Shirley Jurek Bryson

Shirley Jurek Bryson, 77, of Winnie, died Wednesday, January 10, 2024.  She was born on September 3, 1946, in San Antonio, to Hubert and Alice Hejtmanek Jurek.

Shirley grew up in the small community of South Houston. She attended Pasadena Brethren Church where she was part of a loving and supportive church family.

Shirley will be remembered for her artistic flair and her generous spirit.   She truly cared about others and their struggles and tried to help whenever and however she could.

Shirley graduated from South Houston High School in 1964. She then attended San Jacinto College where she earned an Associate of Arts degree in Fine and Graphic Arts.   She loved painting and unusual art objects.   In college, she was President of the Art Club. After graduating, she worked at Lockheed Electronics at NASA Technical, flowcharting graphics for the moon shot and first rover. Other positions included Houston Pipeline Company, Turner Collie & Braden, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, and PanCanadian Petroleum.

When she married John Bryson in 1979, she moved to Winnie, Texas.  For several years, she was the President of the Chambers County American Cancer Society.  She was active in the Methodist Church, fundraisers, and Bible School, as well as various community projects like Safari Park.  She was Secretary and Treasurer of B & L Water Well Service Inc. where she was responsible for contracts, insurance, state reporting, regulations, permitting, etc. After her husband died in 2006, she was President/CEO, Secretary and Treasurer of B & L until 2020.

Hurricane Harvey flooded her house in 2017 with 19 inches of water and Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019 again flooded her house with 9 inches of water. The trauma from the floods caused PTSD whenever storms were forecast for the area. She was very grateful to cousin Ottmar Schimek and his crew for rebuilding her home after the floods.

Shirley was extremely grateful to have grown up in such a loving and close knit family clan as the Hejtmaneks. Not only did the family nurture each other but they included the in-laws’ families as well.  They were also able to keep in contact with relatives still living in Moravia in the Czech Republic.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents Hubert and Alice Jurek, loving husband John, sister Sandra Jurek, God-parents Ottmar and Martha Jane Schimek,  and in-laws Harry Bryson, Jr. and Adelia Bryson Stelly.  Survivors include her sister Karen Howery, sisters-in-law Beth Bryson and Suzie Ortego and her husband, Kenneth, nephew Ken Howery, nieces Shelly Tobey, Ashley Ortego, Amber Parker and her husband Grant, and Christina Howery and her husband John, great nieces Emma and Eden, and numerous cousins and other relatives.

A gathering of Ms. Bryson’s family and friends will begin at 10:00 a.m., with her funeral service to follow at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at Broussard’s, 134 West Buccaneer Drive, Winnie. Her interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Hus Encampment, c/o  Susan Marek, 1304 T H Johnson Drive, Taylor, Texas 76574.

Shirley will be loved and missed until we meet again.