Judith (Judy) Marie Lange Malish, age 83, completed her call here on earth and went to her eternal home Jan. 27, 2023, after her courageous and strong fight with Alzheimer’s.
Judy was born to Willie and Alma Zieschang Lange Oct. 17, 1939, at Wedemeyer Hospital in Taylor.
She was a lifetime member of Christ Lutheran Church Noack, where she was baptized, confirmed and married. As well as a Sunday school teacher and superintendent.
Judy loved the Lord, her service was to the church she loved, as she brought her kids all up with the same love of Christ passed on through to her from her paternal and maternal ancestry roots of Lange’s and Zieschang’s.
After she was confirmed, she remained active in the church until she no longer could. As long as Judy could walk, she was at that little white church on the hill. She made sure Elton got her there, so she could teach, and be superintendent when she could no longer drive. As she continued in her decline, after Elton passed, and she no longer knew it was Sundays, it then became time her children made sure she was in church, and they did that as long as she was able to get into a car, just as she did for them when they were young.
Judy was a homemaker, a queen to her Elton King, a wonderful mom who made family very important and a beloved grandma they called Nenaw. All of them were familiar with the f ly swatter, maybe except the last few grandchildren. Judy’s house was everyone’s home. They could eat if you were around when it was breakfast,
lunch or supper. Saturdays were Golden Fried Chicken Day and Sunday evenings were sand volleyball at Malish Lake. She had her net and ball ready at all times, and about 3 o’clock Sunday afternoons that landline start ringing, by 4 all were showing up who wanted to play and ones that didn’t they still came to hang out watching the others play, while the younger kids enjoyed sliding down the hill with a cardboard boxes including Judy’s nieces, nephews, her friends and her kids friends, all you had to do is show up draw sticks and get ready for an evening of fun times. There was always food afterwards and of course sweet tea.
Judy’s place was her home where her children, her grandchildren, great- grandchildren, her brothers and sisters, in-laws, her nieces, nephews, even great ones too, as well as the neighbor kids thrived. Her name was special, not only was she mom to her children, in many ways she was their mom to, their Nenaw and their aunt, their friend.
We can’t forget her Fridays. It was hair day with her niece Marilyn. Rain or shine she was getting it done. Then off she was all set as beautiful as could be to have lunch with Elton at the shop. Then off from there to H-E-B to buy groceries so she could start cooking Saturday and get up early to finish that Sunday meal. Sundays, to make it at 9 a.m. to Sunday School for the children. The rest of the week, if you needed breakfast, lunch or supper, she had it.
Judy enjoyed going out to eat on Saturday nights to Dodge City Steak House & Cattlemen’s Steak House after the closing of Zieschang’s Bar & Cafe.
Judy loved her Longhorns. Each day Elton would take their drive to the country looking at the crops and checking the cows. You’d find a grandkid or two with them in that blue Ford truck or silver Lincoln. They enjoyed just sitting in the woods watching for deer in the truck, and just driving around looking at their crops of corn and cotton, checking on the hay baling, harvesting, as well as bringing food to the field.
Judy enjoyed going east to Sam’s Town with Elton, with her friends from the church and her children and grandchildren. Vegas was her first air f light, that set off these trips East. She went to many a Austin, San Antonio and Houston Stock Show, as well Oklahoma, where Elton set up and show Hay King Equipment and her family and friends join them as well, and made many a memory of getting to see various country artist.
Judy would go with Elton to Vermeer Dealership Conventions, where she had fun times of seeing other places including Monterey, Mexico and Elvis Presley Museum. She even got Elton to venture out to see his brother Gilbert and Bonita in Alabama and her nieces and nephews there. They recently shared, “She knew she was loved . . . So many sweet memories of good food and fun summers in Texas! I can hear her long southern Texas drawl calling to someone to ‘get in here!’ I always thought what patience and calmness she always had in every situation. She was a great mom and aunt!!!”
