JoAnn (Meckel) Karolczak | obituaries

December 14, 1934 – July 22, 2022

JoAnn passed peacefully in her sleep at home on the Guadalupe River Road near New Braunfels, Texas on July 22, 2022, with family by her side. she was 87

She was born December 14, 1934 in New Braunfels to Erwin and Gertrude (Bettge) Meckel. Jo, as she was called by many, spent her childhood years in New Braunfels, before moving up the Guadalupe River to Mountain Breeze Camp, which her mother and father established in 1951. She attended New Braunfels schools and played drums in the New Braunfels High School Unicorns marching band.

In 1952 she married Eugene “Ace” Moeller. Together they had two children, Wayne and Jaquelynn. After she and “Ace” divorced, JoAnn married Richard Oja in 1955. They had three children, Nancy, Neil, and Mark. Jo and Richard moved to his home town of Knappa, Oregon in late 1956 after his discharge from the US Air Force. JoAnn spent most of her time raising her children. She was active in the Knappa Schools PTA and was leader of a 4-H sewing club for several years. In 1965, Jo and Richard built the Logger Restaurant in Knappa. They operated it together until their divorce in 1974.

In 1975 she moved with her partner Peter Karolczak to Belmont, California. They later married. After several years in Belmont they moved to Hayward, California. While in California she worked at and managed several delicatessens.

In 1994 she and Peter moved to his hometown of Burg-Spreewald in Germany. There they operated a bed and breakfast until his death in 2013. JoAnn continued to operate the business before selling it in 2015 and moving back to Texas, where she lived in the “cabin”, as she and Peter called it, that they had built on her property on the Guadalupe River Road out of New Braunfels. She resided there until her death.

JoAnn and Peter traveled extensively around the world, especially enjoying Europe and Central and South America. Jo was an avid photographer from an early age, taking thousands of photos and creating a large collection of photo albums.

JoAnn is survived by her children Wayne and his wife Pam of Warrenton, Oregon; Jackie of Vancouver, Washington; Nancy and her husband Bill of Philomath, Oregon; Neil of Flower Mound, Texas; and Mark and his wife Millie of Svensen, Oregon. She is also survived by 9 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, sisters Joyce Bujnoch and Elaine Meckel, both of New Braunfels; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Cremation arrangements were by Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home in Sattler, Texas.

A celebration of life will be held in Texas at a later date.