Emilie Lepik Zahradnik

Emilie Lepik Zahradnik, age 90, departed this life on May 14, 2016. She was born on October 3, 1925 to Jaromir Lepik and Alzbeta Orsak Lepik in Moravia, Texas. The family moved to a farm outside of Hungerford about 1928. She was the youngest of four children and lost her mother in 1936. She spent the rest of her life living within eight miles of that original homestead.  Emilie met the future love of her life and husband, Emil John (E.J.) Zahradnik, Sr. when they both attended grade school in Hungerford. Family stories tell us they didn't like each other much during those early years. Later during their teenage years, E.J.'s family moved to a neighboring farm and eventually romance blossomed. They married on October 28, 1946 after E.J. returned from serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.  Emilie quickly became a hardworking farmer's wife, working alongside her husband and sharing in all of the farming chores while raising seven children. She also kept busy growing a large garden and raising chickens which provided meat and eggs to help feed her large family. She took pride in all of the vegetables she was able to preserve and share with her family and friends during family meals and gatherings.  As the years passed, weekends and summers were frequently filled with grandchildren. They enjoyed time staying over and even spending their summer vacations. "MeMo," as she was called, spent hours helping build clubhouses, making mud pies, doing puzzles, and supervising chores such as feeding the chickens and picking eggs.  Emilie was preceded in death by her parents; her brother and sister-in-law, Jerome and Joyce Lepik, her sister and brother-in-law, Marie and John Kosik, her brother-in-law, Joe Talafuse, Sr., her niece, Diana Talafuse Watkins; and her daughter-in-law, Angie Broesche Zahradnik. Emilie is survived by her husband of sixty-nine years, Emil John (E.J.) Zahradnik, Sr., her sister, Lillie Lepik Talafuse of Rosenberg, her seven children and their spouses; Betty Joyce and John Keys of Huntsville, Edward and Carol Zahradnik of Sugarland, Jerome and Betty Zahradnik of Hungerford, Robert and Mary Zahradnik of Wharton, Michael Zahradnik of Wharton, Emil, Jr. and Gaye Zahradnik of Wharton, Richard and Dawn Zahradnik of Wharton; seventeen grandchildren and spouses, sixteen great-grandchildren; three nieces and a nephew and their families.  Emilie was a long-time member of St. John's Catholic Church in Hungerford. Visitation will be held on Monday evening at St. John's with a rosary following. A funeral mass will also be held at St. John's on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 with Rev. Charles Dwomoh officiating and burial to follow in St. John's Cemetery in Hungerford. Pallbearers are her grandsons; Russell and Jonathan Keys, Jayson, Keith, Ryan, James, Mark, Jacob, Benjamin, and Zachary Zahradnik. Honorary pallbearers are her granddaughters; Karen Keys, Jonica Kielman, Jan Janecek, Jamie Williams, Samantha Kmiec, Jessica Lauritsen, and Sydney Zahradnik.  Special thanks to the staffs of Houston Hospice and El Campo Memorial Hospital. Another special thanks to the staff and residents of Wharton Nursing and Rehab Center. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. John's Catholic Church in Hungerford, Texas.  Funeral services are under the direction of Wharton Funeral Home. Condolences may be left at www.whartonfuneralhome.com.