Joseph Charles Hild of La Grange

Joseph Charles Hild of La Grange was born in Baltimore, Md. on Feb. 21, 1923 to Joseph Conrad Hild and Anne Spahn Hild. He died at home with loving family by his bedside on Sept. 21, 2017. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Marian Oxley. Visitation was held on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Fayette Memorial Funeral Home. The family will be present from 5 to 7 p.m. A Rosary was held at 7 p.m. Funeral services were held on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017 at 2 p.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic church in Hostyn. The Interment followed at Holy Rosary Cemetery in Hostyn. Joe attended Holy Trinity High in Norfolk and Virginia Tech before joining the Air Force in 1942. He was trained as a navigator on B-17s and flew 35 heavy bombing missions over Europe. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. Joe retired from the service after 20 years with the rank of Major. After the war he returned to Virginia Tech to earn a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and a Master’s in Environmental Engineering. He then formed his own company in Houston and worked as a consultant for many small cities and water districts around Texas and Louisiana. A group from Fayette County hired him to help with the Frisch Auf development, including a country club, golf course and water district. He designed and started the first well and section of the Fayette County Water System. He retired in 1988. Joe was a member of Queen of the Holy Rosary Church in Hostyn, Knights of Columbus, Fourth Degree, The Equestrian order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, VFW, American Legion and 388th Bombardment Group (H) Assoc. He is survived by Doris Hild, his wife of 72 years; son Joseph C. Hild, Jr., daughter Carol A. Blanchette; grandchildren, Steve Butner, Joseph Hild III, Chris Hild, Ann Thompson, Billy Johnston, Shannon Herbrich, David Corkill and Stephen Corkill; great-grandchildren, Ashley, Alex and Allison Hild, Theodore and Heloise Hild, Mark Andrew and Adam Thompson, Emma and Ella Butner, Gus, Charlie, Emma, Sarah Ruth and Rachel Herbrich and Porter Johnston. In lieu of flowers, family suggests memorial donations be made to Hospice Brazos Valley, 1048 N. Jefferson, La Grange Texas 78945 or Gardenia Janssen Animal Shelter, 240 Svoboda Lane, La Grange, Texas 78945. Fayette Memorial Funeral Home in La Grange was in charge of arrangements.