Laddie Kurtz, 82, of Shiner, passed away at his home June 22, 2021.  He was born on July 30, 1938 in the Charlottenburg community in Shiner Texas to Rudy and Veronika Mikes Kurtz.  He was a graduate of Saint Ludmila Academy in Shiner Texas in 1956 and Metropolitan Technical institute in Dallas Texas.  He married Rita Dornak on April 23, 1961 at John the Baptist Catholic Church of Koerth.

Laddie was a surveyor all his working life.  He starting out by surveying cotton fields for Lavaca County extension office, moving to Victoria in 1960 to work for Brown and Root.  He also worked for the Victoria Fire Department.  In 1963 he moved to Dallas to attend night school and continued surveying with road construction companies.  In 1967, he moved to Houston and worked for several bridge companies.  He was instrumental in building parts of West and South Loop 610 and the ship channel bridge.  In 1993 his company was bought out by a firm in Eddie Texas which had him traveling all over central Texas surveying and building bridges until his retirement in 2004.

Laddie was born with music in his blood and heart.  He loved music.  He started playing drums with the Shiner Hobo Band when he was 17 years old.  A couple of years later he joined his dad's band Rudy Kurtz Orchestra.  After moving to Victoria, he played drums with Weldon Hirschhauser's band, Jimmy Placker and Lue Parsley and several other bands in need of a drummer.  After moving to Dallas in 1963, he played Drums with the SPJST Czech Concert Orchestra at Lodge # 84, The Johnny Mensik Band and with Leo and Willie J Rejcek.  Moving to Houston in 1967, he joined Max Krchnak band "Swinging Strings Orchestra" for several years while also sitting in with several other bands in need of a drummer.  He also belonged to the SPJST Lodge #88 Czech Concert Orchestra, the Jim Rodhe band and J&S Playboys band.  After moving to Hallettsville in 1989, he re-joined the Shiner Hobo band.  He was the Booking Agent for the Hobo Band for the past 10 years.  He played drums most of his life but changed over to keyboard in the last few years.

During his 22 years living in Houston, he was an active member of St. Benedict Catholic as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, Men's club and booth chairmen at the annual festival.  He was a member and officer of Anderson Road Civic club and the Windsor Village Civic club.  He was also Scout Master, Cub Master and a Webelo Den leader in troop 291.  In retirement, he was an active member of Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner Texas where he sang in three different choirs before his illness.  He loved to sing.  He was also an active member of the Knights of Columbus Council #2433 in Hallettsville TX, member and past vice-president of KJT#20 in Shiner, SPJST #4 in Hallettsville, KJZT#5 in Shiner and Catholic Life insurance in Shiner.

Laddie was survived by:  his wife of 60 years, Rita Dornak Kurtz; three sons, Michael Kurtz & wife Patricia, Darrell Kurtz & wife Sherri and Kenneth Kurtz & wife Deborah; Two Grandchildren, Madalyn Martinez & husband Oscar & Maximilian Kurtz; and Two Great-Grandchildren, Elliot & Isaiah Martinez.

Laddie was preceded in death by:  his parents, daughter Suzanne Marie Kurtz; son Russell Kurtz; sister Helen Shimek Malick and four brothers: Edward, Rudy Jr, Daniel and Ernest Kurtz.

Funeral Mass Service: 1 pm, Saturday, June 26, 2021, at Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church of Shiner. Visitation: 5 pm, Friday, at Kubena Funeral Home of Hallettsville; with Rosary starting at 7 pm. Pallbearers: Stanly Shimek, Alois Kurtz, Marty Shimek, Danny Kurtz, Gregory Dornak & Joshua McNabb. Honorary pallbearers: members of the Shiner Hobo band. Officiant: Rev. Bryan Heyer. Memorials: Saint Cyril Methodius Catholic Church, Shiner Catholic School or Donor's Choice. Burial: 5 pm, Saturday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery of Koerth, TX.