Nancy Louise (Sowa) Koenig

Nancy Louise (Sowa) Koenig, two time survivor of Cancer, lost her third battle with this terrible disease on April 10, 2015 at the age of 79. Nancy passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her adoring family. Nancy was born in Corpus

Christi on Dec. 11, 1935 to George Alexander Sowa and Mary Magdalene (Gower) Sowa. She attended the Incarnate 

Word Academy, a highly respected Catholic school, in Corpus Christi. Nancy was a loyal Secretary for the American General Life and Accident Insurance Company in Corpus Christi, as well as the Texas Insurance Commission in Austin.

During this time, she met and fell in love with a dashing young Navy Midshipman named John “Weldon” Koenig. Weldon and Nancy courted for six months, were engaged for three years and finally married on Feb. 1, 1958. Weldon and Nancy lived the Navy life for 31 exciting years, travelling, meeting new people and making many new friends. Nancy worked in Framingham, Mass. and New London, Conn. to help support the family during the years that Weldon was a junior officer and did not receive enough compensation to support the family alone. Nancy also was the Executive Secretary for Trident Academy in Charleston, S.C., filling in for the Head Master on numerous occasions. She also served as a Red Cross Gray Lady at the United States Naval Hospital in Charleston, S.C. Nancy is most remembered for being a loving and devoted mother of three, a caring and dedicated wife for 57 years, and the very glue that held her family together. Most recently, Nancy devoted her time volunteering for St. Mark’s Medical Center as a member of the Auxiliary, focusing her attention on the Emergency Room and Staff. Nancy was very involved with St. James Episcopal Church, where she felt at home immediately. She served as a Vestry Member, an exceptional Lector, and as a Member of the Alter Guild. Nancy enjoyed cooking, reading, traveling, helping others, and especially  bringing family and friends together for food, fun and memories, which just so happened to be her favorite song (“Memories” from the Musical ‘Cats’). Family was her life and it extended past her husband and children. Many of her nieces and nephews thought of her as a mother figure to them as well. Nancy also enjoyed a glass of her favorite Chardonnay, swinging on the porch of the country home, listening to the birds, cows and horses as they spoke and enjoyed many of the beautiful sunsets. She finally settled in the home she always wanted with big covered porches and the atmosphere of home, and  was able to spend her last days

and hours of her life here. Nancy showed much grace when meeting people of great responsibility and authority. She

met and visited with the likes of (then) Vice President George H.W. and Barbara Bush, Admiral H.G. Rickover and his wife, Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger and his wife, and many, many more. Even though she was apprehensive about meeting new people, she was a natural when socializing and an artist when hosting events. The life of a U. S. Navy Officer’s wife was always complicated. Examples are hosting strange people in your home, while making sure that your young children did well in school. It was common for her to have to adjust to a new place on a moment’s notice. Nancy was an amazing woman who often was left standing on the pier while her husband departed on a mission at sea for a period of time and to a place that was never identified. Nancy is preceded in death by her parents, George Alexander and Mary Magdalene (Gower) Sowa, her brother George “Pat” Sowa and her parents-inlaw, John Henry and Elva Marguerite 

(Oeding) Koenig. She is survived by her husband, Weldon Koenig, her three children, Christopher Scott Koenig (and wife, Cristina), Jennifer Anne (Koenig) Hill (and fiancé Charles Thornhill) and Andrew Lee Koenig (and wife, Dawn); grandchildren Andrew Lee Koenig, Jr. and Kelsey Dawn Koenig; sisters Claudia “Diane” (Sowa) Greene and Cheryl Marie (Sowa) Mahlke; brothers Harold Wayne Sowa (and wife, Mona) and John Robert Sowa (and wife, Pamela); and her brother Pat’s wife Karen, who also selflessly cared for Nancy in the last weeks of her life. Nancy was able to see and 

visit with all of her siblings and most of her nieces and nephews shortly before she went to the Lord, which made her last days truly special for her. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to St. James Episcopal Church Endowment, located at 156 North Monroe Street, P.O. Box 507, La Grange, Texas 78945, St. Mark’s Medical Center Foundation at One St. Mark’s Place, La Grange, Texas 78945, American Cancer Society www.cancer.org/donate, or the charity of your choice. The family wishes to extend special thanks to St. Mark’s Medical Center, especially Dr. Thomas Borgstedt, who cared for Nancy for over a week in March, and the special ladies with Hospice Brazos Valley, who really walked the family through the losing of a dear loved one with phenomenal grace and kindness. The memorial service will

be held at St. James Episcopal Church, 156 North Monroe Street in La Grange, on Friday, May 1, 2015 at 11 a.m. A special celebration of Nancy’s life will be held immediately following the memorial service in the St. James Parish Hall.

Nancy would want to be remembered most for the love she showed for her family and friends, her caring and nurturing

disposition and her love for all things good. She was an angel on this earth and a blessing to those she touched. She will be missed.