Lyn Armstrong
graphics arts and layout editor
Lyn received her degree in mass media and history from Houston Baptist University where she was awarded the honor of Outstanding Senior History Major. She is a Christian school educator in Southeast Texas and specializes in photography and graphic design. Lyn is the mother of six young adults and grandmother of three. Her hobbies are playing Christian music and photographing old building murals and the rapidly disappearing architecture of early Texas.
Stephanie and Ken Brown
illustrators
Ken and Stephanie, illustrators of the God and Texas Christian Heritage coloring book, are passionate about Texas. A business man, Ken enjoys western art and freelance illustrating, and met Stephanie while they were both art students at Sam Houston State University. They are the parents of three children and three grandchildren. Residing in Conroe, they are committed to homeschooling and serving God wherever He calls them.
Dana Buckley
writer
Dana Buckley originates from Denver, Colorado. She spent twenty years in Texas, and now lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. During her last ten years in Texas, she researched and wrote a Christian history of Texas for fourth grade and for seventh grade. Even though she no longer lives in Texas, she continues to research, write and revise her history books as well as other material on Texas and the people who made Texas great.
Deborah Deggs Cariker
editor
Although a Louisiana native, Deborah got to the Lone Star State as soon as she could, emigrated as a young girl, married a Texas boy, birthed three Texans, and claims the State as her home. A veteran, award-winning radio and newspaper journalist-turned-homeschooling mother, Cariker still writes, edits, and reviews in her spare time. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Cariker loves Jesus, her family, and true, unadulterated, and unrevised history. The Cariker family lives in the Houston area — usually in the 21st century– but can often be found living in canvas tents in the 19th century as Confederate reenactors.
James Carlson
writer
Lynn Dean
writer
Lynn Dean confesses that she was a reluctant historian. Bored with schoolbooks chronicling battle dates and dead people, she recoiled from inflicting mind-numbing data on her own students. Fortunately, she discovered the classic appeal of storytelling — adventure sagas about real people who struggled to overcome obstacles while pursuing their dreams. For more than a decade she has combined unit studies, field trips, and quality literature to create unique and memorable experiences in discovery learning. Lynn is a speaker at Texas home school conventions. Her website: www.discovertexasonline.com.
Frances Hudgens Gilmore
writer
Although born in Oklahoma, Fran was raised in Dallas where she attended Southern Methodist University and received Registered Nurse credentials from Dallas Methodist Hospital. Married to Ben Gilmore, they both operate ACH [American Christian Heritage] Study Groups which feature providential history and Biblical principles of government. An accomplished home-school teacher, Fran founded Parent Educators Resource Center in Morgan Hill, CA. She wrote the biography of Lorenzo de Zavala who dedicated his life teaching others about the principles of liberty. For more information about American Christian Heritage and online courses contact Ben or Fran Gilmore: histbuff@garlic.com…916-722-2501…www.ACHStudyGroups.com.
Paul Kramer
writer
A native Texan, Paul descended on his mother’s side from the Austin/Bryan/Perry family that goes back to Stephen F /Emily Austin Bryan Perry. He served as past President of the Austin/Bryan/Perry annual family reunion held in Peach Point, Brazoria County on the Gulf Coast. Paul is the Director of Engineering at a large hospital in Dallas and has lived in Carrollton for 39 years, married, with 2 grown children. He has written 2 historical books-”the Providential History of Texas,” and “The Providential History of Carrollton/Farmers Branch”.
Linda Lewis Odom
Linda graduated from Lama University in Beaumont with a Bachelor’s degree in elementary and secondary education and a Master’s degree in history with a minor in English. She has taught in public education and home schooled her own grandchildren. A sixth generation Texan, Linda is a Daughter of the Republic of Texas organization. She lives in Cleveland with her husband Monty, a Vietnam veteran, where he serves as pastor of Amazing Grace Missionary Baptist Church. They are the parents of two adult children and grandparents of four.
Jan Payne Pierce
Christian educator, author, and speaker, Jan is the mother of four adult children and grandmother of six. A fifth generation Texan, Jan has lived all over Texas. She graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Education and received history and dance certification from Sam Houston State University. Her teaching background includes public, private, and home school settings as well as dance and swim instruction.
After several decades in the Fine Arts, God led Jan into Christian Education where she learned about the Christian history of America. She also taught Texas History and exchanged ballet slippers for boots so she could spread the word about “God and Texas…!” a partial phrase in the last letter coming from the Alamo.
God encouraged Jan “to declare the works of the Lord” (Psalm 118:17) in Texas and start the Texian Christian Writers for others to join in the work. When not home writing, she hits the trail speaking, teaching, or researching about what else? Texas HisStory.
