Hodge Salinas
Cook Homer Seaman
Corte Hope Shields
Counts Howard Siebert
Crabb Hunter Smith
Craddick Hupp Smithee
Crownover Isett Solis of Cameron
Cuellar Janek Solis of Bexar
Culberson Jones of Brazos Solomons
Danburg Jones of Lubbock Staples
Davis of Harris Jones of Dallas Swinford
Davis of Dallas Junell Talton
Delisi Keel Telford
Denny Keffer Thompson
Deshotel King of Parker Tillery
Driver King of Uvalde Truitt
Dukes Krusee Turner of Coleman
Dunnam Kuempel Turner of Harris
Dutton Lengefeld Uher
Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Uresti
Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Van de Putte
Eiland Longoria Walker
Elkins Luna West
Ellis McCall Williams
Farabee McClendon Wilson
Farrar McReynolds Wise
Flores Madden Wohlgemuth
Gallego Marchant Wolens
Garcia Maxey Woolley
George Merritt Yarbrough
Giddings Moreno of Harris Zbranek
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 185 was adopted by the House on
February 17, 1999, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House