Sternadel

Victor G. Sternadel passed peacefully from this life on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 at the age of 94 years, 6 months and 5 days.

Victor Sternadel was born to Frank and Otillia (Gansky) Sternadel on Sunday, April 12, 1925 in St. John. He was baptized on April 12, 1925 in St. John the Baptist Church in St. John and was confirmed in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Schulenburg.

Victor grew up on the farm, helped his parents, and attended school through the 8th grade at St. John School. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather.

He was drafted into the Army on June 11, 1943 and was honorably discharged on Dec. 1, 1945. During his days of service in the 95th Division Field Artillery, he was stationed at Fort Sam Houston; Fort Sill, Okla.; California Desert, Indiantown Gap, W.Va., and Hattiesburg, Miss. He left for Germany from Boston on Aug. 9, 1944, entered the German battlefield through Omaha Beach on Sept. 13, 1944, and served under General Patton as a messenger and interpreter. He was at Metz on Nov. 23, 1944. He returned to Boston on June 29, 1945, and made his way to St. John by catching the trains.

Victor married Mildred R. Michalke on July 10, 1945 in Schulenburg with Father Goertz officiating Victor and Mickey left on July 14, 1945 for their first home in Hattiesburg, Miss. where Victor was assigned as a cook for the Army.

When Victor was discharged, Mickey and he moved to Schulenburg and lived there until 1949. They then moved to Hallettsville, first renting a house in town and then purchasing their life long home in Williamsburg. In 2014, they moved to Round Top and continued living there until June of 2017 where they then became residents of Schulenburg Regency Nursing Center. Upon Mickey’s death in January of 2018, Victor lived at College Place Assisted Living, Schulenburg until June 1, 2019.

Victor worked for the Texas Department of Transportation and retired in 1975. After about a year of being home, he went to work as a grader operator for the oil field and built many pads throughout the area.

After he retired from working in the oil field, he developed a passion to garden, and helped Mikey can all the fresh vegetables they raised for family and for the farmer’s market in Hallettsville. He enjoyed the camping and fishing trips with his family and friends, playing 42 dominoes on a weekly basis, and most of all dancing. During their 72 years of marriage, Mickey and Victor danced in over 200 dance halls throughout the United States and even one in Munich, Germany for their 49th wedding anniversary. In 1962, Mickey and Victor became the booking agents, and chaperones for the family polka band, “Happy Six”, later called the “Sternadel Orchestra”.

Victor is survived by one daughter, Betty Jean Sacks and husband, Ronny, of Round Top; one son, Elroy Sternadel and wife, Joyce of Yoakum; three grandchildren, Debra (Debbie) Brandt and husband, Michael of Yoakum, David Sternadel and wife, Linda of Hope, and Michael Sacks and wife, Jackie of Round Top; six great grandchildren, Travis Brandt of Yoakum, Shawn Brandt and fiancé, Rachel Murdock of Corpus Christi, Mathis and Lauren Sternadel of Hope, Gretchen and Rebekah Sacks of Round Top, several nieces and nephews.

Victor was preceded in death by his parents, wife, in-laws, four brothers, Albert, Hugo, Leo, and Erwin, and one sister, Martha Raab, two sisters-in-law, and one brother-in-law.

Victor was a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Schulenburg.

Burial will be at the St. Rose Catholic Cemetery with Mass at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Schulenburg.

Pallbearers are: Michael Brandt, David Sternadel, Michael Sacks, Travis Brandt, Shawn Brandt, and Mathis Sternadel. Honorary pallbearers are: Leonard, Kenneth and Franklin Sternadel; Joe Barker; William (Bill) Michalke, Harry Bartosh and Kevin Michalke.

Visitation was from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 21 at the Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Home in Schulenburg with a rosary to begin at 7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Schulenburg, Texas, Hospice of South Texas, or a charity of one’s choice.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Home in Schulenburg.