Elsie Mildred Kadera

ELSIE M. KADERA: December 16, 1928 to April 8, 2017

Elsie Mildred Kadera passed away peacefully on April 8, 2017 at her home surrounded by her four children, Karolynn Sawyer, George Kadera Jr., Frances Vaughan and Alisha Grubbs. She fought courageously over the past three years against oral cancer.

Born in Houston Texas as Elsie Mildred Dvorak, she was the youngest of two children of Frances Nemec and Frank Dvorak both of whom had immigrated from Czechslovakia to Texas in the early 1900’s. Her brother, Henry R. Dvorak of Norman, Oklahoma passed away February 15, 2003.

As she grew up, Elsie and her extended family had many great times at SPJST Lodge 88 in Houston. Her mother, grandmothers and aunts were baking kolaches and apple streudels while her father, grand-fathers and uncles were playing dominos, drinking beer and rehearsing for the Czech plays, dances and other celebrations at the Lodge.

In 1947 she graduated from Reagan High School, Houston, Texas, as valedictorian of her class. Elsie attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated in 1951 with a degree in Music and Applied Voice. While at UT, she was tapped for Mortar Board and was also involved in Mu Phi Epsilon, Phi Mu, Alpha Lambda Delta, The Czech Club, Glee Club, Opera Company and University Singers.

Elsie married her high school sweetheart George S. Kadera Sr. on June 9, 1951 in a double wedding with her brother Henry and college roommate Pauline Edwards. She had known George while they were at Reagan High School and were both involved with SPJST Lodge. They were married for 63 years before George passed away on October 21, 2015.

Instead of furthering her opera career, Elsie decided to become a housewife and mother. While the children were growing up, Elsie took them to many football games, swim meets, and other sports events that George coached. In Houston, she sang with the Christ Church Cathedral choir and was their lead soprano soloist for 12 years. Other times she sang at the Heights Funeral Home and the Jewish Temple Beth Israel to help bring in extra money for the family. Weekends and holidays were spent with her folks and George’s parents during which much good Czech food was made and eaten. She was also a member of Houston Heights Bowling League, Houston Madrigal Singers, and Houston Garden Club in her spare time. Elsie also became interested in sewing and made a lot of her girls’ clothes over the years.

Elsie and George moved their family to McKinney Texas after he accepted the position of Director of the McKinney Job Corps Center for Women in 1966. The family became members of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church shortly after their move from Houston. Over the years, Elsie served on the Altar Guild, sang in the adult choir, helped with the fruit cake project each year, played piano for Vacation Bible School and for adult choir, helped with the Out Reach Project for Holy Family Church, played in the hand bells choir, directed the children’s choir, participated in Dinner Couples, and was substitute organist when needed.

While George was busy starting up and working at the Job Corps Center, Elsie was very busy at home cooking, taking care of the children, trying to find the family dachshund Gretchen who loved to explore the open fields of the Job Corp Center and chase rabbits, and also sewing when time permitted. She shuttled her children to sports events, music lessons, boy scouts, back and forth in the summer to her brother’s house in Ft. Worth, and EYC meetings at the church. The times that George hosted out-of-town Job Corps personnel, she cooked and was always a gracious hostess even if she had only half an hour’s notice.

Elsie was also a member of McKinney’s Edelweiss-Tyrolese Club as well as the Monthly Book Review Club. She served as president of Edelweiss-Tyrolese during 1998-99.

When George became a member of the McKinney Rotary Club, Elsie also became the club’s pianist for their meetings. Elsie was also awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship plus stood by George’s side when he was Rotary District Governor in North Texas. Together they traveled to other North Texas Rotary Clubs in his district and also traveled overseas to Mexico, Canada, France and Puerto Rico representing Rotary International. They also provided room and board in their home for other visiting Rotary International delegates while George was in Rotary.

For several years after her children grew up, Elsie also taught private piano and voice lessons in her home. She taught all age groups and had annual recitals every year she taught.

Elsie was a loving, hard-working, smart, compassionate, empathetic, religious and humble woman who was given the gift of music at a very early age. She always put everyone else’s needs before her own, and was a superb role model for her children, grandchildren and students. She was loved, liked and admired by the many people in her various circles.

Her next of kin include Karolynn and Ralph Sawyer, Christopher Sawyer, George and Cindy Kadera Jr., Katelynn Kadera, Frances Vaughan, Justin Vaughan, Jordan Vaughan, Alisha and John Grubbs, Johnny Grubbs, Sarah Grubbs, Alana and Roy Peters, Courtney and Joe ­­­­­Pymell, Zach Grubbs, sister-in-law Pauline Dvorak, plus six great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for Elsie will be held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in McKinney, Texas on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 1:00PM. Instead of flowers, the family would appreciate contributions to the new organ fund for St. Peters Episcopal Church.