obituaries

Dec 2, 2009

Jerome I. Kocian, 101, of Hallettsville, passed away Dec. 2, 2009. He was born on July 31, 1908 to Frank & Emilie Darilek Kocian Sr. in the Komensky area of Lavaca County. He married Alice Henkhaus Kocian on Sept. 4, 1934 in Shiner. They celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in 2009. Jerome was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church...

Nov 28, 2009

John Peter Hollerich, 62, of Hallettsville, passed away Nov. 28, 2009. He was born on Sept. 13, 1947 to John P. & Trese Livek Hollerich in Chicago, Illinois. He married Mary E. Behlen on Sept. 19, 1992 at Canyon Lake.

John is survived by: his wife Mary and daughter Elyse Smith of Mississippi.

John was preceded in...

Nov 27, 2009

Jimmy G. Sanchez, 74, of Hallettsville, passed away Nov. 27, 2009. He was born on Sept. 16, 1935 to Eugenio & Maria Guerrero Sanchez in Floresville. He served in the US Navy as a Corpsman. He married Soila Garcia on April 9, 1961. In 1965, Jimmy and Soila moved from San Antonio to begin a life in Hallettsville. He worked...

Nov 22, 2009

Mary Mozisek Kutach, 93, of Hallettsville, passed away Nov. 22, 2009. She was born on April 15, 1916 to Joseph & Apolena Sykora Mozisek in Lavaca County, Texas. She married Jim H. Kutach on Nov. 23, 1937 at Koerth Catholic Church. She was a member of KJZT, SPJST, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Hallettsville.

Mary is survived by:...

Nov 17, 2009

Joel B. Nelson, 58, of Hallettsville, passed away Nov. 17, 2009. He was born on Feb. 27, 1951 to J. B. & Lorrie Valigura Nelson in Dallas, TX. He married Debbie White on July 20, 1981 in Dallas. He was a Vietnam Veteran and member of Harvest Baptist Church of Waxahachie, TX.

Joel is survived by: his wife Debbie;...

Nov 9, 2009

Audrey Adams Dupre, 93, of Sheridan, Texas, passed away on Monday, November 9, 2009, in Hallettsville, Texas.

Audrey was born on October 31, 1916, in a small shotgun house in Samstown, Louisiana, the first of ten children born to Lawrence Adams and Agnes Hebert Adams. She will be remembered by family and friends for her remarkable memory concerning facts...

Nov 8, 2009

Beatrice Dornak Melnar, 93, of Hallettsville, passed away Nov. 8, 2009. She was born on March 13, 1916 to August F. Dornak & Karolina Kutach Dornak in Worthing, TX. She married Robert L. Melnar on October 25, 1938 at St. Mary's Church. She was a member of K.J.Z.T., Catholic Daughters of the Americas, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Hallettsville....

Nov 5, 2009

Virginia J. Whitehead, 83, of Hallettsville, passed away Nov. 5, 2009. She was born on Mar. 27, 1926 to August & Minnie Gold Merechka in Provident City, Texas. She married Urvin Whitehead on Dec. 25, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas. She was a member of Church of Christ in Sheridan, Texas.

Virginia loved working with her hands. She always...

Nov 3, 2009

Benjamin J. Spanihel, 78, of Hallettsville, passed away Nov. 3, 2009. He was born on Dec. 10, 1930 to Charles A. & Albina Gerlich Spanihel in Hallettsville. He married Sue Mulkey on Oct. 10, 1954 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Enid, OK. He received an Honorary Discharge from the US Air Force on Feb. 13, 1955. He was a...

Nov 1, 2009

Emilie Evelyn Schneider Bitala, 94, was born on October 3, 1915 to Alois & Rosalie Janak Schneider in Hallettsville. She married James Bitala on July 6, 1932. He passed away on September 15, 1963. She was a member of S.P.J.S.T. and Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Hallettsville.

Emilie love to spend time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. They...

