Ethel Louise Jansa

Ethel Louise (Halfmann) Jansa, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother went to her Heavenly Father on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. 

Ethel was born in Olfen, Texas, on July 6, 1932, the eldest of 7 children to Henry and Elvira (Lange) Halfmann. She attended grade school in Olfen and graduated from St. Joseph High School in Rowena, Texas. Ethel married her love, Paul Jansa, on August 26, 1952, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Olfen, Texas. They were married for 72 years. Paul and Ethel lived on the Jansa family farm west of Rowena until moving into town in 2002. 

Before she was married, Ethel taught music at Woods Music Store in San Angelo, Texas. She was proficient in playing the steel guitar, organ, piano, clarinet, accordion and acoustic guitar. Ethel was part of a band which performed for Servicemen in Killeen, Texas, receiving a letter from President Truman commending them for their performance. Ethel, her sisters and cousins, played at dances in the Rowena, Olfen and Slaton areas. Ethel was a woman of so many talents that she loved sharing with her family and friends. She was an excellent seamstress, sewing many of her children’s clothes, including bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, little tuxes for her grandsons, dresses for her granddaughters, baby blankets, quilts, and christening gowns. She loved to quilt and often worked with her fellow parishioners to make quilts for the annual St. Joseph Parish Fall Festival. Ethel was an outstanding cook and baker. From having baked goods or lunch for Paul to take out in the field, feeding 8 kids, fried chicken for the family vacations, to cinnamon rolls and pies for family visits, Ethel was a master in the kitchen. 

She was a farmer’s wife at heart, helping Paul with the farming, driving tractor, herding cows or sheep, shredding fields of cotton stalks, stomping cotton and moving trailers (two at a time) of stripped cotton from their farm at Doole to the Eola gin. Ethel loved to play dominos and cards with their friends, children and grandchildren, listen to polka music, and enjoyed making wonderful memories with the family at the farm or the family river place. 

Ethel was very involved in the Catholic school and church organizations’ activities. She was a Charter member of the Rowena Our Lady of Grace Catholic Daughters and the St. Ann Altar Society. When her youngest daughter entered kindergarten, Ethel became the parish organist and choir director, a service she provided for 45 years, planning and playing the music for many weekend Masses, Christmas and Easter Masses, and many weddings and funerals. 

Ethel is survived by her caring and loving husband of 72 years, Paul, and their 8 children: daughter Diane Fuchs and husband Roy of Innsbrook, MO, daughter Connie Glass and husband Kerry of Miles, TX, daughter Karen Byler and husband Will of Ballinger, TX, son Steven Jansa and wife Teresa of Vancourt, TX, son Mitchell Jansa and wife Lynette of Garden City, TX, daughter Deborah Earnshaw and husband Clay of Ballinger, TX, daughter Mary Vaughn and husband Wayne of Austin, TX, and daughter Paula Vinson and husband Jerry Don of Van Alstyne, TX, 24 grandchildren, Tiffany (Todd) Dohrmann, Brittany (Rob) Thompson, Danielle (Ryan) Bauer, Heather (Dusty) Hohensee, Shawn (Jamie) Glass, Nathan (Leslie) Glass, Lindsey (Bryan) Gayoso, Russell (Nicole) Byler, Ryan Byler, Kasey (Chelsea) Byler, Jett Byler, Kennedy (Fiancé Jaimee Keesee) Byler, Slade (Crystal) Jansa, Kalli (Lane) Baxter, Chasity (Juston) Oakes, Leslie (Kyle) Robbins, Jeff (Karla) Earnshaw, Wes (Kayla) Earnshaw, Zachary Vaughn, Hannah Vaughn, Shelby (Jesse) Miller, Tori (Connor) Hoelscher, Colton (Connor) Vinson and 43 great grandchildren with one on the way and one great great grandchild. The family of Ethel and Paul numbers 103 and counting. 

Ethel is also survived by her sisters, Lorene Schniers, Patsy Milford and husband Ron, Betsy Lehnert and husband Wilbert, and brothers Henry Halfmann and wife Dereatha, and Daniel Halfmann and wife Karol, and brother-in-law Monroe Frerich, and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Elvira Halfmann, grandson, Justin Byler and great granddaughter Kinley Brook Earnshaw, sister Pauline Frerich and in-laws Wilfred Schniers, Alfon and Virgie Lee Jansa, Andrew Jansa, Ervin and Felda Schraer, Mollie and Walter Lange, Alice and Wilfred Kitten and Gertrude and Edward Kellermeier. 

Ethel will always be remembered for her loving and welcoming personality, as well as her endless love and commitment to Paul, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

The family expresses sincere thanks to all the staff of Ballinger Healthcare and Rehab Center, and Ballinger Home Health and Hospice for their wonderful care of mom. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Justin Byler Scholarship Fund, St. Joseph Catholic Church, in Rowena, Texas, in memory of Ethel or charity of choice.

A rosary will be held for Ethel on Friday, September 27, 2024, at 3:30 pm at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rowena, Texas. Her Mass of Christian Burial will follow on the same day at 4:00 pm, with Father Ariel Lagunilla celebrating. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery also in Rowena.