Jeanette G. Kocian

Jeanette Gayle Kocian, 80, of Shiner, passed away Wednesday, February 26, 2025. 
Jeanette was born on March 30, 1944, in Shiner to William and Nelda Etzel Gerum. She married Marvin Julius Kocian on November 8, 1969 in Moulton. 
She was a member of the Shiner Lutheran Church, where she had served on the communion committee, and had been a member of the 621st Mess Kit Repair Club, a couple’s bowling league, and a square-dancing club. Jeanette had faithfully served as an accountant for Hochheim Prairie Insurance Company for 30 years before she retired. She had a group of classmates that she met with once a month for lunch that called themselves “Young at Heart,” she considered these shared times together precious moments.
Jeanette had been active in the Shiner High School Comanche Band playing drums and she played on the basketball team as well. She often shared how she had to walk from the farm to school and home again every day, she wasn’t complaining, it’s just the way things were at the time. She worked hard in her youth, doing the daily chores and picking cotton when it was ready. 
After graduating high school, Jeanette moved to Houston and worked as a secretary for an oil company, but the big city and its bright lights left her longing to be home in Shiner, so after a year she moved back and soon married Marvin and they moved to the family farm in Witting. She helped work on the farm and gathered eggs daily. Eventually they moved back to Shiner where Jeanette gardened and loved to mow the grass with her push mower. 
Jeanette was a sweet, soft-spoken kindhearted lady. She adored her family and treasured her grandchildren, Abigail and Reese. She was a fantastic cook and specialized in making everything from scratch. Her family would delight in her chicken fried steak, pot-roasts, potato salad, Spanish rice, broccoli cheese and rice casserole and her delicious secret barbeque sauce just to name a few of her delicacies. 
She loved polka music, the polka hour on Texas Thunder Radio, Wurstfest in New Braunfels, and local bands in Shiner. She loved the color purple and proudly dressed herself accordingly. Jeanette had a photo album for every year, capturing bits and pieces of her family as they grew. 
She loved birds, especially hummingbirds, Dr Pepper, chocolate, Bud Light, the Texas A&M Aggies, Shiner Comanches, Houston Astros, Elvis Presley and Blue Bell ice cream and again more Dr Pepper. She had a “doggie” Ellie Mae that she loved. Jeanette lived abundantly and greeted everyone with her popular “Howdy!” today, Jeanette’s greeting is reverberating throughout Heaven.
Survivors include her adoring family, husband, Marvin J. Kocian; daughters, Pamela Ann Gorden (Bryan) and Jennifer Lynn Kocian; brother, Lawrence Gerum; and grandchildren, Abigail and Reese Gorden. 
She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Willis Machemehl and husband Allen, and Julia Ann Wilkens and husband Jack; brother, Charles Gerum and wife Ruth; and sister-in-law, Marcelle Gerum. 
The family wishes to sincerely thank Hospice of South Texas and Yoakum Nursing and Rehab for the passionate care of their mother. 
The family will receive friends from 2- 5 p.m. Sunday, March 2 at Shiner Funeral Home. 
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 3 at the Shiner Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Chris Heinold officiating. 
Interment will follow in the Shiner Cemetery. 
Pallbearers are Steve Wilkins, David Machemehl, Stephen Gold, Jay Hrehor, Robert Coiner and Dale Gold. 
Honorary pallbearers are Abigail and Reese Gorden. 
Memorials may be made to the Shiner Lutheran Church. 
Friends may leave their condolences to the family by visiting www.shinerfuneralhome.com. 
Services are under the care and direction of Shiner Funeral Home.