David Jaks

A year ago on April 1, 2022, we lost our dad, brother, husband and friend.  
David was born on August 28, 1939 in Shiner, to Alphonse and Elvera Jaks, the scond child of four.  His paternal grandmother was Klotilda Wagner, who lived 100 years. David had an older sister, Marilyn and younger brothers, Carl and AJ.  Growing up he had many friends and enjoyed hunting with his dad and brothers.  
After high school he thought he may want to become a priest, but after Elvera drove him to the Seminary and he saw the high fence and big gates he decided that wasn’t where he wanted to be.  
He attended two years of college at St. Mary’s, served in the United States Air force with duties in fire and rescue before an honorable discharge and then set out for the big city of Houston.  He made a lifelong career at Columbia Gulf Transmission company where he started out as a draftsman and later became a purchasing agent.
Early on he met and married Sandra Truelock and they were married in 1962. Together they had a son, David Allen in 1963 and a daughter, Wendy Lynn in 1966.  Weekends were often spent working and playing on his best friend Charlie Burke’s farm in Fayetteville, Texas and returning home to Shiner for visits.  
By 1970 he bought a property in the piney woods of east Texas near Crockett and Houston County Lake where he spent time fishing, motorcycling and enjoying family and friends as a way to shake off the big city, big office blues.
As it happens sometimes, David and Sandy divorced in 1981. By this time David had purchased a farm at Turkey Bottom near Dryer where he enjoyed many gatherings with his children, grandchildren and other friends as the farm became the “hub”.  He also enjoyed many dove and quail hunts, BBQs and golf outings during this time.
After about 10 years David met and married Margaret Trdla from Mission, Texas who he remained married to for the rest of his life.  They later packed up and moved from Houston to Shiner with Margaret’s daughter Elizabeth Carmen who attended Shiner High School and eventually became Miss Shiner. David helped raise Carmen and later, her son William who David and Margaret adopted.
In addition to those mentioned above, David leaves behind the following: David Allen’s wife Marlene Bennettson of Shiner, Wendy Lynn’s husband William Edmunds of Sugar Land, and Carmen Elizabeth’s husband Geoff Prescott of Waco;  four grandchildren, Hunter Kyle Edmunds and wife Alexis, Jamisen Kyle Edmunds and Danielle Kyle Edmunds, all of Sugar Land, and Sander Otto Jaks and wife Baylee of Shiner; one great-grandson, Everett Kyle Edmunds (son of Hunter and Alexis) who he missed meeting by just 25 short days; also his brothers’ and departed sister’s families which include many nieces and nephew and many cousins.
We all miss him very much, and if you knew this man no doubt you remember him with a funny story, for he truly was a comic.  There are probably several sayings that will remind you of him, maybe “Let’s go before I change my mind”, “No fools, no fun”, “It’ll be all right by the time you get married”, and countless others.  I can still hear him singing “Big City turn me loose”, his favorite song. His brother Carl sang it to him bedside the week before he died.
As a father he gave us an immense love for music, all holidays (but mainly Christmas), being in the country, BBQ, and just acting goofy.  
If you have any fond memories or anything you would like to share with our family, please feel free to drop a note or email to either address below – I know it would be appreciated.
wendyedmunds@gmail.com or davezart@sbcglobal.net.