Florence Corrine Hertel Farek died peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at the age of 95 years, 7 months.
She was born on the family farm in Engle on Aug. 7, 1926 to Edmund and Callie (Klaevemann) Hertel, where she spent her early days running around with her two older brothers on their various adventures. She was a crack shot, and fondly recalled hunting possums and rabbits with them and cousins who lived on the neighboring farmsteads. She also loved tagging along with her father in the fields as he plowed, planted and harvested their crops. As a teenager, Florence put what she learned FLORENCE FAREK from him to use and took over running the farm by herself when both her brothers were called to service in WWII and her father fell ill. To make ends meet during this time, she would work as a checker in several grocery stores in the winter and farm on the side.
After two years of “trying to burn the candle at both ends,” she talked her father into selling the farm and the family moved into the town of Schulenburg. She continued to work various jobs to support the family, eventually landing a position as a teller at Farmers State Bank, where she met her future husband. Florence and W.A. “Bill” Farek Jr. were married on June 17, 1952 and she soon started the next phase of her life raising their five children. She returned to the workforce in the mid-1970s as a secretary at Double B Foods. When she and her husband became co-owners of The Casual Shop with another couple, she managed the ladies’ apparel shop until they sold it. In her later years, she worked at both the Schulenburg Historical Museum and the Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum. She was a huge history buff, and loved meeting and talking to all the people who visited the museums, sharing her knowledge with them.
Always active in the community, Florence’s first efforts were selling war bonds through the bank. She was on the founding committee for the Tri-Association League, and bowled on several ladies’ teams over the years, collecting a shelf full of trophies. When her daughters joined the Girl Scouts, she became a leader. She was a member of Backstage Inc., Schulenburg Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club and the women’s auxiliary of the American Legion, often holding offices in these organizations. She authored three books on local history. The achievement of which she was proudest was collecting and documenting the stories of local WWII veterans, some of whom had never shared their experiences with anyone before, not even their own families.
Florence was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her two brothers Nolan and Melvin Hertel, her sister Jeanette Gouldsberry and her grandson-in-law Cpt. Andres Schloemann.
Survivors include her children James (wife Araceli) Farek of Houston, Jean (husband Stephen) Burleson of Camden, Maine, Jo Annette Farek of Schulenburg, Jennifer (husband Patrick) Prihoda of La Grange and John Farek of Las Vegas, Nev. Also surviving her are grandchildren John Burleson, Elizabeth Shloemann, Jesse Farek and Karina Farek, and great-grandchildren Gabriel and Sebastian Schloemann.
A private funeral service will be held for the family. A celebration of life for family and friends will be held at a date to be determined. Arrangements are being handled by Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to one’s favorite charity.