By Kuempel                                             H.R. No. 185
         76R5138 MDM-D                           
                                 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.