Obituaries

Charles “Chuck” Zajicek, of Edna, passed away on Sunday, June 25, 2017 at the age 56. He was born on June 4, 1961, in Ganado to the late Adolph Zajicek and Jo Ann Gerdes Zajicek.
Charles was a member of the Victoria Firefighter Department for 25 years. He also served as the Fire Marshall and Fire Chief of Ganado Volunteer Fire Department along with working part time for the Edna Fire Department. He had a loving personality and a contagious smile that will never be forgotten. Charles was a loving husband, father, brother, co-worker, uncle and dear friend that will be truly missed. He was known as “Pa” to not only his grandchildren but many other children throughout our community.

Delbert Warren Nowlin III, 48, of Vanderbilt, passed away June 21, 2017. Warren was born August 8, 1968 in Calhoun County to Pauline Lesak Nowlin and the late Delbert Warren Nowlin Jr. Warren was a proud and devoted father, a farmer for most of his life and a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Inez.
Warren is survived by his best friend and love of his life, Carrie Lynn Nowlin; sons, Justin Cade Nowlin and fiancé, Ashley of Inez, Coree “George” Bryce Nowlin of Vanderbilt; sisters, Teresa Turner of LaWard, Audra Portis and husband, Stan of Inez; brother, Jeremy Nowlin and wife, Amy of LaWard and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held Monday, June 26, 2017 from 5-7 PM at Rosewood Funeral Chapels. A funeral service will be Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at 10 AM at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Inez with Pastor Jay Tegeler officiating. Burial will immediately follow in Bischoff Cemetery.

James W. Aslin, 69, of Lolita, passed away on June 10, 2017. He was born in Hope, Ark. on Sept. 7, 1947 to Raymond and Dora Aslin.
He served in the U.S. Army and was a member of First Baptist Church in Lolita.
James is survived by his mother; wife, Sherry; brothers Terry Aslin and Frank Aslin; sisters Susie Aslin of Arkansas, Sherideth of Lolita, and Mary Kennedy of San Antonio; five grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held on June 17 at First Baptist Church in Lolita.

Charles "Chuck" M. Slavik, Jr. 73 of Edna was welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven on Sunday, June 18, 2017. Chuck was born in Columbus, Texas to Charles, Sr. and Emma Lichnovsky Slavik.
Chuck graduated from Edna High School. In school he was a wonderful athlete in track and was also captain of the football team. He was also class president and student council president along with being Mr. Cowboy. He received his BA in accounting from The University of Texas at Austin and his Doctoral of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas at Austin Law School.
Chuck is blessed to be survived by two loving families, his siblings Thomas "Tom" G. Slavik of Edna, John R. Slavik of Nashville, Tenn., and Marie Slavik Gallman and her husband James R. Gallman, III of Fort Worth; his two nieces Antonia E. Gallman of San Francisco, Calif., and Theresa M. Gallman of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Claudine F. Dittrich, 90, of Wylie, formerly of Edna, passed away on Thursday, June 15, 2017. She was born on Friday, Feb. 4, 1927 in Cordele to William and Julia Beran Dittrich.
She is survived by her sister Carlee Larkin, and numerous nieces and nephews and friends that loved her.
Claudine is preceded in death by her parents, her brothers John, Henry, Alvin and Paul Dittrich; and her sisters Minnie Sowell, Lucy Calcotte and Mary Quarels.
She graduated from Edna High School and she lived on the farm in Cordele until 1986 when she moved to Edna. She remained in Edna until December, 2015 when she moved to the Dallas area.
Visitation was Tuesday, June 20 at 9:30 a.m. with the funeral service at 10:30 a.m. at Slavik ~Edna Funeral Home Chapel, followed by interment at Memory Gardens of Edna.
Services were entrusted to Russell Todish of Slavik ~ Edna Funeral Home, 361-782-2152.

