Alonso Lopez Jr. says he knew he was going to marry Michelle the first time they met. Alonso and Michelle were at a dance when they first saw each other. They danced together that night, and have been together ever since. Alonso was born in San Antonio and graduated from Holmes High School. He grew up loving the outdoors and working on the ranch located in South Texas that has been in his family for multiple generations. He enjoys raising Santa Gertrudis cattle as a legacy to his Texas ranching heritage, hunting, and fishing. He attended Texas Tech University and later transferred to Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State, to be closer to Michelle. Michelle is from Austin, Texas. She is the youngest of three siblings. She graduated from Crocket High School. Michelle is a creative and artistic person; she is an incredible interior home designer and oil painter. She loves to attend her exercise class and stays active. Alonso and Michelle married in 1984 and shortly after had their first child, Lauren Michelle. They recall how stressful and scary it was to be starting a business, marriage and family at the same time. Michelle remembers hand painting signs for the business, and Alonso recalls going to do estimates in his old 1977 pick-up, praying the engine started. Late in 1985 Alonso and Michelle had their second child, Alonso III. Santex started making strides by this point, and the family started to flourish. Lauren went to Taft High school where she excelled in sports. After graduating, she attended Texas Tech University. She graduated with a BA in Public Relations and a Business minor. Lauren enjoys watching live music, playing her guitar and learning about business. Alonso III graduated from Warren High School and went to A&M Corpus Christi, later he transferred to Texas State, then Texas Tech University. Alonso is nicknamed Tiger. His father called him Tiger from the time he was a newborn, and the name stuck. It is just a weird coincidence that he also is a very talented golfer. He also enjoys the outdoors and loves to watch the wildlife in its natural habitat.