Oct 30, 2009

Gus "Cudlum" Werner Jr., 84, of Hallettsville, passed away October 30, 2009. He was born on June 20, 1925 to Gus & Rosa Kunze Werner Sr. in Hallettsville, Texas. He married Lucille Leopold Werner on April 22, 1949 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Hallettsville. He joined the US Army during WWII at the age of 18, served in the...

Oct 30, 2009

Dennis D. Appelt, 72, of Hallettsville, passed away October 30, 2009. He was born on August 28, 1937 to Clemens & Gertrude Eichblatt Appelt in Houston, Texas. He received an Honorable Discharge from the US Coast Guard in 1964. He married Margarete Sprenger Appelt on August 28, 2004 in Hallettsville. He was a member of the American Legion and Sacred...

Oct 26, 2009

Oscar Lee Barta, 83, of Hallettsville, passed away Oct. 26, 2009. He was born on August 6, 1926, to Alfonse and Martha Cook Barta in Breslau, Texas. He married Irene Brossmann on April 15, 1950 in Schulenburg, Texas.

Oscar was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Sacred Heart Church, VFW, and American Legion. As a young man Oscar...

Oct 25, 2009

Helen Mueck Montgomery, 92, of Hallettsville, passed away October 25, 2009. She was born May 24, 1917, to Baylor and Freida Kroll Mueck, in Maxwell, Texas. She married Carl H. Smith on October 31, 1937, in Lawton, Oklahoma. Helen is survived by: 1-Daughter Carol Smith Morton and husband Randy of Hallettsville, Texas; Grandson Bryan and wife Stephanie Morton of Cleburne,...

Oct 22, 2009

Elizabeth G. Kleiber, 86, of Hallettsville, passed away October 22, 2009. She was born on February 25, 1923, to John and Albina Kutach Opela, in Wied, Texas. She married Charlie J. Kleiber on October 18, 1948 in Hallettsville, Texas.

Elizabeth was a member of KJZT and the Sacred Heart Church. She enjoyed life as a homemaker and love the...

Oct 4, 2009

Lorene Lillian Vaculik, 77, of Moravia, passed away Sunday, October 4, 2009. She was born on September 12, 1932 in Moravia to Frank & Albina (Fojt) Trlica. She married Edwin Vaculik on October 25, 1952 in St. John, Texas. They moved to Houston, Texas and lived there for 30 years, in 1983, they returned to the Moravia Community. She was...

Oct 3, 2009

Dr. Elton Bernard Hale, 94, of Houston, passed away October 3, 2009. He was born on June 11, 1915 to Bernard B. & Julia Paulus Hale in Hallettsville. He was a retired Professor Emeritus of Business Economics at Rice University and Alumnus of Rice University. A distinguished, loving, and quiet man, who taught in public schools and attaining the level...

Sep 27, 2009

David Keith Brocker, 46, of Hallettsville, passed away Sept. 27, 2009. He was born on Oct. 7, 1962 to Mike & Marie Needham Brocker Jr., in Hallettsville. He was a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church of Hallettsville.

David was a car and motorcycle enthusiast from a very young age. Cars became a passion as well as a profession....

Sep 24, 2009

Stazie Jurena, 88, of Hallettsville, passed away September 24, 2009. She was born on August 3, 1921 to Anton J. & Agnes Steffek Chalupa in Lavaca County, Texas. She married Rudolph Gus Jurena on December 30, 1941 in Koerth, Texas. She was a member of KJZT and Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Hallettsville.

Stazie is survived by: son Maurice...

Sep 22, 2009

Viola J. Melnar, 88, of Hallettsville, passed away September 22, 2009. She was born on March 18, 1921, to Joseph and Alvina Barton Krizak, in Colorado County, Texas. She married Victor Will Melnar on October 30, 1939 in Weimar, Texas.

Viola was a member of SPJST and also was involved with the Oakland Fire Department. She enjoyed many hobbies....