Billie Solomon Estes was born January 10, 1925 to John Levi, Sr., a farmer, and Lillian Alice Coffman Estes in a rural area near Clyde, Callahan County, Texas. It may be a legend, but the story was told of the thirteen year old Billie’s “parlaying” of a single lamb that he was given into what became the sum of $38,000. He is said to have raised a flock of sheep with his one lamb, selling them two years later and investing the proceeds into a sow and piglets which, along with some dealings in feed, he turned into the final sum of $38,000 by the time he was eighteen.
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Minnie Lou Bradley
Minnie Lou Ottinger Bradley was born December 15, 1931 to Thomas and Zulema Young Ottinger in western Oklahoma. At an early age, she showed a strong interest in livestock as she grew up on the family wheat farm. She joined the 4-H Club and actively participated, although the Future Farmers of America (FFA) was then limited to male members. While in 4-H, she exhibited Angus cattle, sheep and swine. At age ten, she won a blue ribbon at the Oklahoma State Fair for sheep raised on her ranch. After graduating from high school in Hydro, Oklahoma she enrolled at Oklahoma State University, first chartered as Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1890 and then commonly known as Oklahoma A&M. She was the first female student to enroll in animal science, graduating in 1953 and minoring in agricultural journalism.
Clinton McKamy Winkler
Clinton McKamy Winkler was a lawyer, judge and a member of the Texas Court of Appeals for many years. He was born in North Carolina in 1821 to David Tate and Lavinia Cates Owen Winkler. He moved with his family first to Indiana in 1835 for a few years before relocating to Texas in the early 1840s. They settled in what is now Robertson County to be near other Winkler relatives. The family was said to be descended from German immigrants, but his grandfather was born in North Carolina according to traditional genealogical sources. McKamy was also an old family name and many of these McKamy relatives were also residents of North Carolina.
Thomas Jefferson Rusk
(Image credit: Findagrave)
Thomas Jefferson Rusk is considered to be one of the fathers of Texas. He was born in South Carolina on December 5, 1803 to Irish immigrant John Rusk and his wife Mary Sterritt Rusk, and was one of seven children. He had a modest upbringing as his father was a stone mason. The family lived on the estate of John C. Calhoun who was his mentor. Rusk studied the law and was admitted to the South Carolina bar.
Teresa Urrea, Known as Santa Teresa
In the Roman Catholic tradition, Santa Teresa is a saint. Briefly, she was born Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada in 1515 in Ávila, Spain. She is known as St. Teresa of Ávila, and is considered to be one of the most devout women of the Roman Catholic Church. She was known for her devotion to God through prayer and contemplation. Santa Teresa died in 1582 and was canonized as a saint in 1622.
Not to be confused with the Roman Catholic saint, another woman born Niña Garcia Noña Maria Rebecca Chávez and known as Teresa Urrea, also Saint Teresa of Jesus, Saint Teresita Of Cabora or simply Santa Teresa in northern Mexico in 1873, had an interesting history as well and was connected to Texas and Mexico. Her father is believed to have been Don Tomás Urrea and her mother was a Yaqui Indian by the name of Cayetana Chávez who was fourteen years old when Teresa was born.
Texas History Notebook 