JOSEPH D. JANAK

JOSEPH D. JANAK

HALLETTSVILLE - Joseph D. Janak, 85, of Hallettsville, Texas, beloved husband, father, farmer, rancher, conservationist and friend of many, completed his earthly chores and gained heaven's rewards on April 14, 2012. Joe D. was born on March 14, 1927, to August J. and Agnes M. (Pustka) Janak, of Hallettsville (Wied), Texas, and was the third youngest of ten children. On April 11, 1950, he married Mildred M. Krejci, and they made their home on his parents' and grandparents' family farm located in the Wied community, west of Hallettsville.
His life's passion and joy was working alongside his wife and children raising Charolais and other exotic cattle, farming numerous crops and enhancing agriculture on both the land he was born and raised, as well as on land for other residents of the county. He was a lifelong Catholic and a member of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner, Texas.
Starting with just two head of cattle and rented land, Joe D. led his family into a lifelong agricultural career influencing many people and several generations. He and his wife began raising hogs and cattle growing to several hundred head of each in feedlot operations and supplementing their income selling chicken eggs.
In the late 1950's he was one of the first ranchers in Lavaca County to begin using Charolais bulls to increase beef production. In 1963, this led to a major livestock show winning with his Charolais bull at the San Antonio FatStock Show as well as numerous 4-H and FFA steer champions for area youth. He was one of the first in Texas to raise Limousin cattle and later develop a herd for beef production and show at livestock expositions in Houston, San Antonio and Denver, Colorado.
Additionally in the 1950's, he was one of the first promoters, raisers and custom planters of Coastal bermudagrass in Lavaca County, literally planting thousands of acres for other ranchers. A staunch advocate of using legumes, particularly clovers to improve the soil and farm profitability, he annually harvested hundreds of acres for area farmers/ranchers. This developed into a clover seed cleaning and selling business featuring one of the few commercial seed scarifiers and cleaners in Texas providing quality legume seed to farmers and ranchers for many years all across Texas.
He was also a proponent of soil testing and fertilizing, cooperating with Texas Extension Service for years in numerous fertility, clover variety, tillage and agronomic demonstrations that were toured by hundreds of farmers for many years. Advancements demonstrated to area farmers in the 1960's showed his grain sorghum yield increased from 1800 to 6000 pounds and corn increased from 30 to 90 bushels per acre.
For these major accomplishments, Joe D. Janak was awarded the Lavaca County Outstanding Conservation Rancher in 1956 and the Top Soil Conservation Farmer in 1957. In 1963 he was recognized by the Lavaca County Young Farmers with the Top Farmer Award in Area III and in 1964 they awarded him the coveted Outstanding Young Farmer Award in Area III.
His many years of conservation practices and public education through demonstrations earned him in 1967 the Soil & Water Conservation District Award, the Outstanding Young Farmer Award in Area III and the Hobbitzelle Award from the Hallettsville Chamber of Commerce for Outstanding Advancements of Texas Rural Life.
Throughout his farming and ranching career, he served on numerous boards and organizations such as the Lavaca County Farmers Home Administration and Lavaca County Soil & Water Conservation District (Chairman and later Director). For others to glean from, he and his agricultural accomplishments were featured in many local newspapers and major farm and ranch presses such as THE FARMER STOCKMAN and also THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER magazines in the late 1960's.
Joe D. also enjoyed wildlife and an occasional hunt and practiced his conservation principles. Throughout his life he planted scores of trees for wildlife, livestock and aesthetics on his farm as well as others. In the 1980's, he acquired eggs and raised hundreds of wild Rio Grande turkeys annually; many he released in the Wied, St. Mary and Dilworth communities. Today, wild turkeys can still be heard in these communities in the early morning or evening hours.
A third generation farmer and rancher on the original settled land, he and his wife researched family farm deeds applying for and earning for the farm the 100 year Texas Family Land Heritage certificate in 1982. He retired from farming and ranching at 81 years of age, managing as the family's sole income up to 400 acres in agriculture production for many years.
Taking great pride in acknowledging the role his Czech ancestors allowed for his existence, Joe D., his wife and family, embarked on quests to the Czech Republic researching their family heritage. These sojourns yielded the compilation of three history-filled books documenting the lineage of the Janak and Krejci families dating back to the 17th century.
Listening to Czech polka and waltz music was his enjoyment, but others enjoyed listening to him joyfully play (by ear) these folkloric songs on the piano, singing along.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents, August and Agnes Janak and his siblings and their spouses: Annie Najvar and husband Joe, Paul and wife Mary, Rev. Monsignor Hubert, Julia Gillar and husband Milo, Malvin and wife Sybil, Margaret Roeder and husband Bernard, Agnes Gerlich and husband Edwin and Irene Hruzek and husband Harry.
He is survived by a sister, Bernadette (Bobbye) Nunley and husband Ray of Houston, his four children, as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
His children are daughter, Karen Patek and husband, Victor Jr. of Shiner, Texas; daughter, Janice Klekar of Austin, Texas; son, Joseph D. Janak, Jr., and wife Carol of Victoria, Texas; daughter Laurie Ann Marek and husband Gary of Shiner, Texas.
Grandchildren are Dr. Alison Dolce and husband Dr. Donnie of Silver Spring, Maryland; Ashley Wagner and husband Wyatt of Shiner, Texas; Amber Patek of Amarillo, Texas; Justin Klekar and wife Amanda of Bastrop, Texas; Kristin Hull and husband, Brad of Belton, Texas; Travis Janak and wife Sara of Victoria, Texas; James Janak and wife Melanie of Houston, Texas; and Stephen Janak of Victoria, Texas. Great-grandchildren are Kennedy Reese Klekar, Easton Joseph Hull, Brooks Bradley Hull and Elizabeth Ann Janak.
The family would like to express their appreciation to the staff at Twin Pines Nursing Home in Victoria as well as the doctors and nursing staff at Citizens Hospital in Victoria, Texas, who cared for him over the past year.
Pallbearers are Justin Klekar, Travis Janak, James Janak, Stephen Janak, Donnie Dolce, Brad Hull and Wyatt Wagner. Honorary pallbearers are great-grandchildren Elizabeth Ann Janak, Brooks Bradley and Easton Joseph Hull, and Kennedy Reese Klekar.
Family and friends are welcome to pay their respects to Joe D. Janak at Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Condolences may be shared with the family by visiting www.thielecooper.com.
A rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17 and at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 18 at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church, 306 South Main Street, Shiner, Texas. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, 1648 FM 340, Hallettsville, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Joe D. Janak's memory to the Msgr. Hubert J. Janak Seminary Burse (Victoria Diocese) or the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church Endowment Fund.