Texas Estates Code - EST § 202.054. Personal Service of Citation May Be Required

(a) The court may require that service of citation in a proceeding to declare heirship be made by personal service on some or all of those named as distributees in the application filed under Section 202.005.

(b) If a distributee to be cited under Subsection (a) is absent from or is not a resident of this state, any disinterested person competent to make an oath that the citation was served may serve the citation.