Jeanette Felger

An Exemplary Woman Jeanette Streuer Felger born on May 19, 1925 passed away at her home in the early morning of November 26, 2022. Her beloved husband and soul mate of 77 years, Ray Val Felger, and her loving dog Bella were by her side. She died in the same house on South Liberty where she was born. Her parents were Julius W. Streuer (Klein) and Wanda Nowotny Streuer (Guenther). She was the youngest of two daughters. Her sister, Ida Marie Streuer Offerman, was three years older. Jeanette came into this world as a descendant of the original founders and settlers of New Braunfels and Comal County. Her baptismal name, Edna, came from her aunt Edna Nowotny Voigt, who influenced her life. Her mother, Wanda owned a millinery shop in town and eventually Wanda’s Beauty Shop, where German was the predominant language. Wanda was a strong woman and encouraged her daughters to be strong women. Jeanette’s father, Julius was a brilliant accountant with Dittlinger’s Flour Mill and retired after 50 years. He also did accounting for Henne’s Hardware and the Beauty Shop. Jeanette graduated New Braunfels High School in 1942. In high school, her nickname was “Destroyer.” She was President of the Future Homemakers Club and Vice President of the Spinners. This was just the beginning of her community and club leader success. Being a child of the Greatest Generation, Jeanette was highly patriotic. She was always involved in politics and frequently served as a poll watcher. She never missed a chance to vote and was a lifelong Democrat. Jeanette always felt her duty was to serve her family, community, and country in any way possible. She attended her first year of college at Texas Women’s University in Denton but transferred to the University of Texas the following year. Eventually, she would graduate from Southwest Texas in San Marcos. She spoke German as her first language but quickly mastered English once she began school at Lamar Elementary in Comal town, where she attended 1st through 8th grade. Later in life, she became proficient in Spanish and excelled as a bilingual teacher. Jeanette had scarlet fever when she was five and was not expected to survive, but she did. One could not say she was spoiled, but Jeanette led a very good life. She took dance classes and performed at the Majestic Theater in San Antonio multiple times. She went to dances and balls in beautiful handmade dresses sewn just for her. She had beautiful portraits made of her. Her hair was always done. Her parents made sure Jeanette and Ida lacked for nothing, but they were expected to work hard. They were expected to perform, and they did! She was a voracious reader and excelled in everything she touched. She was often found hiding under the table so that she could read. On May 5, 1945, she went on a blind date and met Ray Val Felger at a Cinco de Mayo dance at UT in Austin. It was a date that changed their lives forever. Ray had come up from Mexico to UT to see friends from Guadalajara, where he had lived since childhood. Originally a native born of Santa Barbara, California, his family moved to Mexico during the Great Depression. They eloped to San Marcos on July 9, 1945. They have been lovebirds ever since. Quickly after marrying, Ray went off to the Merchant Marines and World War II. Jeanette started her first job as a teacher after her junior year of college. While Jeanette didn’t want to be a teacher, but a translator, she took the teaching test and passed. Thus began her first teaching assignment at the Stephen F. Austin Mexican American School in Comal Town. Her experiences there were documented in a book on Mexican American Studies published by Texas A & M University in Kingsville. This first job sent Jeanette into teaching, where she discovered that she was a natural and had a great love for the profession. She never looked back! While Ray was at sea, Jeanette worked at the school. When Ray returned from the sea, he began to work at the Mill and attended SWT. In 1948, their first daughter, Candy was born. Candy went through a tough three years until she had open heart surgery at three. By 1958 they had had a total of 6 children. They had four girls, Candy, Valerie, Cindy, Vicki, and then their only boy, Julius Ray or J. But that would not be the end of the train. Their last daughter and 6th child, Diane-Caprice, or “Cappy” was born on Sept. 1958. Jeanette sewed all their clothes from Comal Cotton fabrics. There was nothing she couldn’t sew. In the