Judy loved Thrall School, was a 1958 graduate, proud to be a Tiger, and proud of the generations that followed of her kids, grandkids, graduating, as well as one coaching there today. She was in the Pep Squad, making noise for her No. 50, enjoyed homemaking class. She played volleyball, basketball, and in 1957 her team was district champs. She played softball as well, was still playing softball after her kids graduated high school in area women’s teams, her church team and you can bet Judy was the pitcher.
Judy was proud to be a 1958 graduate, her purple and white ran deep and who’d ever know to follow be 25 graduates in her own family. You could find Judy with Elton Friday nights at home games at the north end of football field in her last years.
Traditions were important to Judy, not only with the church and the school, but ones also she instilled into her children of going to church on Sundays, Sunday mealtime, Thanksgiving with turkey and dressing and ham, Christmas Eve church and the Christmas program, then onto her home for food, gif ts, games, and f ireworks as well as Santa’s arrival! Easter lunch was turkey and ham and Easter baskets for the kids each with a spring outf it, then the Easter egg hunt.
Mom your work is f inished here. Now go rest high, until we meet again. Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Wil lie and Alma Lange; her husband, Elton Malish; one son, Elton Kris Malish; mother-inlaw, Ruby Leshikar Mal ish; her brothers, Marvin Lange, and Glenn Lange; her sisters, Edna Schwenke, Alice Joyce Stol le and Gerdie Falk; and one son-in-law, Kevin Rohlack.
Judy is survived by her six chi ldren, sons Douglas Malish and wife Sheri, Darrell Malish and wife Betty, and Kerry Malish and wife Lesley; daughters, Cheryl Barron and husband Jeff, Roxanne Patschke and husband Darrell, and Michelle Olsen and husband Rick; her grandchildren, Misty Pavlicek (Shane), Keith Rohlack (Angela), Kristina Malish, Matthew Malish, Daniel le Kollman, Kassie Bolton, Kacy Malish ( her fiancé Casey Krampitz) Mallory Keeling (Chad) Kourtney Jenke (Shane), Memorie Shannon ( Tyler), Maranda Cummings (Jared) Rachael Malish (her fiancé Peyton Reagan) Kelton Malish, Destine Malish, Nahum Patschke, Jacob Barron, Rochelle Malish and Faith Patschke; greatgrandchildren, Brodie Connell, Haddie Rohlack, Ryen Malish, Micah Rohlack, Caleb Keeling, Greyson Pavlicek, Selah Rohlack, Benjamin Keeling, Katelynn Cummings, Kinslee Cummings, Kyle Shannon, Kolter Jenke, and Charlotte Reagan; sister-in-law, Bonita Malish; and lots of nephews and nieces.
Serving as pallbearers are Judy’s grandsons Keith Rohlack, Matthew Malish, Kelton Malish, Nahum Patschke, Jacob Barron. Greatgrandsons Brodie Connell, Micah Rohlack, Greyson Pavlicek, Kyle Shannon and Kolter Jenke.
A funeral will be held Monday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. at Providence Funeral Home with Pastor Paul Howe officiating.
All are invited and welcomed to visit with family and friends following with a noon meal being served at the Taylor S.P. J.S.T. Lodge Hall, 5025 FM 619 in Taylor.
In lieu of f lowers donations can be made to Christ Lutheran Church 6730 FM 112 Taylor, TX. 76574, or Doggies for Dementia.
The family would like to say thank you to the staff that help guide and care for mom from Austin Hospice the last nine months and her private caregivers Bernice Cesarez, Crystal Coward, Henna McNei l, Kim Garcia and Linda Quintinal la for their care and companionship they gave mom the final days of her life. As wel l to Bonnie Kaderka for her time as caregiver/ organizer early on. To Pastor Paul Howe and Mrs. Howe for their visits to her home the last year and half and Pastor Donald Kasper for his prayers and support. To Judy’s niece Marilyn Frock, a heartfelt thanks for taking care of mom’s hair all these years to the end. To Justin Stolle her nephew, our sincerest appreciation for doing her ceiling for her as well as helping with her walk-in bath.
To all who made a difference in Judy’s life, we thank you from the bottom of ours, this will never be forgotten, and will remain forever in our hearts. Sent from the all-new AOL app for iOS.
