Otto Janner, Jr.

Otto Janner, Jr. was born in the Mound Hill Community in Washington County, Texas to Otto and Elsie Winkelmann Janner on December 29, 1932. He passed away on July 23, 2021 from several health issues including COVID, at the age of 88 years.

Otto attended school in Mound Hill and then on to Somerville High School where he excelled in the classroom and in sports. He graduated from Blinn Junior College with an Associates Arts degree in 1952.

He was drafted into the U.S. Army and, after basic training in El Paso, was assigned to a guided missiles camp on Long Island, New York where he was assigned to take care of officers’ records. He completed his tour of duty with the rank of sergeant.

Returning to Mound Hill for a short time, he joined several of his friends for a job in Houston at Rheem Manufacturing until his mother called him to say that the Robert Lange Company wanted him to work with them as their accountant and office manager. He said he would be there on Monday morning. This began many years of office work, first with the Lange Company, then with the City of Brenham as utilities accountant and finally with Blue Bell Creameries where he retired.

Growing up on the farm was hard work but also a great time to be able to hunt, fish and surely to play baseball with the Mound Hill Hillers and, also, for a time with the Brenham Lions.

He met his wife of almost 64 years, Christine, when she applied for a job at the Lange Company. He told Mrs. Lange “Hire her!” He never regretted that statement.

Otto is survived by his wife, Christine, his step-daughter, Vicki Lynn Pavelka Christianson and her husband David, by his daughter, Diane Janner, and by his daughter-in-law, Tara Cayton Janner. Sadly his son, Jeffrey William Janner, died in 2017 from cancer. He is also survived by his grandson, Jarod Janner, and his step-granddaughter, Mikalynn Konze Rawlins, and her husband Jeffery Rawlins, and their children, Ally Grace, Carson (who was born on Otto’s birthday), and Molly. Also surviving are brothers, Alvin Janner and Calvin Janner, the twins born on Otto’s 7th birthday. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Gilbert and Eugene Janner, his aunt Gladys Kramer, who was raised by the Janners from the age of 6 years and was a “big sister” to the Janner boys, his sisters-in-law Kathryn Janner and Dottie Janner, and many other relatives and friends.

Otto was a faithful member of The First United Methodist Church of Brenham where he began giving away shelled out pecans each season for quite a few years, as many as 300 one-pound bags of pecans per year. He liked to say that after a while when he went to church in the early Fall he was not greeted by a “good morning, Otto” but by “How is your pecan crop?” He loved his friends at the church.

Visitation will be Friday, July 30th from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The family will be present from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at the Brenham Methodist Church on Saturday, July 31, at 10:30 A.M. with interment to follow at Prairie Lee Cemetery in Brenham. Pallbearers will be relatives.

Memorials should be sent to General Fund, First United Methodist Church of Brenham, Texas at 408 N Baylor St, Brenham, TX 77833.

Masks at all gatherings are appreciated but not required. Otto had both shots of the vaccine but still became infected.

Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel and online condolences for the family may be shared at www.brenhammemorialchapel.com.