summers during the 1950s Ray and Jeanette ran the Camp Warnecke restaurant. They opened the first private primary school in New Braunfels, Felger’s Enchanted Cottage, located across the street from Carl Schertz Elementary. Ray was the principal, and Jeanette was the primary teacher, along with other teachers working there. Many prominent New Braunfelers of today attended that primary school. In the early 1960s, Ray and Jeanette started their move across Texas. Ray had taught at Lone Star Elementary for ten years while Jeanette ran their private school and did catering on the side. They headed east of Houston to Anahuac, Texas. Three years later, they moved to El Paso for four years. Then, they had a one-year stay in Edinburg, Texas. With each move, Ray and Jeanette were getting better and better job offers. Finally, in the summer of 1969, they moved to Laredo, Texas, where they would remain until the summer of 1982. Ray would retire as a federal grant writer and a federal program director from Laredo Junior College. Jeanette would retire from teaching after 37 years, mainly in kindergarten, first grade, and bilingual ed. Jeanette also taught Educational Television in Laredo and worked in federal programs. At this time, she wrote her pre-reading and pre-writing book Beginners Begin. Even today, people ask for copies of that book. In Laredo, as the children grew, she finally found time to join the clubs and groups she enjoyed. She became President of Las Damas de la Republica del Rio Grande, where the Valley Forge Foundation for Outstanding Service recognized her. She received awards from the PTA for Outstanding Accomplishments and Performance. May 13, 1982, was declared “Jeanette Felger Day” by the City of Laredo and Mayor Aldo Tatangelo, for their gratitude towards her tremendous contribution to the City of Laredo. She received scholarships from Our Lady of the Lake and worked on her Master’s degree. She gave workshops all over Texas about teaching and reading. She was a master teacher like no other. They truly loved living in Laredo and made lifelong friends. While they would be gone from New Braunfels for 20 years, they returned every summer and on holidays. Returning home to her beloved New Braunfels one day was always part of the plan. The children were members of the Dolphins Aquatic Club, and Jeanette was extremely connected to her parents and family. It was said that the summer never officially began until the Felger’s school bus arrived at Landa Park! Summers were spent at the family’s ranch, off of Texas 46 West. Jeanette baked homemade bread, sewed all the children’s clothes, was known for her fabulous cake-baking and decorating skills, and embroidered huge crewel tapestries and needlepoint for her family and charitable raffles. Shen did cross-stitch that was perfection. Her Banana Chiffon Cake, her chocolate cake, and cream puffs were incomparable. Her date nut loaves at Christmas were sent all over the world. She could cater a party like none other. She made sugar roses for cakes and fried delicate rosettes. Any friend or relative lucky enough to be bestowed with one of her cakes was very lucky. She worked late into the night and taught during the day. There was nothing Jeanette couldn’t do. And, of course, she was always there for her husband, family, children, grandchildren, greats, and friends! Even at 97, she wrote and sent birthday cards to every family member! If Jeanette was awake, she was doing something! If she was watching TV, she was also cracking pecans, making name tags for a party, completing a cross-stitch or needlepoint, reading books, or baking some of her famous bread pudding. Multitasking should have been her middle name. When Ray and Jeanette retired to New Braunfels in 1982, they built Felger’s Spielplatz, which they ran for over ten years. She quickly jumped back into the social fabric of New Braunfels. She reconnected with her graduating class of 1942 and helped organize and prepare their monthly and bi-monthly get-togethers. She joined the Conservation Society, New Braunfels Garden Club, Sophienburg Museum and Archives, Daughters of the Republic of Texas (Ferdinand Lindheimer Chapter), Comal County Fair Association, where she judged for years, Mid-Texas chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha, Beta Sigma Phi and the planning of the Nowotny family reunions. She worked with the Conservation Society’s Heritage Exhibit at the Civic Center during Wurstfest every year. Jeanette