Tributes

Henry F. Bronder went to be with the Lord on Monday, 24 February 2014. He was born on May 17, 1927 to Vincent and Regina Bronder in Falls City, TX. He leaves behind his loving wife Louise, son Thomas Francesca and daughters, Martha Sampson and Mary Pawelek Bubba; sisters, Terry Myrick and Bernice Krawczynski John; grandchildren Justin Jenny, Tyler, Amanda, Bridget, Jarrett, and Isabella; great-grandchildren Jack Martin, Luke Henry, and Emma Jane. Henry was a life-long farmer whose lineage traces back to the original Catholic Polish settlers of Panna Maria, Texas in the 1850's. As Vincent and Regina's only son, he curtailed his educational opportunities to help maintain the family farm after the seventh grade level. Even with the long days devoted to farm work, Henry still made time during the week to actively practice his Catholic faith, riding the family mule to the church in Cestohowa to fulfill his duties as an altar server for 6:00 AM Mass. His heavy work schedule also did not prevent him from playing baseball with the local teen-age league team. Indeed, his feats as a pitcher were often recounted as one of the highlights of his youth although never verified by any actual witnesses. Under the watchful eyes of both his father Vincent and grandfather Frank, Henry became an accomplished farmer, hunter, fisherman, and handy man. Utilizing whatever bailing wire he found available and his pragmatic ingenuity, he repeatedly returned broken axes, shovels, hoes, fences, and windmill parts to a state of operational usefulness. Careful inspection of certain areas of our farm will still to this day reveal examples of his work. Caring for pigs, chickens, mules, and his beloved cattle, Henry developed an appreciation for the total commitment, constant responsibility, and endless planning required to sustain and nurture life. All this knowledge would of course be stretched to the breaking point with the arrival of his children in the years ahead. While thoroughly engaged in broadening his agricultural expertise, and developing his physical attributes, Henry was blessed with the arrival of Louise Ann Moy into his social circle. Their lives would be intertwined for the remainder of his life, sharing name, home, family, faith, and most importantly love. Their courtship would be interrupted by his entrance into the US Navy towards the end of WWII. The long train trip to his training base in San Diego, CA would mark not only his first trip on the rails, but also the first time he had ventured outside of South Texas. The widely varied ethnicities and social classes of his fellow brothers in arms made quite an impression on Henry and laid the foundation for a life of acceptance for all God's children that would resonate throughout his lifetime. With the fortunate end of the war prior to his deployment into the Pacific Theater, Henry was soon reunited with Louise. On 20 November 1951 they were joined in Holy Matrimony in Cestohowa, TX and began their 63-year journey through life. The rain that fell on that day would serve as an omen for a fertile union that would produce two angels Harry and Larry taken into Heaven shortly after their birth, one son, and two daughters. Unfortunately the life-bringing rains became almost extinct soon after their wedding, and along with many other farmers from their drought-stricken part of Texas, Henry and Louise gathered their young son and their few portable possessions and traveled north to San Antonio in search of employment. Soon the young Bronder family resided in a true mansion located within the well-heeled neighborhood of Alamo Heights working as the domestic help for a prominent San Antonio businessman. Still traveling to "the country" as much as possible, Henry maintained the century long Bronder tradition of farming established by his Polish ancestors. Eventually his boss moved him from employment within his residence to his business, the Lone Star Brewing Company. Carefully saving their increase in income, and continually adding to it by working any odd jobs available through their Polish connections, in the late 1950's, Henry and Louise were able to purchase the Bronder family home on West Palfrey. His truck can still be seen parked in the carport that marks one of the many additions to their residence over the years. The home's growth without and within was spurred by the faith, hard work, and constant love Henry demonstrated daily. For 34 years Henry thrived at Lone Star, moving from the manager of the service station to running the merchandising warehouse. In between, he travelled all through Texas and Louisiana providing fairs, festivals, and local celebrations with the opportunity to fish for trout in the Lone Star Trout Tank, as well as local bars with as much "Lone Star" paraphernalia as their establishments were willing to display someone else provided the beer. Needless to say, the Bronder household still carries reminders of some of these Lone Star memorabilia. Summers were filled with many trips to the beautiful Olympic size Lone Star pool, and the eagerly awaited yearly employee picnic that brought food, fun, and entertainment at a level that caused all the family to marvel you can never forget meeting Dan Blocker, "Hoss" from the "Bonanza" television series in the flesh, and in costume!. Throughout these wonderful years Henry, with monumental help from Louise, maintained the family farm, taking care of grandpa and grandma, dogs, cattle, pastures, fields, pens, barns and their original homestead. Their loving attention made the "country" a welcomed refuge from the big city for all their children and many of their friends who eventually grew to appreciate the amount of labor and constant attention this required. Again, Henry's faith, hard work, and love provided his family with a place of safety, a home surrounded by nature, family, and a spirit of peace that spoke to their souls and strengthened their spirits. The three children grew. Henry sacrificed many luxuries and some necessities to make sure they were well educated not only academically, but also spiritually. Catholic schools were the order of the day, and his lessons of faith, hard work, and compassion for all became deeply ingrained in their character. Standing on his strong shoulders, the children peered into a world far removed from Henry's roots, and with the strength fueled by his constant love and support, they ventured into this world. Eventually Henry's Lone Star uniform hung in the closet, no longer a standard daily item of apparel. His children, along with the numerous "additional" children benefitting from Louise's loving daily care no longer occupied their home on Palfrey. Henry again became a "full-time" farmer, but with the elevated status of a retired gentleman. The work and attention required by the farm was reduced by the passing of grandpa and grandma and his "spare time" now became devoted to the transportation needs of grandchildren and any help requested from friends in need. Henry and Louise again became a "couple" focused on each other. Together they became devoted parishioners at Mission San Juan Capistrano, where the humble church members and their warm-hearted priest, Father Jim, made them feel at home with true family. The arrival of another grandchild followed shortly by one, two, and finally three great-grandchildren completed Henry Bronder's loving family. In his final days he could look over a family that had become international, with new members from Italy and England. His oldest grandson will take his Bronder batch this summer to Poland for two years of study. The Bronder circle will be complete . . . returning to their homeland, they will stand as a testament to Henry, a man of faith, hard work and enduring, unwavering love. We will miss him greatly, but carry him with us always.

Tributes

Henry F Bronder

May 5, 1927 - February 24, 2014