Barbara Glenewinkel

Barbara Jean Lyman Glenewinkel passed away Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at home in Cibolo, Texas, following her fervent wish to spend her last hours with family in her own home.

Barbara, or Babs as she was known by close family, was born in Gonzales, Texas, on August 18, 1938. The youngest of five children of Henry Lyman and Frances Foy, Barbara spent her early years in Gonzales, lived briefly in Kingsbury, and later on the family moved to Luling where she graduated from Luling High School in 1956,  As a housepainter and sometimes chicken farmer, her father moved the family frequently between small Central Texas towns, but primarily he was a musician – playing fiddle and leading a Texas swing band throughout Barbara’s youth. No doubt this musical heritage was the source of her lifelong appreciation of music.

Growing up with three brothers and one sister, she was the baby of the family, sometimes spoiled, sometimes teased by her siblings, as she tagged along behind her older brothers, getting into mischief. They traveled to local dances on weekends and sometimes a radio show, and Barbara was often encouraged to sing with the band but she was too shy for public performances and only joined in when surrounded by a familiar audience. Long after the family quit playing for the public, Barbara sustained her love of music – in the early years that devotion included the likes of Bob Wills, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Frank Sinatra, and the Righteous Brothers, and in later years, Glen Campbell, Alan Jackson, Nanci Griffith, John Denver, Lyle Lovett, Rod Stewart ( the songbook anthologies, not the rock and roll years ), and her greatest crush of all, George Strait, to name just a few of her musical interests.

Barbara met her future husband, Herman Jake Glenewinkel, at a Sunday night dance at the Bluebird Inn in Kingsbury. Later they married, moved to a farm outside Cibolo, and had three children, Laura, Jason and Sarah. In addition to her household duties, she worked alongside her husband, driving the tractor or tending the livestock – at least until her children were old enough to take over some of the chores. She even learned to drive the grain truck during harvest season, though she did need a booster pillow to reach the pedals.

She joined Jake’s family church, St. Paul’s Church in Cibolo, where all of her children were baptized and confirmed, and a generation later, her grandchildren were as well. They formed lasting friendships in the community, participating in local events like the Cibolo Fire Department’s annual Sausage Supper, where she and Jake, alongside their neighbors, made homemade German sausage into the early morning hours for the Saturday fundraiser. Making friends was easy for Barbara and she was proud of decades-old connections with loyal confidantes over the years.

From helping out as class “mom” or attending PTA meetings at her children’s elementary schools to driving them to and from sports practices and piano lessons, and attending games and performances, she was devoted to their education and well-being. But she was also a great believer in fun – music was always playing on the radio and she taught them to dance around the kitchen table until they were too old for such foolishness.

When her children were still in school, she worked as city secretary at City Hall in Cibolo for several years before moving over to Schertz City Hall where she served as court clerk. Anyone who paid a speeding ticket in Schertz in the 1980s or ‘90s most likely met Barbara at the counter. She taught Sunday School for several years, and worked part-time as church secretary at St. Paul’s as well. She retired from the city twenty years ago to babysit her grandchildren who lived next door on the farm. Spending time with Katie and Sawyer was the greatest joy of her retired life and she doted on them incessantly.

Her personal accomplishments are too plentiful to list, though her primary interests endured – she was an avid cook and referred to herself as a short-order cook who could whip up a great meal no matter what was in the cupboard. Barbara was known for putting her own touch on old family favorites, making the recipe her own. Fried chicken, sourdough bread, chicken fried steak and her own mother’s Fresh Apple Cake were just a few of her specialties.

In addition to chef duties, she never met a crafting trend she could not master. While the fads came and went, she continued to pursue her favorites – crochet, quilting, and sewing – passing along at least some of those skills and interests to her progeny.

Early on, retirement for Jake and Blue (the most common nickname he had for Barbara as far back as their kids can recall) occasionally meant meandering road trips to various destinations – a day trip to Luckenbach, or an adventure to Big Bend and the MacDonald Observatory, or once a trip to Colorado and a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. Of late, their adventures were limited to watching old westerns on television and spending as much time as possible with their beloved grandkids. Throughout, it was a simple life in the country they enjoyed most, rich in love and small town Texas values. And now, with any luck at all, Barbara is enjoying her most heartfelt wish – dancing with Jake to Amarillo By Morning once again.

Barbara is survived by her children, Laura Glenewinkel of Geronimo, Jason Glenewinkel and Jerry Rozell of Houston, and Sarah and Scott Wolston of Cibolo, as well as her grandchildren, Katie Alexandra Wolston and Sawyer Scott Wolston. Other surviving relatives are Billy and Louise Lyman, Jennie Vee Lyman, and Paul Heinemeyer and his wife, Sharon, along with multiple nieces and nephews. Faithful friends include Sarah Batey Edwards, Connie Silvers, and Tom Wehe, neighbor and friend for many decades.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Herman Jake Glenewinkel; her parents, Henry and Frances Lyman; sister, Mary Lee Lyman Burt; brothers, Henry Morris Buck Lyman and Conde Earl Lyman; and numerous other relatives.

The family will receive friends on Friday, March 19, 2021 from 4:00PM-8:00PM at the Schertz Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 10:00AM at St. Paul Evangelical Church with interment to follow at St. Paul Cemetery.

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