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Magjarevich, Daniel (1937-2013)
Magjarevich, Daniel
Obituary
2013
Daniel Magjarevich passed away peacefully on April 2, 2013, at 5:35pm at the age of 76 years of age, in Katy, Texas. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle and friend to many.
Daniel, also known as "Big Dan", was born on January 30, 1937 in Goricé, Bonsia, formerly part of the country of Yugoslavia. He was the fourth child of Mary Pezar Lovriæ and Anton Lovriæ (pronounced, "Lovrich"). Daniel's birth name was Zdenko Lovriæ. His birth father died a few months later in 1937 when Daniel was only 7 or 8 months old. About a year later, Mary married again to Juro Maðaroviæ, whose name was later Americanized to "George Magjarevich". George accepted and adopted Daniel and sisters Lucie and Annie as his own children. They called him Tata, which is Croatian for "Daddy". In 1944, while George was away serving in the Yugoslavian Navy as a baker, Mary had to leave with her children aboard a train to Austria in the middle of the night in order to flee the approaching enemy forces, never to see her home, property or country ever again; Daniel was 7 years old. The family lived in refugee camps in Austria for five years. During that time, George searched from camp to camp in Austria until at last, he located his family. Later, they then traveled through Germany to board the ship, USS General M. B. Steward, bound for the land of America in 1949. The family was processed through Ellis Island in New York and later arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 16, 1949. They then traveled to Fayette County and settled in Schulenburg, Texas. Daniel attended school at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Schulenburg. He managed a gasoline service station for a while. In about 1958 or 1959, while working as a cook at Rudy's Café in nearby Weimar, he met his future wife, Gladys Herzik, where she was also working as a waitress. They later married on December 21, 1963 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Schulenburg. They then lived in San Antonio for six years and had three sons, Richard, Michael and Mark, before moving to Sealy in 1969 where they lived out the rest of their lives together. In 1969 he went to work for Schindler Bros. Steel Mill in Sealy, which later became Hurricane Industries. He was a welder and mechanic, repairing machinery and then fabricating needed parts when they replacements were not available. In the 1980s, he went to work for King Construction in Wallis, performing welding and maintenance on equipment. He worked 60-hour weeks in the heat of the steel mill and in the heat of Texas for years to ensure that his wife and children would never have to go without. He was very proud of his family. In the mid-1980's, Daniel began to have heart problems. The Dr. told him he had to retire from working, slow down and take it easy. He slowed down a little, but not much. He still worked part-time on jobs and in the yard and garden. He was an independent man and wanted to do as much as he could himself, and he did just that for the next 27 years. Daniel's favorite activity was playing dominoes. He played dominoes with friends at My Place Pool Hall and Saloon in Downtown Sealy many times a week for years. He played the game for many years in towns around Texas and even in other states on occasion. He frequently competed in The Texas State Tournament, many years placing among the best in the state and bringing trophies home. In 1997, he was inducted into the Texas State Championship Straight Domino Tournament Hall of Fame in Hallettsville. Daniel enjoyed building things out of nothing. He could take other people's junk or scrap and make something useful out of it. He made several BBQ pits out of commercial dryer drums. He made picnic tables out car leaf-springs, which looked so nice that a person would not know what it was made out of unless they were told. He made a two-seater go-cart for his boys from scrap. He made a large plant-stand which moved around in a circle like a merry-go-round for hanging plants for his wife and also another large plant-stand for her which was like a Ferris wheel that had a hand-crank to rotate it. Daniel also was an avid vegetable gardener, planting a large garden each spring and fall, growing potatoes, tomatoes, okra, green beans, squash, onions, shallots, radishes, and turnips, among many other vegetables as well. He loved his wife's cooking and her canned goods especially pickled green tomatoes and pickled cabbage (different than sauerkraut). He made home-made wine for a few years. He helped her make sauerkraut in crock pots and sour-brine pickles in gallon jars on the porch. He loved to eat pickled pig's feet that Gladys would put up for him. He was also an avid reader. He was always reading one or more books at once. He enjoyed Tom Clancy and John Grisham books. He enjoyed John Wayne movies and also enjoyed watching any show concerning World War II history, as his lived part of his life through the war in Europe. Daniel helped raise their grandson, Jonathan. He enjoyed his family and enjoyed going to family reunions. He devoted his whole life to his family was and he loved them. He lovingly and devotedly looked after Gladys, especially in the last few years of her life when she was having back problems and illness. After his wife passed away five years ago, he missed her terribly. They had been married 44 years when she passed away. He continued to live at his home and to be active, working in the yard and garden, taking up canning, making pies, Bar-B-Qing and cooking dishes such as stuffed cabbage, one of his favorites. A funeral service was held April 06, 2013 at Knesek Funeral Chapel in Sealy. Burial followed in the Sealy City Cemetery on Main Street. Pallbearers included David Brandt, Russell Herzik, Dustin Herzik, Joey Herzik, Chad Noska, and Warren Magjarevich. Kenny Corass served as honorary pallbearer. Daniel is survived by his sons, Richard Magjarevich and wife Carol of Brenham; Michael Magjarevich and Mark Magjarevich, both of Sealy; grandchildren, Jonathan Magjarevich of Sealy, and Courtney Corass and husband Kenny of Richmond; brother Anton Magjarevich and wife Donna of Sealy; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. Daniel has two half-sisters from his Dad, George's first marriage, named Slavica and Vikica. Slavica lived in Los Angeles, CA until the mid 1990's at which time she moved to Austria where Vikica was living. Daniel was preceded in death by his wife Gladys Herzik Magjarevich of Sealy; mother Mary Magjarevich of Weimar; father George Magjarevich of Weimar; birth father Anton Lovriæ of Goricé Bosnia; infant brother Franz Lovriæ of Goricé Bosnia; sister Annie Magjarevich Vargas of San Antonio; sister Lucie Magjarevich Sakach of Houston; brother Emil Magjarevich of Columbus; and sister Frances Magjarevich English of Eagle Lake & Edna, TX. |
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Magjarevich
Daniel
39966
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