Carol Harper

Carol Jean (Hackemack) Harper, age 81, beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, died June 17, 2021 in Plano, Texas.

A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 25, 2021 in the Zion Lutheran Church, Zionsville (Brenham), Texas with Pastor Karen Buck officiating.  A memorial lunch reception will follow after the service at La Bahia Turn Verein hosted by the family. Interment is planned for a future date in La Bahia Cemetery near her beloved parents, grandparents, and other relatives.

Carol was born September 24, 1939 at the Eichler farm near Round Top, Texas to Robert E.L. and Violet C. (Eichler) Hackemack.  She was baptized in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Round Top by Reverend Walter Kralik.  Her sponsors were Bernice Eichler (aunt), Perlie Hackemack (aunt), Reginald and Alice Hackemack (uncle and aunt), and Herbert and Alpha Eichler (uncle and aunt).  She was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church, Zionsville (Brenham), Texas on Palm Sunday, 1954 by the Reverend Richard J Weber.

Carol grew up among four generations of family in a community of mainly German descent, speaking German in her home and in town (if all in the group could understand). She knew her cousins well through nearly weekly gatherings of local relatives for birthdays and other milestone events. These contacts and Carol’s favorite pursuits of reading and travel assisted her extensive work in genealogy and family history.

Carol’s education started in Round Top-Carmine elementary school.  At Brenham High School she was an Honor graduate, yearbook editor, and on the pep squad.  She was on the debate team and graduated Salutatorian from Blinn College.  Then received a BA in mathematics from UT Austin and completed coursework for a Masters in Computing Science from Texas A&M. A lifelong learner, Carol also completed coursework at various institutions to support her career.

Carol worked as an EDP Analyst at Humble Oil Co. (later Exxon), then with Wolf Research and Development (NASA Clearlake, School of Aerospace Medicine in San Antonio, and General Dynamics - Electric Boat in Groton, CT) as a Computer Programmer, IBM as a Systems Engineer, Texas A&M as a Programmer/Analyst, EG&G Idaho as a Programmer/Analyst, and EDS as a Technical Auditor and Mainframe Systems Programmer.

Carol was preceded in death by her brother, Rudy Wayne Hackemack.

She is survived by her children - Elise Harper and husband James Andrew (Andy) St. John; Henry Harper, III and wife Shannon O’Connor; Laura Harper Dittlinger and husband Gregory (Greg) Dittlinger; her grandchildren – Allison, Brian, Charles, and David St. John; Jacob and Violet Dittlinger; her sister – Donna Bryant; niece, nephew, great nephew; and many wonderful cousins of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and nth degree!

Honorary pallbearers: Kristen Bryant Slone, Gary Hackemack, Michael Hackemack, Lauren Jancik Jones, Trey Bowman, Thomas Scheltema

Memorial Contributions may be directed to Blinn College Foundation in memory of Carol Jean Hackemack.   https://foundation.blinn.edu/pages/general-donation-form

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Memorial Oaks Chapel, 1306 West Main Street, Brenham, Texas 77833.  To post a tribute to the family, visit www.memorialoakschapel.com.