always loved history and took great pride in her heritage. She dedicated herself to giving lectures and tours about the history and founding settlers of New Braunfels and Comal County. If Jeanette wasn’t president of the club, then she was the vice president or another organization officer. Jeanette was a docent at the Sophienburg Museum and was so proud when she was able to become a lifetime member. She attended schools to lecture about New Braunfels and Texas History for many clubs and organizations. She recorded 8 Reflections about New Braunfels for the radio station KGNB 1420. We are so fortunate that she could share such a rich oral history with all! Her contributions have left their mark on everything she touched. She won many awards. In 1995, she was awarded the Silver Award of Excellence in Texas History and Preservation for Public Speaking Programs from the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. In 1996, she won the DRT Ferdinand Lindheimer Chapter Star of Appreciation. In 2002, Jeanette was Texas Iota Master Beta Sigma Phi, Woman of the Year. In May of 2007, she was commissioned as a Yellow Rose of Texas by the Governor of Texas. In 2016, she received a Mother of the Year award from her children, which she treasured more than all the others. Jeanette Streuer Felger, was a fantastic woman, through and through. She was a natural leader, a loving and giving human being, and a proud New Braunfelser, Texan and American. Her hard work, creativity, love, and dedication to her husband, family, children, and community were undeniable. She made friends wherever she went and illuminated any space she entered. She will be an influence and legacy for generations to come. She is preceded in death by her father, Julius W. Streuer, her mother, Wanda Nowotny Streuer, her sister Ida Marie Streuer Offerman, her brother-in-law Donald Offerman, her “Tante” Edna Nowotny Voigt, her parental grandparents, Wilhelm Streuer and Marie Klein Streuer, her maternal grandparents, Peter Nowotny Jr. and Ida Guenther Nowotny, her great-granddaughter Mary Ashlie Adams, and many other aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is survived by her husband of 77 years, Ray Val Felger, and her six children, all successful and living in Comal County. Candy Berkowitz, Val Felger, Cindy Hain (Stephen Hain), Vicki Felger (Blayne Council), Julius (J) Felger, (Zena Scholl Felger), Cappy Felger Adams (Fred Adams). Her surviving grandchildren are John Ray Felger (Rachael DeLisse Felger), Rochelle Taylor Scott (Bobby Scott), Annamarie Hand, Joshua Hand, Scott Cuming V (Sophie Grimsditch Cuming), Morgen Cuming (Antonio Quintero), Daniel Hain, Amber Council Hernandez (Armando Hernandez Jr.), Christopher Council (Evee Soto Council), Devin Felger Sisk (Jed Sisk), Dylan Felger Voyles (Austin Voyles), Demi Felger Lara (Jordan Lara), Jacob Felger, Ashley Adams (Tina Shows Adams), Daniel Adams, Renno Adams, Roland N. Adams (Kelsey McIntyre Adams). Her surviving great-grandchildren are Lauren Taylor, Delaney Scott, Rosie Scott, George Cuming, Maya Cuming, Harper Hernandez, Jamison Hernandez, Sunnie Sisk, Ira Sisk, Conner Voyles, Roland A Adams (Katie Cupit Adams), Mary Adams, Norah Adams, Duke Adams. Presently, the only great-great grandchild is Jaxson Taylor Boss. In addition, she is survived by a multitude of beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins from the Byrd, Spain, Offerman, Burkard, Schilbrack, Ordas, Butler, Kelly, and locally related families, including the Nowotny, Guenther, Streuer, Klein, Leissner, Gregory, Davis, Schlather, and many more. It used to be said that Jeanette was related somehow, either by marriage or by blood, to almost everyone in Comal County way back in the day. Services will be held on December 3, 2022 at 12:00 noon at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 312 Guenther Street in downtown New Braunfels, Texas. Reception to follow in the Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, please send charitable contributions to Meals on Wheels/Food Bank, any Historical Society or Museum, or any charity of your choice. The family would like to thank everyone who has expressed their love, sympathy, and admiration for our beloved Jeanette. Rest in Peace, Precious Jeanette. Our world will never be the same without you. We love you and will miss you, momma, to infinity and beyond. Rest now in the arms of Jesus. We will sing and dance again together one day. Loving you forever and always…