My name is Twyla Weaver. I have five stepchildren, and one grandchild who just turned 1 this past December, and two fur babies. In my spare time (whenever I get it) I love to travel, read books, listen to any genre of music, cook and research history as well as my family genealogy.  I am my mother’s second oldest child of four and my father’s youngest daughter of ten. I was born September 5, 1979 and grew up in a rough neighborhood in Las Vegas with my mother and 3 siblings.  My childhood was difficult, but despite the circumstances, I graduated high school and completed training as a massage therapist. However, before I continue to talk about myself, it may be necessary to share something about my family history as it has had a major impact on who I am today, and it influences much of my passion for history and genealogy.

Much of my family history was passed down orally from generation to generation. Due to modern technology, much of the history that was shared has been proven through genealogy research. My family is originally from East Texas (Palestine). My paternal second great grandfather (Sam Price) was an ex-slave who had his freedom purchased by a neighboring slave and plantation owner’s daughter (Mary Price). After she purchased his freedom, the two were married. Sam acquired over 4000 acres of land and proceeded to build up the predominately black area of Palestine which was known as “Old Town”. He deeded land to his children, and other businessmen to start black owned businesses; like banks, hospitals, churches, and even a cemetery for black people who had nowhere to bury their deceased. My great uncle, Henry Lee “H.L.” Price, (one of Sam Price’s sons) founded a small town in East Texas (Cuney, TX) and was also the first African American to serve on a jury in Palestine, TX. I come from a long line of proud African Americans who defied the odds and spoke out against injustice. My oldest uncle was involved in organized sit-ins during the segregation/Jim Crow era and my grandmother helped integrates the schools in Palestine by having all her school aged children attend predominantly white institutions. Among other things, the racial tensions and resistance that my family faced influenced my grandparent’s decision to relocate their family. My grandparents decided it would be best to start over elsewhere so they packed up what they could and headed west to join my oldest uncle and his family in Las Vegas where they began a new life in 1972.

My life has included a multitude of exciting twists and turns. Shortly after I completed massage school, I made a drastic life change and moved back to where my family originated, Palestine, Texas, to attend a bible college. While I was in school, I started working for the State of Texas in a few different capacities. I relocated, again, to the Austin area and worked as a supervisor before I began a new career as a Business Analyst with the Health and Human Services Commission’s IT department.

In addition to many career changes, I have also been on a spiritual journey of sorts. I grew up in the Urban Baptist environment, heavily influenced by my grandmother. When my mother began to explore religion, she exposed us to the Pentecostal church and later in life my aunt became a major influence on my spiritual growth, and she was involved with the Full Gospel/Non-Denominational movement. For a period, I took a break from church, but when I met Andrew, he told me he was Catholic, and it sparked my interests. The more he shared his story about what led him to Catholicism the more curious I became. I decided to join the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) through the St. Louis Catholic Church where I was also confirmed in 2018.

In addition to the many professional and spiritual transitions, I also have a passion for volunteering. I have been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) with the Travis County Court system, and I routinely volunteered with the Food Pantry through my local parish. I have also trained to become a certified Mental Health First Aid respondent so that I could be more informed and know how to properly respond in the event I encountered someone having a mental health crisis. For a few years, Andrew frequently urged me to explore Rotary. He said I was a Rotarian at heart, and I would be able to offer so much to the organization if I were to become a member. I attended a few local meetings with him and was invited to be a member of the University of Austin Rotary Club.

Although I have had a successful professional life, I wanted to finally complete my degree so I re-enrolled at Temple College where I am currently completing my degree in Business Administration. Due to my busy schedule, I was unable to attend the required monthly in-person meetings and thought I needed to quit Rotary. I had a meeting with the president of the club who recommended the E-Club and introduced me to Suresh who invited me to the in-person meeting, right before Covid, and I was able to transfer my membership and maintain my participation in this phenomenal club.