AHRENS

Thelma Caroline (Tezel) Ahrens died May 4, 1998 at the age of 91.  She was born November 24, 1906 to Lena and Charles Tezel in San Antonio.  She lived her whole life in the Helotes and San Antonio areas.  Harry R. Ahrens became her husband May 20, 1925 at Zion Lutheran Church of Helotes.  Survivors are their four children, Ruth Moorman and husband, Tommy; Audrey Boezinger; June Davidson and husband, Buddy; and Charles Ahrens and wife, Beverly.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry and son-in-law, Otto Boezinger.  Thelma was always giving care to family, friends and her church.  Many relatives made their home for short periods of time in her home.  Also surviving are 11 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter with another one on the way.  She was active in St. John's Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Church of Helotes.  She did everything from Sunday School teacher to President of the Women's Group.  She was also a member of St. Luke's Auxiliary.  Many will miss her gentle ways, loving smile and sincere love of others.  The family will receive friends Wednesday evening from 6 o'clock until 8 o'clock at Porter loring North.

She met Harry Ahrens at a bunco party at her aunt's house.  They were married on May 20, 1925.  Their's was a wonderful marriage of 67 years until Harry's death in September 1992.  Thelma and Harry provided a wonderful home for their four children, Ruth, Audrey, June and Charles.  They also took in extended family members who would live with them to be close to San Antonio's medical facilities, as well as grandchildren who were in the area.

Thelma enjoyed baking, sewing, being a homemaker and raising canaries and African viloets, but her first commitment was always to her Loard and His church.  Thelma served for years and years as Sunday School teacher, choir member, cradle roll chairwoman, altar flower chairwoman for over 20 years and most recently as head of Zion's Bereavement Committe.

She died this past Monday, May 4 at the age of 91.  She is survived by her four children: Ruth Moorman and husband, Tommy; Audrey Boezinger; June Davidson and husband, Buddy; and Charles Ahrens and wife, Beverly.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry and son-in-law, Otto Boezinger.  Also surviving are 11 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and one great,great granddaughter, and another on the way.

Pastors ....................................................................................... Peter Manfred, Scot Sorensen
Organist .............................................................................................................. Jackie Weimer
Soloist .................................................................................................................. Karron Lewis
Pallbearers ...............................................................J.D. Lewis, Jim Moorman, Dennis Krackau,
Mike Dean, Chuck Ahrens, Kevin Bailey

When Thelma was four and a half years old, God called her mother home, and she could only remember a little of that day at her mother's burial.  Her brother Gilbert was 2 years old.  Her father, Charles Tezel, was not able to care for two small children, so her aunt Ernestina Hoffman took Thelma and Gilbert in to live with her and uncle Ed.  During that time, they spent a lot of time with their grandmother, Carolina Braun.

At the age of seven, Thelma started school and during that time lived with Grandma Caroline Braun.  Thelma went to school in a one room schoolhouse, called Helotes School.  During that time, ever so often, a pastor would come and preach at what is now Zion Lutheran Church of Helotes number 1.  The whole community would be notified that a pastor would be there.  Grandma Braun and Thelma would walk to church, and at that time the service always was on a Sunday afternoon.  At the end of the school year my Papa would take my brother Gilbert and I home to be with him.  About that time Gilbert was old enough to go to school, for he was about six years old.

My Papa soon taught me how to do a lot of the housework and by the time I was fourteen years old, I had taken over the housework completely.  At this time I was also ready to go to confirmation each Saturday and I would walk three to four miles to the home of Anton Haner and his family.  Anton and I then went by hourse and buggy to Zion for instructions.  There were only four of us taking instructions then from Pastor Laubach.  The other two were Fred Galm and Ellen Brauchle.  On confirmation day we were asked questions on everything we had studied during the time we went to instructions.  We were confirmed on Eastor Sunday, 1920.

I went to school through the sixth Grade.  I would have liked to have gone further but would have had to go to town (San Antonio) and also Papa said he needed me at home, so I settled on making a home for Papa.

When I was about sixteen years old, Pastor Laubach asked me to teach the smallest group in Sunday School, but I told him I was afraid that I couldn't do it, but he said I could, so I taught Sunday School until just a few months before my first child, Ruth was born.  This was in September 1926.  That ended my Sunday School teaching for the time.

I met Harry at a bunco party at aunt Metha's house.  For entertainment at that time, people had parties in their homes and Aunt Metha asked Harry if he would like to come.  Harry delivered ice twice a week to her house.  Harry asked to take me home that night and also asked me for a date.  That started our courtship and we were married over two years later.  When we married, Harry had a milk route and when the depression hit, it left him without a job in 1931.  He then went to work at Duncan Field which is now Kelly Field, and he worked there for over thirty years.

My second child Audrey was born in February 1928.  Then in 1929, we had our home built in San Antonio on Kentucky Avenue, and we transferred our membership to St. John's Lutheran Church.  Our third child June, was born in June 1931 and our fourth and last child, Charles, was born in March 1933.  This completed our family.

All the children went to Sunday School, and when they got a little older, I began helping teach Sunday School again, until they were all confirmed.  After the girls were married and Charles was serving his Army duties in Alaska, Elsie Tezel and I would help in the Church Office once or twice a week.

In 1960 we sold our home of 31 years on Kentucky Avenue and built a new home on Tezel Road and returned to Zion Lutheran of Helotes.  We were here about a year, when I started teaching Sunday School again.  I did this for over twenty years.  I also took care of the alter flowers for over twenty years. At first I would get them at the florist until we finally started with the florist we have now.  So, she has been with us a very long time.  I also got the patterns for the Chrismons we used at Christmas every year.  We would meet at my house to make them almost every week or so.  I also helped Mrs. June Evers make the nativity set which is being used each Christmas.

I served with the Women of the Church from 1923 to present, The Bereavement Committee, The Sewing Group, and sang in the Choir from 1923 until the middle of 1926.  I was a member of the St. Luke's Hospital Auxiliary for many years, and was the membership chairman three different times, and a life member of the Hospital Auxiliary.  I belonged to the Cradle Roll Group, The Garden Club, and helped with various church work while at St. John's.