Joe Louis Shupak, 94, of Caldwell, Texas, passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 28, 2023.
A public visitation was held in the chapel at Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home in Caldwell from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.
Funeral services will be on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home, Caldwell.
Interment will follow at Liberty Cemetery in Caldwell.
Joe was born on June 3, 1929, to Frank and Bessie (Sobotik) Shupak in the Prairie Dale community near Caldwell, Texas.
He was the youngest son of eleven siblings. As a child, Joe attended the Holy Rosary Church in Frenstat where he was baptized.
Joe loved the outdoors and spent many hours hunting. He had a good eye and rarely missed on the first shot. He loved to squirrel and coon hunt and would include anyone that wanted to join. He enjoyed fishing but he’d often rather be feeding the fish in one of his tanks and admiring how big they’d gotten from the bank.
He met his future wife, Esther Emilie Krueger, whom he referred to as “Honey” while coon hunting with her dad, Willie Krueger. He and her family were neighbors and Joe would go coon hunting just so he could see Esther. They later married on November 29, 1952, at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Frenstat, Texas.
They moved to Houston in 1954 after returning from Germany where he served in the Army. They resided there for approximately 14 years before returning to Burleson County where they built their forever home in the Porters Chapel area.
They had two daughters, Sandra Jo and Diane Marie.
Joe and Esther worked together daily with many tasks including his Sheetrock business, cattle operation and raising hogs. He took great pride in building fence, barns, corrals, birdhouses and the list goes on. He baled the most beautiful hay for himself and others throughout the years.
Most will remember Joe for being a “firecracker” and full of grit. Hard work was Joe’s priority for 94 years. He loved his family sternly but deeply.
Joe was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Esther Emilie Shupak; his parents, Frank and Bessie Shupak; brothers, Willie and wife, Dora, Frank and wife, Lora, and Anton; sisters, Julie Matcek and husband, Ed,Annie Krenek and husband, John, Lydia Krenek and husband, Isadore, Mollie Shupak, Rose Petrvalsky, Mary Benton and husband, Fred, and Martha Shupak.
He is survived by his two daughters, Sandra Spacek and her husband, Douglas, of Dime Box and Diane Goetsch and her husband, Mark, of La Grange; grandsons, Dwayne Faust and his wife, Tanise, of Caldwell, Kasey Goetsch of La Grange, and Scott Goetsch of La Grange; granddaughters, Krista Faust and her partner, Tom Finch, of Bryan, Shelly Hitchcock and her husband, De, of Dime Box; great-grandson, Will Faust of Caldwell; as well as great-granddaughters, Em-erson Faust of Caldwell, and Kodi and Andi Hitchcock of Dime Box.
Honoring Joe as Pallbearers are Dwayne Faust, Kasey Goetsch, Scott Goetsch, Will Faust, Phil Shupak and Curtis Shupak. Honorary pallbearers will be De Hitchcock, Darrell Krueger, Buster Lewis, Brent Sears and Nathan Ausley.
Special thanks to all the caring, extended family, friends and neighbors who have been there for Joe all these years. A very special thanks to caregivers Sherron, Tasha and Velma who cared for Joe during his final months. You each have a special place in our hearts and have become forever family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Liberty CemeteryAssociation, 401 West Buck, Caldwell, Texas 77836, Deanville VFD, P.O. Box 71, Deanville, Texas 77852 or to Hospice Brazos Valley, 502 W 26th St, Bryan, Texas 77803.
Express condolences at PhillipsandLuckey.com
PHILLIPS & LUCKEY FUNERAL HOME 404 W. Buck St. Caldwell, Tx 77836 979-567-3232