Obituaries for Austin County, Texas
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Schutte, Wilver "Jean" (Bean, Svajda) (1930-2017)
Wilver Jean (Bean) Svajda, 87, ended her life’s journey on Saturday afternoon, October 21, 2017 at her home where she lived the past 62 years.
"Jean", as her family and friends called her, was born in Evadale, Texas where she was raised and attended grade school. She attended and
graduated high school in Buna, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her parents William Milam Bean and Ila D'Lisha (Hare) Bean, her husband Vladimir Frank (Ladgie) Svajda (Sealy),
her brother Frank Bean (Beaumont, Tx) and sister Willie (Bean) Wright (Evadale), and her second husband Myles G. Schutte (Sealy).
She is survived by her son Michael Hardie-Svajda (Austin, Tx), her daughter Ann (Svajda) Sosa (San Antonio, TX), her granddaughter Myla
Hardie-Svajda (Los Angeles, Ca), her son-in-law Ricardo (Che) Sosa (San Antonio, Tx), and Ricardo's nephew Jorge “George†Herrera
(San Antonio, Tx) who is an honored member of the family.
Jean met the love of her life Ladgie Svajda in Silsbee, Tx where he worked as a bookkeeper. They were married 6 months later and lived in
Silsbee for a year before moving to Sealy where Ladgie was offered a job with the Sealy School District. She supported her husband Ladgie in
his work as an educator and administrator in Sealy for many years. He taught her bookkeeping and she kept the books and worked as Secretary
for Koy Concrete until her retirement.
Jean had a lot of energy and always stayed busy. She loved decorating her home and working in her yard and garden. She was known and admired
for her back yard in particular where she kept an impressive array of plants and trees to accentuate her large brick patio. She derived great
pleasure from the various species of birds that would come to bathe and drink in her bird bath and fountain.
She had a love of music. As a teenager she played guitar and piano and sang at parties with a school friend of hers. Her son became a
professional musician learning to sing harmony at his Mother’s knee as she played songs from the American Standard songbook. She had a
large collection of records, CD's, and tapes that she played often. She especially liked the music of the 40's. One of her favorites
was Glen Miller. She also loved Mariachi music and would always ask them to play a song when she was in a restaurant with live musicians.
Jean was also well traveled. She was able to see most of the continental United States. She traveled to Ireland, New Zealand, Australia,
Vancouver, Montreal, and the coast of Alaska by ship. She traveled as long as her health permitted.
She loved to dress well. She had an elegant way of buying unique dresses and matching them with jewelry and accessories. She also had a
special love of the Christmas holidays and had her tree up and decorated very early in the season so she could get maximum enjoyment of
her favorite time of year.
She will be greatly missed by the people whose lives she touched. The family asks that you simply remember her in your prayers and with a
smile. That is the way she would have wanted it. And it is the way we will always remember her.
Visitation will be held at 10 AM on Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at the Knesek Funeral Home 768 Fourth St., Sealy, Texas. Immediately
following at 11 AM will be a memorial service and cemetery service.
Stern, Carl Gustav (1809-1879)
Death of an Old Citizen.
Mr. C. G. Sterns, who lived seven miles southwest of Brenham, and near the Austin county line, died very suddenly at 8:30 P.M.
on Friday at his home. He was about sixty years of age. Mr. S. was a German by birth, but had been a citizen of this county for
about thirty years. He was an honest, upright and industrious farmer who was highly respected by his neighbors. Mr. Sterns,
although apparently as healthy a man as could be found, was afflicted with heart disease and was frequently heard to say that he
might drop off at any time. On the evening of his death he was in his apparent usual robust health and was playing with one of his
grandchildren; he asked for a glass of water, but before it could be brought fell to the floor and expired. he leaves several grown
children and a number of grand children. A good man has gone to his reward.
Swearingen, Angelina (Weeks) (1811-1883)
Obituary Notice of Angelina Weeks Swearingen from Bellville Times, October 19, 1883
Death of a Veteran
Again is the Times called upon to chronicle one of those deaths that removed from our midst one of the first way marks of Texas history.
In 1831, fifty two years ago, Mrs. Angelina Swearingen and her young husband located on a farm near what is now Millheim, she being the first
white woman to take up a home in that settlement. For more than the allotted life of man she has lived on that first place of her choice.
Here was spent the young manhood and womanhood of Mr. & Mrs. Swearingen; here they passed through the stirring scenes of the Texas struggle
for independence, writing their own names indelibly on the pages of Texas history. Here passed the prime and vigor of their lives, here clustered
around them a family of children, now settled in their homes, and here, as old age came on, they peacefully awaited the call to go to the mysterious and unknown beyond.
To Mrs. Swearingen the call came last Thursday morning at 1 o'clock , October 17, 1883 .
In the silent hours of the night she died, as she had lived, surrounded by friends who loved, respected, and admired her for her kind heart,
her many virtues, and her native intelligence. The sorrow of the bereaved is tempered by the reflection that the departed had lived out her full
time, that she had done her work, and done it well, and that she leaves the world much the better for her having lived in it. She was a devoted
Christian, an humble and sincere follower of the meek and lowly Saviour and we are assured that already she has been greeted with the welcome
plaudit, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter then into the joys of thy Lord."
