Oeltjen-Hunger

Lanice Carol Oeltjen-Hunger, 75, of Smithville, passed away on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Austin after a courageous battle against Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Lanice was born in La Grange on Nov. 4, 1949, the daughter of Edmund and Vera (Hauschild) Oeltjen.

After 51 years, John and Lanice found each other again. They were high school sweethearts at La Grange High School. They married after a one-year courtship in March 2018 at St. Peter Lutheran Church. She was given the pleasure of traveling, something she always wanted to do, until leukemia struck in February of 2019.

Lanice loved her God and His church, being baptized and confirmed as a child at St. Peter. Her great grandfather, Friedrich Marquart, was a founder of St. Peter in 1896. She served on the church council, was a lector, videographer of the Sunday church services for television ministry,

sang in the church choir and also served as the financial secretary. Lanice was on the Board of the Prairie Valley Cemetery Association and served as the president until February 2020.

She was a Chiropractic Assistant at Fitzpatrick Chiropractic clinic for many years.

Lanice had a great passion for growing flowers and also photographing them. She had a “flower of the day”, grown in her yard, for 100 days straight on Facebook. Sharing her plants with her friends and family members gave her much pleasure.

Family was of great importance to her. Her five grandchildren gave her so much pleasure. A deep bond with each of them was established as she was their childcare giver before they entered school. She was their “Gigi.”

She is survived by her husband, John Hunger; two sons: Loren Bertsch and wife, Amy, of Prairie Valley, Texas and Landry Bertsch and wife, Melanie, of Plum, Texas; one daughter, Lauri Anzaldua and fiancé, Mitchell Weise, of Bastrop, Texas; five grandchildren: Kailei and Ashlyn Anzaldua, Morgan and Adam Bertsch; and Luke Bertsch.

She is preceded in death by her parents; brother, Larry Hauschild; grandparents, Anton and Erna Oeltjen and Henry and Annie Hauschild.

Additionally, the family would like to thank countless family, friends, and many that we did not personally know for their prayers (her prayer warriors gave her great strength and helped her to stay positive in the battle she faced), their well wishes and caring support. There are not ample words to express our heartfelt gratitude. This gratitude is an extension of how Lanice felt too. On numerous occasions, she expressed how she felt extremely blessed and grateful for the multitude of prayers, God’s grace, and many answered prayers.

The family would also like to thank the staff at St. David’s Medical Center South for their loving care throughout her fight. She knew many of the staff by name and talked of them fondly, sharing pictures of her flowers and family.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 8 a.m. at Koenig-Belvill Funeral Home & Cremations. Family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m.

Funeral Services will be held at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 640 Prairie Valley Rd., West Point, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Burial will follow at Prairie Valley Lutheran Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church or to the Prairie Valley Cemetery Association.

Family and friends can view and sign the guestbook online at www.lagrangefunerals. com.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Koenig-Belvill Funeral Home & Cremations in La Grange.