Lydia Ann Hobbs, 93, of Hallettsville, passed away October 1, 2020.  She was born on October 7, 1926 to Joseph & Clara Tomek Kouba Sr. in Shiner, TX, and lived in the community of Boundary Lines School that was about 4 miles southeast of Shiner.

Lydia's parents were renting a farm, where they raised; cotton, corn, cane for hay, chickens, hogs, and a few cows for milk.  What we didn't need, my parents sold the extra milk and eggs.  One farmer would pick up the ten gallon milk can from several farmers every day, and hauled it to town in his wagon.  Her dad also raised horses and mules, so he would always have three pairs to work the crops.  Her parents always had a garden and raised all the vegetables they needed.  If my parents, a family member or neighbor had more vegetables then they needed, they would trade for whatever the other didn't have.

When Lydia was 2 years old, twin boys, Albin & Leon was born, May 29, 1929.  They lived only 5 days, both died the same day.  That same year, Lydia was moved to the Mount Olive Community, to her grandparents, Joe & Anna Petru Tomek's farm.  November 14, 1930, her brother Stanley "Pete" was born.

Lydia started school at Mount Olive.  In rainy weather, the roads were too bad, so all the kids from the neighborhood went to school in a wagon.  The fathers took turns in taking the kids to school.  On January 9, 1933, her sister Georgia was born.  Later that month the family moved back to the Boundary Line Community, where her parents bought their own farm.  In addition to the crops, the farm had an orchard, all kind of fruits and berries.  Lydia hated picking the fruit, but even worse was having to help can all the all that stuff, making all that jelly from the berries, washing all those jars and big pots was something else, because they had to boil the water for the dishes on their cook stove.

Lydia's sister Henrietta was born on March 22, 1937.  Stanley and Lydia attended Boundary Line School.  Then later all of them went to St. Lumila's Academy in Shiner.  Joe Jr was born on December 18, 1940.

Lydia took a business course at Baldwin Business School, and then went to work at the San Antonio Water Board as a Billing Clerk.  She was living with her aunt Amelia Ruth, her dad's sister while her husband Beverly Ruth was serving oversees during WWII.

After the war, in August of 1946, Lydia started working at the old Renger Hospital in Hallettsville.  There she met W.A. "Buster" Hobbs.  On October 9, 1947, they were married in Shiner.  Buster's parents were M. A. & Pearl Harbour Hobbs.  Buster was working for an oil company when they married, and for a few months they lived in Breckenridge.  Since the company was moving to California, they moved to Hallettsville, and operated a Humble Service Station, went into the cattle business and helped his parents due to their bad health.  Buster & Lydia based different pastures for their cattle.  Their 4 older children; Carl, Paul, Clara and Sharon,  were born in Hallettsville.

In 1948, Buster went to work for the city of Hallettsville as Chief of Police.  In 1956, Buster ran for Sheriff of Lavaca County and was defeated.  In 1957 they moved to Colorado County where Buster worked as a deputy sheriff until 1961, when he went to work for the Texas Department of Corrections at the Ramsey Unit near Angleton.  Their children attended school in Angleton.  The youngest child, Linda, was born in Angleton.

By the end of the summer of 1965, Lydia and the children moved back to Hallettsville to take care of Buster's parents, who were very ill.  Buster stayed with the Corrections, and came home on his days off to check and take care of the cattle.  Carl and Paul would do a lot of the work when not in school.

M. A. Hobbs died on May 9, 1967, the same month Carl and Paul both graduated and left for work and college. Lydia and her daughters took care of granny, which was quite a chore.

August 18, 1969, granny died and Buster came home to run the ranch, and back to law enforcement.  In 1974 Lydia ran for the office of Lavaca County Treasurer and was defeated.  The children went to college and married.  Joe Kouba Sr. died November 4, 1977 and later Clara Kouba on April 29, 1978.  On September of 1983, Linda left for college in Big Springs, leaving Buster and Lydia alone.

In 1990, Buster was elected Lavaca County Judge, and elected a second term.  Two years into his second term, his health failed very fast.  He battled cancer, diabetes, strokes and bad eye sight, with his death on August 7, 1997.  Lydia was now running the ranch with the help of her children and Victor Steffek.  In 2015, she sold her home in Hallettsville and relocated to The Continental Retirement Community in Austin, then in July 2020, she moved to Carl Hobbs home.

Lydia was a member of K.J.Z.T. (75+ years), Catholic Daughters of Americas and Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Hallettsville.

Lydia is survived by:  2 sons, Carl Winford Hobbs & wife Julia, and Dr. Paul Wayne Hobbs & wife Dian; 2 daughters, Kathy Strickland & husband Doyle, and Linda Marie Shipley & husband Ron; son-in-law Jack Mitchell; 2 brothers, Stanley Kouba & wife Tia, and Joe Kouba Jr. & wife Merlene; 2 sisters, Henrietta Lipiec & husband Matt, and Georgia Schreiber; 21 grandchildren & spouses; 56 great grandchildren & spouses; and 23 great great grandchildren.

Lydia was preceded in death by:  her parents; husband Buster; daughter Sharon Ann Mitchell; daughter-in-law Anita Hobbs; twin brothers Albin & Leon Kouba; sister-in-law Venice Kouba; brother-in-law Marvin Schreiber; sister-in-law & brother-in-law Lela Mae & Joe Brezik; and numerous nieces & nephew.

Funeral Mass Service (All attendees must wear masks): 11:30 am, Monday, October 5, 2020, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Hallettsville; with Rosary starting at 11 am; and Visitation starting at 10 am. Pallbearers: Jason Fenner, David Hobbs, Chris Hobbs, Mike Shipley, Joshua Montz and Zachary Montz. Reader: David Montz. Officiant: Msgr. John Peters. Memorials: Donor's Choice. Burial: Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery.