1917
Ada
2015
Ada Ruth Grunwald
October 21, 1917 — January 23, 2015
PORT MANSFIELD - Ada R. Barber Grunwald passed away at age 97 at Valley Baptist Hospital, Harlingen Texas on January 23, 2015. She is survived by one daughter, Grace Lewis and husband, Arland. seven Grandchildren; Teresa/Charles Hartman of San Marcos, Candice/Daniel Cantu of Edcouch, Cindi /Manuel Mendez of Sweeny, Texas, Martin/Darlene Barber of Seabrook, Texas, SSgt Marshall / Melissa Barber of Fort Hood, Texas, Darrell Barber of Dickenson, Texas, Netta Kay Rives of St. Louis MO. and a total of 19 Great Grandchildren and 8 Great Great Grandchildren. Ada also is survived by Sister Aileen Engel LeRoy Kansas, Brother Deane Faidley of Poolville, Texas and Sister Lois Bledsoe of McAllen, Texas.
Ada is preceded in death by Sister Dorothy Bozarth; Brother Maurice Faidley; Sisters Mary Lou Hunter and Lyla Jean Sargent; Husband Arthur J. Barber, Sr.; Sons William Barber of California and AJ. Barber, Jr. of Bay City, Texas; Husband Robert T. Grunwald.
Ada was born in Neosha Falls, Kansas on October 21, 1917 to Samual M. Faidley and Mary Ion Tidd. She completed through 12th grade at Neosha Falls and one year of collage at University of Kansas, Lawrence Kansas. The Faidley family decided to take advantage of the new farm opportunities offered by developers in the Delta Lake area of the Lower Rio Grancle Valley of Texas. This was in the early 1930’s. Ada moved with the family to Texas, but did not stay on the farm. She went to the city of Pharr, Texas and became a maid for the Darby family. In 1939 Ada married a Widower by the name of Arthur J. Barber who had a young son named William (Billy). During these early years of marriage she and “Nub” worked packing and shipping fruit for the local fruit sheds in Pharr. In 1940 their son Arthur J. Barber, Jr. “A.J.” was born and in 1941their daughter Grace was born.
In 1944, the Barber family moved to Edcouch, Texas to pack fruit for the Geo. McDaniel Shipping Company. They worked in the Edcouch and Elsa, Texas Sheds and also packed fruit at Engleman Gardens Company North of Elsa. In 1950, the family was given the opportunity to move to Ada’s parents, Sam and Mary Faidley, Dairy Farm seven miles North of Edcouch on FM 1422. Nub was to work the dairy and farm as a sharecropper on the Faidley Farm. Ada and family lived there until 1967 when Hurricane Beulah destroyed their home. Within the next year they built a new house at the farm. In 1970 Ada’s husband Nub died during the Asian flu epidemic. Ada was 53 years old at this time and was still just a farmer’s wife. She was not able to collect any benefits from her husband’s death and had no skills to get a job. Being a proud woman, she would not accept any loans from her family. She rented a manual typewriter and a typing book and taught herself to type. She was able to get a clerical job at the City of Elsa, City Hall. Later she was hired by Texas Plastics, Inc. of Elsa, Texas to type time cards and invoices. She continued to work there until the company went bankrupt.
Ada then worked at the Elsa Coop Gin, Hollon Oil Co. Elsa, Texas and John Knox Village, Weslaco, Texas up until she turned 65 when she was eligible for Social Security. She continued to work part time at various businesses to supplement her income.
Ada continued to live in the farm house alone until 1993 she was introduced to Robert T. Grunwald who was a winter Texan who had moved from Delta, Colorado. They were married February 14, 1995 at Zion Lutheran Church - Alamo, Texas. Ada sold her farm house and she and Bob moved to 828 Citrus Drive, Alamo, Texas. Ada and Bob traveled the United States and took a train ride across Canada and went on an Alaskan cruise. Ada was able to travel and see sites she never dreamed of seeing. Bob passed away on July 14, 2007. In September of 2007 Ada moved to Brookridge Retirement Apartments in Pharr, Texas. In March 2010, Ada moved to Canterbury Assisted Living in Harlingen, Texas. At Canterbury Ada made many friends, but her special guardian angels there were Bill and Sanda Horeis who are and will remain special to our family. Ada lived at Canterbury until her death.
