Dorothy "June" Renger, 89, of Hallettsville, passed away Oct. 31, 2013 at Stevens Convalescent Center in Hallettsville, Texas. She was born on June 30, 1924 to Louis Alexander & Nathalie "Tollye" Louise Meissner Schaefer in the Breslau Community in Lavaca County, Texas. She graduated from Breslau Rural School in 1941, where she had excelled in writing, volleyball and singing. On August 9, 1942, she married William "Bill" Oscar Renger in the Lutheran Church in Moulton. Because of gas rationing, the only people at her wedding were the pastor, organist, the witnesses (Bill and Maxine Buss), June and Bill. Afterwards there was a dinner and celebration at her parent's home.. She was a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary and St. Peter Lutheran Church of Hallettsville.

June and Bill were the proud parents of two children: William "Billy" Oscar Jr. (Margaret "Margie" Rainosek) and June Lynn. She was a loving mother. They had three grandchildren: William Russell "Rusty" Renger of Odessa, William "Will" Harris Pence of Corpus Christi, and Jennifer "Jennie" Marie Pence of Little Rock, Arkansas. She was very proud of their accomplishments. They also had two great grandsons: William Rhan Renger and Riley Glen Renger, both of El Paso. Her great regret was they lived far away, but she reveled in stories of their golf and music successes.

After June was first married, she worked at Perry Brothers Department Store in Hallettsville. June and Bill lived in an upstairs bedroom in the home of Henry and Louise Renger, Bill's parents. World War II caused a severe housing shortage for the returning veterans. When June was expecting Billy, she had to quit her job because it wasn't "appropriate" for her to continue to work in her "condition". After that, June helped Bill and Henry Renger in their store, a bar on the square. Little did she know this would become an almost lifetime occupation!

June worked grading tomatoes at Timm's Tomato Sheds at the railroad tracks, when tomatoes were a big export business for the county. One of her jobs was working for Goedecke's grading cotton. She decided to go to Baldwin Business School in Yoakum and acquired a business certificate. After the completion of her studies, she worked for the Renger Clinic and Renger Hospital. She was a secretary for Dr. Harvey Renger Sr., medical records librarian and kept the records for the hospital pharmacy. After 20 years with the clinic, she retired to go to work full-time with Bill in their bar. She sold Avon on and off for many years, and was fond of their products. She did secretarial work for Hal-Tex board meetings. She volunteered for the March of Dimes on a regular basis. Grass did not grow under her feet. After Bill died in 2002, she went to work for the Lavaca County Senior Citizen's Center, where she worked until February 2013. She hated to give up her job, because she loved the people she worked with and all the people the Center served.

Bill and June were a good match, because they were both people persons. They loved to serve the public in their bar which they kept open until Bill turned 80 and needed to slow down a bit. Then they were able to take bus trips to Coushatta, Louisiana. June continued taking trips on the bus until September 2013. The slot machines had a fascination for June, but she also just enjoyed sitting and visiting with people and hearing their stories. When she came home, she always had interesting stories to tell. It was more fun than whether she won or lost. June enjoyed going to bingo on Tuesday nights. She had a good friend, Susie Olivarez, who would pick her up from Stevens and bring her safely home. She had a good time with her special friends, Margaret Smolik, Mary Ann Baker, Stella Blaha and many other friends who preceded her into Paradise.

In February of this year, June's health took a turn for the worse. While she was in rehab, after having a pacemaker inserted, she decided to make Stevens her permanent home. And it was her home. The employees and the residents became a part of her family. She tried to impart cheer and an upbeat Christian philosophy to all. She enjoyed working word search puzzles, listening to music on television and watching Joel Osteen and local masses, attended church services, playing dominoes and bingo with friends. June loved the garden in the atrium and wished she could still work in the dirt as she loved flowers, especially yellow roses.

June's relatively sudden passing was a surprise to all who knew and loved her, because she had such a strong life force. She goes to join her beloved family and to become a part of the great "cloud of witnesses".

June is survived by: son Billy Renger Jr. & wife Margie of Hallettsville; daughter June Lynn Pence of Hallettsville; 3 grandchildren, William Russell "Rusty" Renger of Odessa, William "Will" Harris Pence of Corpus Christi, and Jennifer "Jennie" Marie Pence of Little Rock Arkansas; and 2 great grandchildren, William Rhan Renger and Riley Glen Renger both of El Paso.

June was preceded in death by: husband Bill; parents; brother Harvey Schaefer; 4 sisters, May Keil, Maxine Hemmi, Adele Vyvial, and Anita Williams; 3 nephews, Marvin Lorfing, James Lorfing and Lanny Keil; and niece Ellen Faye Ostrum Moss.

Funeral Service: 10 am, Monday, Nov. 4, 2013 at Kubena Funeral Home of Hallettsville. Visitation: 4 pm, Sunday, at Kubena Funeral Home. Officiate: Rev. Andy Taylor. Pallbearers: Will Pence, Bruce Schneider, Al Schneider, Bryant Sitka, Jason Rodriguez, and Jerry Timm. Honorary Pallbearers: Rusty Renger, Jennie Pence, Rhan Renger, Riley Renger, the staff of Stevens Nursing Center, and the staff of Lavaca Rescue Service. Memorials: St. Peter Lutheran Church, Hospice of South Texas, or donor's choice Burial: Hallettsville City Cemetery.