Robert Graham "Bob" Hessong of Edna passed away on Friday, June 16, 2017 at the age of 93. Bob was born in Edna on Saturday, Nov. 17, 1923 to the late Graham and Helan Wilson Hessong.
He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as an Aviation Radioman First Class on a torpedo bomber aboard the U.S.S. Lexington. He was the parts manager for City Chevrolet for 45 years, and after retiring he worked for Edna Auto Supply for several years.
Bob is survived by his son Robert L. and his wife Judy of Marlin; daughter Kathy Hessong of Ganado; brother Don Hessong and his wife Barbara of Pettus; seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and his good friend and companion Janet Entricht of El Campo.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 51 years, Loyce, their son George Hessong; and his siblings, Helen Singleton, Gladys Gearhart, Betty Bolander and Jimmy Hessong.

Alice Trevino, of Webster, passed away Wednesday, May 31, 2017, at the age of 50. She was born in El Campo on July 26, 1966, to Eusebio Trevino and Orfelinda Andrade Trevino.
Alice was a loving granddaughter, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin and friend who will be missed dearly.
Alice is survived by her parents, Eusebio and Orfelinda Trevino; sisters, Carol Trevino and Norma Scott and her husband Stephen; brothers, Alfred Trevino and his wife Esmeralda, Mark Trevino and his wife Candice, John Trevino and his wife Jody; niece, Madison Trevino; nephews, Cameron Trevino, Clayton Fernandez and his wife, Lindsay, Clifton Fernandez and his wife Brittney, Scott Tillery, Jordan Trevino and his wife Tiffany, Braden Trevino, Blake Trevino, Jacob Trevino, and Laken Barker; great-nephews, Tate Fernandez and Carter Fernandez.
Alice is preceded in death by her grandparents, Nicholas and Maria Andrade; and Sisto and Julia Trevino.

John Gordon Laughter, Jr., passed away on May 31, 2017. He was born on Dec. 18, 1919, in Jackson County to the late John Gordon Laughter, Sr. and wife Carrie Kone Fisher Laughter, both descendants of pioneer Texan settlers.
He was educated in the Edna schools, Schreiner College in Kerrville and A&I College in Kingsville. He was a licensed civil engineer, retired from TxDOT.
He is survived by his daughter Katherine Francis Laughter Kamal of Cairo, Egypt and nieces and nephews.
John is preceded in death by his parents, sisters Annalee Laughter Ratliff and Mary Laughter Frels of Edna; and a brother, William Pierce Laughter, a member of the U.S. Marine Corp who was KIA on Okinawa June 21, 1945.
He was a member of the Masonic Fraternities for over 70 years and Past Master of both Edna and Victoria Masonic Lodges. He was a 32 degree Scottish Rite KCCH, a Knight Templar and a Noble of Al Amin Shrine of Corpus Christi.

Richard Arlen Ellison, of Edna, passed away on Thursday, June 1, 2017 at the age of 78. He was born on Aug. 6, 1938 in Edna to the late Raymond Marvin Ellison and Iva Lee Roberts Ellison.
Richard proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1959. He retired from the Texas Department of Public Safety in 1993 after 36 years of service and was a Patron-level Life Member of the National Rifle Association. He was a loving husband, father, brother, and grandfather who will be deeply missed.
Richard is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Hazel LaVerne Wilkerson Ellison; daughter, Terri Lynn Hicks; son, Ronald Wayne Ellison and his wife Chris; sister, Mary Nell Tomas; brother, Raymond Marvin Ellison, Jr.; grandchildren, Misty Nicole Wells, Jeremy Wayne Hicks and his wife Amanda; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.
In addition to his parents, Richard is preceded in death by his sister, Anna Mae Ellison.

Jimmie Marie DeAtley Woodward Fiedler of Victoria, formerly of Edna, passed away on Tuesday, May 30, 2017, with her loving family by her side. She was born on May 19, 1931 in Long Mott, Texas to the late James Herman DeAtley, Sr. and Maria Elizabeth Phillips DeAtley.
Jimmie was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend who will be dearly missed.
Jimmie is survived by her daughters, Cheryl Woodward Rodgers, Claudia Woodward Kallus and husband Harvey, Karen Woodward Gregory and husband David; son, Bradford Kimp Woodward III. and wife Yvonne; sister Carolyn DeAtley Behrendt and husband Vernon; brother Donald H. DeAtley; special sister-in-law, Carol DeAtley; 14 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.