Hortense Margaret Koether Mandel was born on December 12, 1917 on the family farm in the Central Community of Bee County, Texas. She passed away on October 30 in Seguin, Texas at the age of 98.
Hortense attended the Central Community School in Bee County and graduated from high school in Beeville. Following graduation, she moved to Seguin, Texas and attended Texas Lutheran College. After one year, she received a temporary teaching certificate and a job in a one-room country school in Kingsbury, Texas. She held Bachelors and Master's Degrees from Southwest Texas State College in San Marcos. In Seguin she taught for many years at Weinert Elementary, mostly in the fourth and fifth grades. Her teaching career spanned almost fifty years. Many of her former students still kept in touch with her.
The Seguin Cattle Company, founded by her husband, Alfred Mandel, was very special to her. For many years she worked on Wednesdays handing out checks to sellers. She retired in 1996 at age 80. One of her life's most memorable events was her surprise 90th birthday party held at the Cattle Company.
Mrs. Mandel had a "green thumb." There were always beautiful plants and flowers in her yard and on her deck. She also loved birds, animals of all kinds, reading, and especially cherished the short trips with Juanita and "the group" in Juanita's van.
She was preceded in death by her husband of almost 60 years, Alfred Mandel, her parents George William (Bill) Koether and Sophie Kubala Koether, and her brother Frederick William Koether. She is survived by several nieces and nephews, loving cousins, many friends, her faithful caregivers, and her three dogs and four cats.
According to her wishes, a private burial service was held on November 1 at the San Geronimo Cemetery in Seguin.
For those wishing to honor her, memorial donations can be made to the Guadalupe County Humane Society, P. O. Box 1593, Seguin, TX 78155- 1593 or to a non-profit of choice.