Josephine "Jo" Ida (Weiss) Addicks

Josephine Ida Weiss Addicks passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, March 25, 2017, after a brief five week recurrence of cancer.

Visitation will be Friday, March 31st from 6 – 8 p.m. at Brenham Memorial Chapel. A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 1st at 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brenham with Pastors Phil Fenton and Briana Merkle officiating. A luncheon will follow the service. Private burial will be at Prairie Lea Cemetery.

Josephine was born on January 29, 1932 in her family’s original Texas home from the 1800s in the Pleasant Hill Community near Brenham, Texas. She was baptized and confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church near Brenham, a church which her forbearers helped found and contributed some of the exquisite original woodwork to the sanctuary design.

She was married at age nineteen on June 23, 1951 to Leonard E. Addicks at Salem Lutheran Church officiated by her uncle, Lutheran Pastor A.B. Weiss. They were married for 64 years until Leonard’s death in December, 2015.

Josephine started school at the Pleasant Hill Country School, and graduated from Brenham High School in 1949. She attended Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, for one year before her marriage.

Her husband’s career took her to Shreveport, Louisiana, Houston, Texas, Brenham, Texas, Austin, Texas, and finally back to Brenham, with a number of memorable and notable experiences. For instance, she was in attendance with her husband at the honorary dinner in Houston, Texas, saluting President John F. Kennedy on evening of November 21, 1963. The President was assassinated in Dallas the very next day.

She was active and deeply committed to her Lutheran faith. Josephine served in various volunteer, committee and leadership roles at Lutheran congregations over her life including Hope Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas, Faith Lutheran Church in Bellaire, Texas, St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brenham, Texas. She also attended several regional and national conventions for the Lutheran Women of the Church organization.

Josephine and her husband were lifelong volunteers for church and community organizations, a value they carefully instilled in the lives of their children. When she was living in Austin, Texas, Josephine was an active supporter and volunteer of the Settlement Home, where her daughter served as the Executive Director. In Brenham, she was a Founder and President of the Newcomers Club, among other activities. Most recently up until her death, Josephine was especially active with the Faith Mission as well as Hospice Brazos Valley and met with many of their patients who were in the last phase of their lives.

Josephine loved people, and was a gifted story-teller and conversationalist. She listened intently to others and always wondered, worried and prayed about the challenges that others faced. Every name had a unique blend of associated stories, some humorous and some touching. Her circle of family and friends was wide and diverse, and she will be remembered most for how she truly cared for others, regardless of standing or circumstance. She also loved flowers and likely saw in them the same individual uniqueness and beauty that she saw in people.

Josephine Weiss Addicks was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard E. Addicks. She is survived by her children, Linda Addicks, Mark Addicks and Jeff Addicks, and her children in law, John Hamer, Tom Hoch and Sharon Addicks. Josephine loved her grandchildren including Nathan and Megan Kokemor, Joel and Shawn Kokemor, Jessica Addicks, Allison Addicks, Madison Addicks and John Addicks O’Toole. She was also blessed and thrilled with her six great-grandchildren including Kole Kokemor, Emery Kokemor, Karsyn Kokemor, Amelia Kokemor, Knox Kokemor and Willa Kokemor. Josephine leaves her beloved siblings, a sister, Madeline Blasienz, and a brother, Clemence Weiss, her sisters-in-law, Doris Weiss, Verbie Weiss, and Inez Weiss, as well as a brother-in-law, John Blasienz, and numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom she cherished.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Faith Mission, Hospice Brazos Valley, and/or St. Paul’s Christian Day School, all of Brenham, Texas, or The Settlement Home for Children in Austin, Texas.

Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St., Brenham, TX 77833. 979.836.3611 To share tributes visit www.BrenhamMemorialChapel.com.