Victoria - Our father, Laddie Frank Janda, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, December 9, 2018 at the age of 93. Dad was born on March 13, 1925, on the family farm in Shiner, TX, to the late Frank and Pauline Kolar Janda. The Jandas were cotton farmers, and he picked his fair share. He attended Bunjes School, a country school located next to the farm, for grades one through nine, and graduated from Shiner High School in 1942.
In June of 1943, he was sworn into active duty in the United States Army. He received training as a medic and was eventually assigned to the 104th Medical Battalion, 116th Regimental Combat Team, 29th Infantry Division. This unit had been selected as one of the lead units of the approaching D-Day landing. On June 6, 1944 the Allied invasion of Normandy began. The first wave of troops came ashore on Omaha Beach at 6:30 a.m. and Dad came in about 7:30 a.m. and began to immediately treat the wounded. Over the next six weeks, Allied forces continued their forward movement toward St. Lo, France. On July 11th, Dad was seriously wounded by shrapnel and evacuated back to England and, eventually, back to the United States. He spent most of the next 18 months in and out of military hospitals in New York, California, Texas and New Mexico. The Army recognized his service with the award of a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
After his discharge, Dad enrolled at Baldwin Business College in Yoakum, studying bookkeeping. He moved to Victoria in the late 1940s, and, in 1951, began a 34 year career with the Victoria Bank and Trust, retiring as vice-president. On September 17, 1951, he married Bettie Clarke at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, and the two of them were happily married for 56 years until her passing in 2008. Dad was a 74 year member of the Kolar-Stanek American Legion Post 201 in Shiner, a Life Member of Victoria County Chapter 169 of Disabled American Veterans, and a Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4146 in Victoria.
Dad is survived by his daughters, Kathryn Janda of Uvalde, Nancy (Lee) Johnson of Aledo, and Karen (John Anthony Joseph) Janda of Austin; his sons, James (Rev. Mary S.) Janda of Sandy (UT), Steve Janda of Driftwood, and Paul Janda of Victoria; granddaughters, Elizabeth (Josh Nudell) Janda of Columbia, MO and Sarah (Nick Hall) Janda of Mountain View, CA; brother-in-law, Joseph H. Casto, of Virginia; Dean R. (Judy) Matson of Spring; and nine nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife; an infant brother, Victor; and his sister, Viola Casto.
The family would like to thank Drs. William Shay, Kurtis Krueger and Tywaun Tillman and their staffs for the medical care of Dad; Eva Montez with Caring Senior Services; Glenn and Alice Kohutek and Becky Haeber Urban for looking out for Dad all these years.
A rosary will be recited at 7 pm, Thursday, December 13 at Colonial Funeral Home, with visitation beginning at 6 pm. Graveside services will be at 10:00 am, Friday, December 14 at Memorial Park Cemetery with Father Albert Yankey and the Rev. Mary Sheridan Janda officiating. Full military honors will be presented by the Victoria County Veterans Council.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Best Friends Animal Society (bestfriends.org), Adopt a Pet, or donor’s choice. Share memories and condolences with the family at colonialfuneralhomevictoria.com
