Genevieve Clara Engel Jones
October 3, 1923 – March 12, 2022
Genevieve Clara Engel Jones, 98, of Boerne, Texas, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, March 12, 2022. She was born on October 3, 1923, in the family home in Bergheim, Texas, to Alfred and Louise (Lizzie Henkel) Engel.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 56 years, Edward J. Jones; her parents, Alfred and Louise Engel; her sisters, Isabel Engel McGuffin and Bernadine Engel Cobb; her great-grandson, Hector Gabriel Paredes-Jones; and many of her cousins. Genevieve is survived by her daughters, Jacquelyn Rumpf and husband Gerald of San Antonio and Patricia Elkins and husband Richard of Bergheim; her son, Stanley Jones and wife Charlene of Boerne; her five grandchildren, Stan Craig and wife Lisa of Celina, Jesse Jones and wife Elizabeth of Houston, Jennifer Jones and husband Joel Whitehead of Brenham, Jaime Jones and husband Rigoberto Paredes of Boerne and Julie Thompson and husband Stephen of Ennis.
Grandma Great was much loved by her great-grandchildren, Garrett, Alexis and Brittany Craig, Ava Rose and Lillian Genevieve Jones, Wesley James and Shelby Louise Whitehead, Sophia Charlene Paredes, Kolbe Charles, Bennett Jones, and Maggie Josephine Thompson. She is also survived by eight step-grandchildren and nine step-great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Genevieve was a direct descendant of early settlers in Kendall County through her grandfather, Andreas Engel, and her grandmother, Eva Bechtold Engel. She and Eddie were two of the original founding members of the Rainbow Senior Center in Boerne that eventually became Kronkosky Senior Center. She said that, “Besides our church and family this we think is the most rewarding project of anything we do.”
She was also a long time member of the Grange, Homemakers Club and Church Women United. She worked delivering bread for Paul Petsch Bakery as a secretary/housekeeper for Father Kalina and Monsignor Manning, sales clerk for Bigs Convenience Store, Bergmann Lumber and, of course, the Bergheim General Store.
Growing up in a world of handwritten letters and riding to school on horseback and living to see the present-day digital technologies and citizen space travel must have been quite an experience. Her intelligence and interpersonal relationship skills far exceeded her eighth-grade education. She embraced the changes in travel, communication and technology and was truly a lifelong learner. What an example!
Family was the thread that bound her life together. She loved her family, every single person. Soon after she and Eddie were married they moved to California where their daughters were born, but she was so homesick that he eventually brought the family back to Boerne where their son was born.
She wasted no time in forging family traditions that were passed along to the next generations. She eagerly anticipated holidays and Sunday family dinners which energized and fulfilled her and her entire family. She was a gracious hostess who always welcomed others to join in with any family celebration. She made her guests feel so welcome and comfortable. It was amazing how many people she managed to get around that antique oak table and how there was always enough food for everyone. She specifically picked that table because it had seven leaves to extend it to fit whomever showed up at her door.
And then there was the food! Genevieve was a wonderful cook. She made the most delicious roast beef and gravy you can imagine. You never ate a meal at 502 S. School St. without a dessert. Of the 175 recipes in Genevieve’s recipe box, 150 were for desserts. All of them are alphabetized and most have the name of the person who shared them with her and the date.
Genevieve and Eddie had many good friends over the years. They enjoyed going to dances at Anhalt and neighboring towns, playing dominos, fishing and celebrating the Fourth of July with swim parties and homemade ice cream. Geneveieve was a member of a Bunco Club for over 50 years.
The goal of Genevieve’s life was to see the face of God and be reunited with her loved ones. She led a very intentional life with an eternal perspective. Every decision made was filtered through that lens. It is hard to sum up the life of a great woman of faith whose life spanned almost 10 decades, but four words come to mind – faith, family, friends and food – really good food!
She knew and embraced her Catholic faith. She and Eddie raised their children in the faith by attending church together every Sunday, no matter where they traveled, praying the rosary daily and nurturing their faith by attending retreats, ACTS retreats, observing holy days, going on pilgrimages and studying scripture. Some highlights were attending mass with Pope John Paul II when he visited San Antonio in 1987, the pilgrimage she took with her daughter, Jacquelyn, in 2005 to Rome with then Archbishop Jose Gomez and meeting Archbishop Gustavo Siller at St Peter’s 150-year celebration in 2017. She encouraged her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in their faith journeys and prayed for them daily.
Genevieve was a member of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic church for over 64 years, an oblate of the Benedictine Sisters for 50-plus years and a member of the Altar Society, senior ministry and bereavement ministry.
The family would like to thank the staff of Heritage Place for the loving care they provided for Genevieve for the last seven years and the staff at Cibolo Creek Rehabilitation and Nursing Home of Boerne for the comfort and aid they provided for the last month of her life.
The celebration of Genevieve’s life will be held on Friday, March 18, 2022, at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 202 W. Kronkosky St., Boerne, Texas. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m., followed by the recitation of the Rosary at 11:30, and Funeral Mass at 12 noon. Everyone is invited to join the family at the St. Anthony Hall located on the Upon this Rock campus on Highland Drive immediately following the funeral for a light meal and join the procession around 2:15 for the committal at St. Joseph Honey Creek Cemetery on Highway 46 in Spring Branch. Funeral Mass will be live-streamed via a link on St. Peter’s Facebook page.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her honor may be made to Benedictine Sisters, 216 Highland Drive, Boerne, or St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church – Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Ministry.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of the staff of Holt & Holt Funeral Home of Boerne. To share words of comfort with the family, please visitwww.holtfh.com.
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