Edward L. Michulka

EDWARD LEE MICHULKA Survivors: Wife of 65+ years: Geraldine Michulka Two Daughters: Renee Rogers (Michael) Natalie Wisnoski (Douglas) Four Granddaughters: Samantha Miller (Tommy) Ashton Conley (Brandon) Lauren Ashley (Matthew) & great grandson coming October 2025 OliviaGrace Michulka Six Great Grandchildren: Aubree, Ashlynn, Brayden, Bryson Conley, River, Colton Miller Sister: Willie May Pye (Ed) Brother: William Kelner (Christine) Sister-in-law: Yu Won Kelner (wife of George Kelner) Deceased: Mother/Stepfather: Frances and William Kelner Sr. Brother: George Kelner Known to most as Ed, Edward was born January 23, 1937, in East Bernard, TX, and passed away peacefully October 6, 2025, in his hometown of Beasley, TX. He married Geraldine Sulak of East Bernard on February 14, 1960. To commemorate that day, God arranged a beautiful snowfall as their wedding gift – Edward always loved the snow. Prior to marrying, Edward served in the Army from June 26, 1956, to May 28, 1958, and was stationed in Bamberg, Germany, during most of his tenure. He often spoke about the beautiful German landscape and how pristinely maintained the forest floor was beneath the trees. There was once a time when his entire platoon caught the flu while he did not … he was literally the last man standing during that winter week! He was proficient in dismantling and re-mantling his firearm without using his sight. One of the training exercises he enjoyed most was when he and his platoon were dropped on a night mission miles from their camp, and dogs were released to hunt the soldiers down. Armed with only a knife, a flashlight, and a compass, he successfully navigated his way back to camp’s safety before dawn without being “taken prisoner.” Some of the soldiers struggled with the mission, but Edward was able to claim bragging rights that next morning (had he been the bragging type)! Once discharged from the Army and for nearly the next 40 years, Edward worked as welder in equipment manufacturing and servicing for the oil and gas industry at W-K-M which later became Cooper-Cameron. His craftsmanship can be found all over the world, but his pride and joy are the valves he produced for the Alaskan pipeline in the mid to late 1970s. Each welder had a personalized “stamp” they added to the equipment of a completed weld job that identified their work … he lost count of how many valves bear his stamp for the pipeline. Edward was even offered the opportunity to relocate his family to Alaska for the pipeline valve project. However, he chose to remain in Beasley, prioritizing the stability of his daughters’ home and school life—a decision that reflected his deep commitment to his family. To supplement his day job’s wages, Edward farmed full time – a trade he learned while living for a short time during his teenaged years with his uncle. He tucked away every penny from each season’s maize and cotton crops into his daughters’ college funds. He told his daughters he would pay for one degree for each of them, but if they wanted more, the cost would be out of their pockets. All the years of weather-watching, weather-worrying, praying for rain, praying for the hurricanes to turn away from the Texas coast … his long hours in the fields and annual crops’ yields filled those college funds to the brim resulting in a 4-year degree for each daughter. After his reluctant retirement from both the welding and farming lives, Edward proudly worked part time for the City of Beasley - his small hometown with a population of only 310 residents in the 1970s. He enjoyed an extensive list of chores and the freedom to work in the outdoors he so loved: maintaining and planting landscaping in the city, ensuring optimal operation of Beasley’s water system which included his hard labor to repair water leaks, and diligently mapping all water mains, service lines, valves, meters, and backflow preventers throughout the city so that current and future plumbers could easily identify component locations when in need of service. He felt great purpose in these tasks and was very proud of the work he performed. He gave his heart and soul every day for the town he called his home. In 2012, Edward was honored with the prestigious Community Service Award from the American Legion Post 271 in recognition of his dedicated service to the City of Beasley. True to his character, Edward graciously donated the award’s value back to the Post humbly stating that he was grateful for the recognition but didn’t need an award for “just doing his job.” Edward had many hobbies including woodworking and gardening, but his greatest outdoor passion was fishing. He could hook a fish and identify exactly what kind it was before it broke the water’s surface just by how it “hit the hook” … did it nibble, did it bump-bump, did it take the bait slowly or hit it hard? He was right about the fish 100% of the time – whiting, black drum, red drum, hardhead, gaff top, flounder, stingray, piggy perch…. It was simple for him – how did it hit, and how is it pulling on the fishing line. He took many trips with family and friends to the coast for saltwater fishing in Matagorda, San Luis Pass, and Sargent, and he was affectionately dubbed “the Captain” by his fishing companions. Edward loved animals and had quite a few pets throughout his years including Dobermans, miniature Doberman pinschers, chihuahuas, assorted mutts, cats, parakeets, and a parrot. He loved flowers of all kinds … especially roses, zinnias, canna lilies, bluebonnets, and other wildflowers … and his yard reflected that in spades. He loved to go driving every spring to see the wildflowers along the highways between home, Brenham, and surrounding areas. He had a wicked sense of humor … he loved to tell jokes (which were really more like “Dad jokes”) and read the local paper weekly to replenish his joke arsenal. He loved the “Peanuts” comic strip. He was an extremely intelligent man who had a heart of gold and was happy to offer wisdom or working hands to anyone in his life. He never met a stranger and could effortlessly strike up engaging conversation with anyone within earshot. He was extremely fond of his coffee friends that his daughters nick-named “the Coffee Codgers” (gentlemen and ladies, you know who you are!) … his weekday coffee time was sacred to him. Once on a family vacation to the Grand Canyon and while in Arizona, he asked for directions from a gentleman he met at the gas station who was stationed at the nearby military base … after receiving quite detailed instructions, the military gent hopped into an Alfa Romeo with Alaskan license plates. Sooooo … a Texas man in Arizona getting driving directions from a military transplant from Alaska? … only Edward could turn that perfectly timed pit stop into the family’s next adventure on their way to the Grand Canyon … 😊! Edward was one of God’s angels on earth - a steadfast Catholic whose unwavering faith in his Lord and God guided every step of his life. His devotion was something he lived daily with quiet strength, deep humility, and a heart full of grace. We look forward to celebrating Edward’s life with you on Saturday, October 11, 2025, in the Chapel of Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home in Rosenberg. Visitation begins at 1:00 p.m. with services at 2:00 p.m. followed by interment with military honors at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Rosenberg. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Tributes and words of condolence may be left for the family at www.davisgreenlawnfh.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home, 3900 B.F. Terry Blvd., (Hwy 59 South @ FM 2218), Rosenberg, Texas 77471, Phone: 281-341-8800.

Tributes

Edward L. Michulka

January 23, 1937 - October 6, 2025