Ann Hosek Tepera Zalesky

Ann Hosek Tepera Zalesky, 99, of Cameron died Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016 at a Houston hospice facility.

A rosary will be recited Saturday, Aug. 13, at 9 a.m. prior to mass at St. Monica’s Catholic Church.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Cameron with Rev. Dimitrij Colankin officiating. Burial will follow in the Ss. Cyril & Methodius Cemetery in Marak.

After the burial, lunch will be served at Simon George Memorial Hall on St. Monica’s site in Cameron.

Anna Hosek Tepera Zalesky was born July 26, 1917, in Milam County in an area known as “Little Hills” between Marak and Pettibone, Texas, south of Big Elm Creek. Her parents were Joseph Hosek and Anna Hosek Krejci.

Her siblings were Milton Hosek April 21, 1914 - Dec. 23, 1999; Vera Hosek Feb. 1 or 2 1916 - Feb.9, 1945; Josey (Josephine) Fojtik March 5, 1919 - Nov. 14, 2008; Alex (Alexander) Hosek Feb. 26, 1921 - Sept.2011; Louis Hosek July 28, 1922 - July 3, 1925; Joe Hosek  Feb 8, 1925 - March 18,1990; Louise (Mary Louise) Zachary July 22, 1927 - July 15, 1998; Jerry Hosek  Aug. 15, 1931; and Agnes Herschbach, April 21, 1933.

She worked on the cotton farm, along with the other members of the family. She told stories of when she and her sister Josie set out one day to each pick 200 pounds of cotton to match the load picked by their father and brother, Milton. The family moved off the farm to Cameron on Jan. 1, 1945.

Anna married Ben Tepera in 1936 and this marriage resulted in four children, Ben Jr., Daniel, then Aline Joyce, who sadly passed away on June 19, 1943; and last, but not least, Dolores, “Dolly.” Sadly, Dolly passed away in June 2009.

To care for her children alone, she started working in 1948 at Acme Steam Laundry, owned by Raymond Sharp. The work was very hard but with this meager salary, she raised her children alone with no help from anyone, but The Almighty God.

A devout Catholic, she was a member of Saint Monica’s Catholic Church in Cameron since 1945. All through the years, she made sure her children were always in church. Always on Sunday, and most Holy Days, when mass would be offered.

After her children moved away from home to begin their own families, she married Emil Zalesky on June 15, 1966. Emil was in partnership with his uncle, Joe Biskup, in owning and working at the Biskup-Zalesky Blacksmith Shop in Cameron. Emil passed on May 10, 2001.

Her children helped her continue to live in her home from that time until last year, when she moved to Houston to live with her son.

In addition to her two daughters, Dolores Tepera Malone and Aline Joyce Tepera, she was preceded in death by six brothers and sisters.

She is survived by sons Ben Tepera, Jr. of Baytown and Daniel Tepera of Houston; stepdaughter Dolores Zalesky Fisher of Houston; brother, Jerry Hosek of Rockdale; sister, Agnes Hosek Hershbach of Corpus Christi; seven grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.