Romayne Rehwaldt Mertens

1933 - 2025

Romayne Rehwaldt Mertens
September 18, 1933 - June 18, 2025
Romayne Rehwaldt Mertens, 91, beloved wife, sister, and friend, passed away on ­­­­­­June 18, 2025, in San Antonio, TX.
Romayne was born in Hartford, Wisconsin on September 18, 1933, to Frank J. Rehwaldt and Betty Schwartz Rehwaldt. She graduated from Hartford Union High School in 1951 as Valedictorian and became an X-Ray Technician at St. Joseph Hospital in 1953. In 1960, Romayne married the love of her life, Carl Mertens. In 1961 she gave birth to her daughter, Carlayne and in 1965, she gave birth to her son, Joe. In 1970, the family moved to San Antonio, Texas and Romayne continued her work as an X-Ray Technician at Community Hospital. Her career continued to progress, and she retired from Community Hospital in 1981 as the Chairperson of the X-Ray Department.
Romayne loved Native American and Central American woven crafts and in the 1980's she turned that love into a business called Village Weavers in the La Villita area downtown. Her business imported and sold woven crafts along with providing an outlet for local artists to exhibit their weavings, until her retirement in 1995.
Romayne also won many awards for her own weavings including Best in Shows at Weaving Momentum (four separate years), Judges Choice at the Contemporary Handweavers of Texas, and First Place in Fiber for Texas Designer/Craftsmen Exhibition. She also shared her skills by teaching many workshops at the Southwest Craft Center, and many shows and conferences around Texas.
Romayne was active in many organizations, including San Antonio Handweavers Guild (President, Parliamentarian), Handweavers Guild of America, Wisconsin Federation of Weavers, Midwest Weaver's Guild, Texas Designer/Craftsmen, Contemporary Handweavers of Texas.
After her retirement from Village Weavers, Romayne and her husband, Carl traveled to most of the countries in the world and all seven continents. Romayne is preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Carl Mertens, as well as her parents, Betty Schwartz Rehwaldt and Frank J. Rehwaldt, her brother Bob Rehwaldt, sister Mary Rehwaldt, and her grandson Christopher Jackson. She is survived by her daughter Dr. Carlayne Jackson, her son Carlton Joseph (Joe) Mertens, along with grandchildren Careen Mackinnon, Caitlyn Jackson, Emily Dicioccio, Carlton James Mertens and great grandchild, Henry Christopher Lester. A rosary and memorial mass are scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Saturday, July 19th, 2025, followed by a committal service at St. Joseph's Honey Creek Catholic Church at 25781 State Hwy 46 West, Spring Branch, Texas 78070.