Thanks be to God who sent many friends to visit Ada especially for the past seven years. We are grateful to each person who took time to visit and encourage her. We are grateful for the caregivers who ministered to Ada.
A graveside service will be held Friday, January 30, 2015 at l0am at Highland Memorial Park in Weslaco, Texas.
Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of McCaleb Funeral Home of Weslaco, Texas
Ada is preceded in death by Sister Dorothy Bozarth; Brother Maurice Faidley; Sisters Mary Lou Hunter and Lyla Jean Sargent; Husband Arthur J. Barber, Sr.; Sons William Barber of California and AJ. Barber, Jr. of Bay City, Texas; Husband Robert T. Grunwald.
Ada was born in Neosha Falls, Kansas on October 21, 1917 to Samual M. Faidley and Mary Ion Tidd. She completed through 12th grade at Neosha Falls and one year of collage at University of Kansas, Lawrence Kansas. The Faidley family decided to take advantage of the new farm opportunities offered by developers in the Delta Lake area of the Lower Rio Grancle Valley of Texas. This was in the early 1930’s. Ada moved with the family to Texas, but did not stay on the farm. She went to the city of Pharr, Texas and became a maid for the Darby family. In 1939 Ada married a Widower by the name of Arthur J. Barber who had a young son named William (Billy). During these early years of marriage she and “Nub” worked packing and shipping fruit for the local fruit sheds in Pharr. In 1940 their son Arthur J. Barber, Jr. “A.J.” was born and in 1941their daughter Grace was born.
In 1944, the Barber family moved to Edcouch, Texas to pack fruit for the Geo. McDaniel Shipping Company. They worked in the Edcouch and Elsa, Texas Sheds and also packed fruit at Engleman Gardens Company North of Elsa. In 1950, the family was given the opportunity to move to Ada’s parents, Sam and Mary Faidley, Dairy Farm seven miles North of Edcouch on FM 1422. Nub was to work the dairy and farm as a sharecropper on the Faidley Farm. Ada and family lived there until 1967 when Hurricane Beulah destroyed their home. Within the next year they built a new house at the farm. In 1970 Ada’s husband Nub died during the Asian flu epidemic. Ada was 53 years old at this time and was still just a farmer’s wife. She was not able to collect any benefits from her husband’s death and had no skills to get a job. Being a proud woman, she would not accept any loans from her family. She rented a manual typewriter and a typing book and taught herself to type. She was able to get a clerical job at the City of Elsa, City Hall. Later she was hired by Texas Plastics, Inc. of Elsa, Texas to type time cards and invoices. She continued to work there until the company went bankrupt.
Ada then worked at the Elsa Coop Gin, Hollon Oil Co. Elsa, Texas and John Knox Village, Weslaco, Texas up until she turned 65 when she was eligible for Social Security. She continued to work part time at various businesses to supplement her income.
Ada continued to live in the farm house alone until 1993 she was introduced to Robert T. Grunwald who was a winter Texan who had moved from Delta, Colorado. They were married February 14, 1995 at Zion Lutheran Church - Alamo, Texas. Ada sold her farm house and she and Bob moved to 828 Citrus Drive, Alamo, Texas. Ada and Bob traveled the United States and took a train ride across Canada and went on an Alaskan cruise. Ada was able to travel and see sites she never dreamed of seeing. Bob passed away on July 14, 2007. In September of 2007 Ada moved to Brookridge Retirement Apartments in Pharr, Texas. In March 2010, Ada moved to Canterbury Assisted Living in Harlingen, Texas. At Canterbury Ada made many friends, but her special guardian angels there were Bill and Sanda Horeis who are and will remain special to our family. Ada lived at Canterbury until her death.
Thanks be to God who sent many friends to visit Ada especially for the past seven years. We are grateful to each person who took time to visit and encourage her. We are grateful for the caregivers who ministered to Ada.
A graveside service will be held Friday, January 30, 2015 at l0am at Highland Memorial Park in Weslaco, Texas.
Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of McCaleb Funeral Home of Weslaco, Texas
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