Vyvjala

No one in the Schulenburg Sticker’s 123-year history served as owner and publisher longer than Joseph Frank Vyvjala. He died on Thursday, June 1 at the age of 88, still with the title of publisher emeritus. Joe began his career in the newspaper business in 1942, while in high school. He worked for T. F. Nycum at the Flatonia Argus and then Nycum gave Joe a job at his paper in Irving while attending college. After a two year stint in the Marine Corps, Joe got a job at the La Grange Journal. He moved to the Schulenburg Sticker in 1956 and, in 1959, he married Maxine Nikel. For 18 months, beginning in 1967, Joe and Maxine leased the Sticker. In 1975, along with Maxine’s brother, Max Nikel Sr., they bought the newspaper. In 1984, Joe and Maxine became its sole owner. At 42 years and counting, they have owned the Sticker longer than any of its previous 11 proprietors. Joe set up the paper for many years in the “hot metal” days, using the Linotype. Whole pages of type, formed into metal lines of type were locked into a “chase” and the 50-pound newspaper page forms had to be lifted into position to be printed on a letter press. With the onset of the computer age in the late 1970s, Joe no longer worked on the newspaper but he worked endless hours in the job printing shop, most often with his radio cranked up to polka and waltz music.In 1994, Joe received the Texas Press Association’s “Golden 50” award recognizing 50 years of service to the field of journalism. Also that year, the Schulenburg Chamber of Commerce recognized him for his contributions to the community. Joe retired from the newspaper business on his 65th birthday – Aug. 13, 1993. Joe continued to work in the print shop from time to time while the newspaper remained in the Vyvjala family, as it does today. His wife, Maxine, serves as publisher although she has also retired, while their daughter, Diane Prause, is the editor, and their son, Darrell, is the managing editor. In retirement, Joe continued his favorite hobby, Tarocks. Along with weekly games (sometimes two or three times a week) with his local friends, Joe attended tournaments across the state, accumulating 44 trophies.  His other hobby was carpentry. Joe’s projects included building the rooms in the current Sticker office after he purchased the eastern section of the S. T. Schaefer building in 1987. In 2014, Joe and Maxine received the Chester Evans Award from the South Texas Press Association, given for long-time support of the organization. Joe was born on Aug. 13, 1928 to August and Anastasie (Tupa) Vyvjala in Flatonia. He graduated from Flatonia HighSchool and went on to earn a bachelor of science degree in business administration with a minor in journalism from the University of North Texas (then North Texas State). From 1952-54, Joe served in the U.S. Marine Corps, working in darkroom photography and printing maps. He spent seven months in Japan before returning home and served in the Marine Corps reserves until he was honorably discharged in 1960. Joe was a member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and, later, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in High Hill. He is survived by his wife, son Darrell and his wife, Lynette, daughter Diane and her husband, Paul Prause, and three grandsons – Kade, Brandt, and Layne Vyvjala – along with nieces and nephews. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, brothers August Vyvjala Jr. and Bernard Vyvjala, and sister Martha Brunner. Funeral services were scheduled for Thursday, June 8 at 10 a.m. at St. Rose Church with Father Ty Bazar officiating and entombment to follow in the St. Rose Mausoleum. A Rosary was set for Wednesday, June 7 at 7 p.m. at Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Home.Serving as pallbearers: Kade Vyvjala, Brandt Vyvjala, Layne Vyvjala, Paul Prause, Dale Manning, and Greg Janda. Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Home in Schulenburg was in charge of arrangements.