Wilfred Theodore (Ted) Jahns, age 88, of Hamilton, Texas passed away Sunday, May 9, 2021. Ted was born November 12, 1932 to Fred and Emma Wendland Jahns. Ted’s family moved around quite a bit while he was growing up. They lived in Pottsville, Clifton, Arlington and Grand Prairie.
He enlisted in the United States Air Force when he was 18 years old. He wanted to see the world but instead spent his four years on active duty in Texas. In 1954 he married Barbara Roper and they made their home in Arlington, Texas. He joined the Air Force Reserve and during his 21 years in the Reserves he traveled quite a bit. He loved flying and had his private pilots license and spent as much time as he could in the air. He went to work for the Air Reserve Transport Program as an aircraft mechanic. They flew C-119 cargo planes all over the U.S. participating in training exercises dropping troops and equipment. Ted thought he had the absolute perfect job, he was getting to fly all the time, seeing a lot of the country, working with a great bunch of guys and loving every minute of it. After that job ended, he went to work for the Civil Service as a Quality Control Inspector at General Dynamics inspecting F-111’s. During the time Ted was at General Dynamics, he and Barbara fulfilled a dream of raising their daughters in the country and bought some acreage in Weatherford then built a house. Now their girls got their horses, Barbara had her garden and Ted had designed a runway for the plane he hoped to buy. Ted was active in the Lutheran church in Weatherford, teaching Sunday School, working on with the youth group and as an Elder. Life was good. Then the F-111 contract ended and Ted started work at Boeing Aircraft as Quality Control Inspector for the Air Force. While at Boeing he worked on various programs.
In Seattle became interested in boating. That held many adventures, wonderful times on the water and met many great people. While in Seattle, Ted was again quite active in service at St. Luke Lutheran Church. Ted retired from Civil Service in June 1991 and spent most of the next year helping to renovate St. Luke Lutheran Church. A few years later Ted and Barbara moved back to Hamilton to be closer to family. Here Ted loved working in his yard and helping any of the neighbors with their yards or anything else they needed. He was active at St. John Lutheran Church in Hamilton and he could often be found up there working on something in the buildings or yard, whatever needed attention. Then he developed Parkinson’s Disease and had to give up all of the activated he loved so much. The past year he has lived at Focused Care of Hamilton.
Ted is preceded in death by his parents, brother; Leo Jahns and grandson; Daniel (Rusty) Richardson.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, daughters; Carol Richardson and husband Daniel of Maple Falls, WA., Debra Jahns and husband Byron Stephens of Vero Beach, Florida, sisters; Irene Zaruba and husband John, Margaret Kohler and husband Elton, Diane Brown and husband Stanley, brother; Charles Janhs, grandsons; Dustin Richardson, Robert Stephens and wife Kristina, granddaughter; Kristin Esskew and husband Terry, nine great grandchildren; Caylee Richardson, Morgan Richardson, Nathan Esskew, Timoth Esskew, Karenna Esskew, Bryann Stephens, Jack Stephens, Kaia Stephens, Brian Stephens and numerous other family and friends.
A graveside Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM, Saturday, June 5, 2021 at Immanuel Cemetery in Pottsville, Texas.
