Helma Hannusch, 91, passed away January 12, 2019. Born on January 22, 1927, Helma grew up in Winchester, Texas and married Wilbert Hannusch there after he came home from World War II. Living first in Smithville, then Newgulf, Wadsworth and Bay City, they had four children. Helma was devoted to her family in every way, and was an excellent cook and baker. Her church was very important to her for all of her life, and she was very involved in Ladies Aid and even helped start a new Lutheran church in Bay City.

After the children left home, she worked as the head baker at the Matagorda General Hospital where townspeople would come to eat at the cafeteria just for her incredible pies, rolls, cinnamon rolls and cakes. She had a home business after that, Helma's Homebaking, and baked hundreds of wedding cakes, birthday cakes and more. Wilbert helped her deliver and set up the more elaborate wedding cakes after his retirement from Texas Gulf Sulphur Company.

Helma was known for her beautiful home gardens and truly enormous vegetable gardens, and taught all her children to garden. She also grew African violets, propagating thousands, giving away and selling her plants, and then caring for all the plants at the assisted care facility where she and Wilbert lived later in life.

Helma loved fishing and walking on the beach, as well as fishing at her childhood farm in Winchester. She took up oil painting late in life and painted scenes of wildlife and nature and flowers, and her childhood memories. She and Wilbert passed on their passion for fishing and the outdoors to all their children. They enjoyed many wonderful times at the beach with her sisters and brother and their families, and even her parents Otto and Adelheid Noack.

Her husband Wilbert died in 2011, her brother Floyd in 2017, and she is survived by her sisters, Evelyn Kasper and Mary Ann Liebscher. Her children include Dianne and husband Tom Wassenich, Stephen and wife Heidi Hannusch, Glenn Hannusch, and Susan and husband Douglas Ryman. Grandchildren are Nicole and David Call, Patrick and Kelli Hannusch, Christopher Hannusch and Sabrina Ware, Chad Hannusch and Brittany Cordes, Douglas Ryman Jr. and Jenny Ryman. Great grandchildren are Ashlynn, Lauren, John D., Jeremiah and Lucas, Logan and Kaden, Linzie, and Allie, Chelsea and Clayton.

Pallbearers are grandsons Christopher and Chad Hannusch, sons Stephen and Glenn Hannusch, sons-in-law Douglas Ryman and Tom Wassenich. Honorary pallbearers are grandsons, Douglas Ryman Jr. and Patrick Hannusch, and grandson-in-law David Call.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 614 Pecan St., Wharton, Texas 77488 for the Parish Hall Fund.   Family visitation is at 2 p.m. at the church on Sunday, January 20, 2019 with services following at 3 p.m.