Jeanette Melcher Klein

Jeanette Melcher Klein passed away on April, 24, 2007 at the age of 88. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lester Klein, in 2001. She was born and grew up in Pharr, Tx, in the Rio Grande Valley, and met Lester while they were both working in Austin, where Lester was attending the University of Texas School of Law.

She was been a resident of San Antonio for 60 years, where she has belonged to Congregation Agudas Achim and its sisterhood since 1948. Jeanette was a Texan to the core - born in Pharr, Texas to parents Joseph and Pauline Melcher immigrants from Russia, she grew up in the Rio Grande Valley. She, her sister, Lil, and her brother all attended school in the valley. She often spoke of her first job - that as an usherette at the Palace movie theater in McAllen. She went to Austin to work as a secretary for the State government, where she met Lester, her husband of 60 years. Following his graduation from law school, they were married in San Antonio in 1941, just before Lester was assigned to his first station, as a 1LT in the Army, to Colorado Springs where he used his legal education and experience from working in the Texas land Office to buy the land for a new army ordinance depot in Colorado.

When the U.S. bombed Pearl Harbor in December, 1941, Jeanette and Lester were assigned to several different posts around Boston, where she made a home for the two of them, even when it was a rented attic bedroom in someone's home.

When it came time for Joel to be born in 1943, she returned to San Antonio so Joel would be a Texan, and so she could be close to Lester's parents, Adolph and Sadie, since her parents had, by this time, passed on.

Jeanette made some wonderful friends in Massachusetts - friendships that have survived to this very day! Returning to San Antonio at the end of the war, Jeanette made a home for her young family, with daughter, Paula, being born in 1947, first in a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath house on West Huisache that they bought with a GI loan and then in the home she and Lester had Bob Ross build for them on Queen Bess, where they lived for over 40 years.

It was during the years 1950-1960 that they were most active in the Jewish community, both were members of the Synagogue's Clubs, the Men's Club where Lester was President and its Sisterhood. From the very first Israeli Festival, Jeanette could always be found working in the bakery section with her cousin and best friend, Lil Sadovsky. It was also during this time that both Jeanette and Lester volunteered as advisors to the local AZA & BBG Chapters, a hob they really enjoyed.

The neighborhood around the Huisache house was one that was the home of many AA congregants; Lester's parents, who lived next door, Leonard and Mary Jo Friedson, Norman and Clarice Seeman, Bernard and Sylvia Kanter, Morris and Shirley Barash, Bill and Bess Henry, Joe and Ann Birnabum, the Kelfers, the Penners, the Winstons, the Efrons and many others.

Jeanette and Lester loved to travel with Paula and Joel on many car trips - to Colorado in 1955, to California in 1956. They especially enjoyed car trips with their friends to Las Vegas, when the only hotel was the Flamingo, then the Riviera, Desert Inn and others. Joel recently went to a bar association dinner at the Old Red Berry Mansion and when he told Jeanette, she said she remembered going there on several occasions with Lester back in the 50's.

They started cruising - due to their close relationship with Mary Pat and Jay Silberman. They probably went on at least 20 different cruises, some of the last ones were with Paula and Howard and Joel and Carol. They were also game for anything that could bring the family together - including 2 dude ranch vacations. Jeanette and Lester would both get up on a horse so they could ride with their children and great-grandchildren! Jeanette was a great cook She managed to write down recipes from Lester's mother, Sadie, who was also a very good cook , but who had no written recipes. Those recipes, many of which would otherwise be lost, are now able to be shared with the entire family due to her forethought. Jeanette was the one her grandchildren would call when they were in the middle of preparing that special dinner.

Jeanette and Lester were fortunate to have many close friends, some of whom they played mahjong and cards with, others that they traveled with. People were always amazed at the number of close friends Jeanette & Lester had, many of whom gathered to celebrate their combined 80th birthday part celebration at the Argyle Club in 1995.

Jeanette was especially proud of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was also like a second mother to her nephews, the Haas' in McAllen when her sister Lil died years ago.

She was very fortunate to have had the loving care of Yolanda Casteneda and her sister Ophelia Valdez for the past five years.

The family will be gathering, after the service, for afternoon minyans at Jeanette's home, 107 Binham Heights.

She is survived by her son, local attorney, Joel Klein, his wife Carol, grandchildren Alyssa and Mitchell Tiras, Meryl and Alan Metni, Matthew and Robin Klein; daughter, Paula and her husband, Howard, of Chicago, IL., grandchildren, Erin and Stephen Krex, and Abby and Jonathan Penson, together with eight great-grandchildren.

Serving as pallbearers are nephews Paul Haas, Mark Sadovsky, Ken Sadovsky, grandsons, Alan Metni and Mitchell Tiras and personal friend, Joe Dirago.