Joe Morgan Wittenburg

Joe Morgan Wittenburg passed away peacefully and in the company of his family on April 28, 2018, at his home in Fredericksburg – a day after turning 86 and less than a month shy of his 66th wedding anniversary. Joe was born on April 27, 1932, near Lometa at the ranch of his parents, Joseph Leslie and Gladys Faubion Wittenburg. As an only child raised by his widowed mother, Joe grew up learning the family business of sheep and cattle ranching, a heritage begun by his great grandfather, William Mark Wittenburg. He attended Lometa ISD, playing sports while he also took on the adult duty of helping his mother maintain the family ranch. Upon graduation in 1949, he embarked upon a most significant relationship by entering Texas A&M University. He remained an Aggie loyalist, sporting a maroon cap into his final days. In 1952, Joe made the best decision and solidified the most important relationship of his life by marrying his high school sweetheart, Ruthy Gripon of Lampasas. In 1953, Joe entered the Army and was sent to Europe. Ruthy joined him, and they spent 18 months in Germany. Upon Joe’s discharge as a corporal, the couple, both of whom were only children, returned to fulfill their dream of running the family ranch and building a large family. And that they did, being blessed with five children. Though Joe continually served on school, water and many local and county boards and committees, that involvement never prevented him from attending his kids’ activities; he was, and remained until death, the #1 fan of his children – and of Ruthy. His kids and grandchildren were charmed by the enduring flirtatious manner shared by their parents, all the way until the end of his life. Joe was also dedicated to his faith, quietly supporting Good Shepherd Catholic Church and faithfully attending services until his health prevented him from doing so.   Besides his family, faith and the Aggies, Joe’s passion was ranching; he was one of the last of the true-blue cowboys. He possessed a genuine love for the land and the cultivation of high quality livestock, wildlife, grass varieties and crops, and he was repeatedly honored for his success in these areas. Further proof of Joe’s dedication to ranching was the family’s recognition by the Texas Land Heritage Program as owners of land in continuous agricultural operation by the same family for 100 years. Though he was dedicated to his vocational pursuit, he also enjoyed annual summer vacations with his family, usually in the western United States and mountainous territory. When Joe and Ruthy’s last child left for college, they fulfilled yet another lifelong dream of buying a house in Ruidoso, New Mexico, where he stopped long enough to smell the roses to take up golf, a sport at which he excelled. Most important to Joe was character; he had high expectations of himself, his children and those with whom he interacted and worked. He approached all matters with directness, an ethical lens and an eye toward always doing what was right –even if it wasn’t easy. Though he frequently presented a rugged exterior, those who knew him best knew that he was incredibly soft-hearted toward all human and animal kind. And he loved to tell stories. With brilliant blue eyes that were both piercing and twinkling and using his dry sense of humor and deep, booming voice, Joe could tell the same tale – usually about his or his kids’ youthful shenanigans – over and over, captivating his audience and culminating with shrieks of laughter, including his own, which his grandkids say was deep and loud, like thunder. Joe is survived by his wife, Ruthy, of Lometa; daughters Donna Wittenburg and granddaughter Laura Beth Hicks of Fredericksburg; Leslie Spraggins and husband Kevin Spraggins and grandchildren Lauren, Grayson and Aidan of Fredericksburg; Michelle Wittenburg of Austin; son Alex Wittenburg and wife Rita and granddaughters Kenda and Brynn of Lampasas and granddaughter Leyna Brewer and her husband, Tim, of Granbury; granddaughters Kristen Wittenburg and great grandson, Ellis, of Ft. Worth; and Tara Garnett and husband Jeff and great grandsons Jackman and Wyatt of Granbury; daughter-in-law Cindy Wittenburg and grandsons Caleb, Josh and Matthew of El Paso; and his large extended Wittenburg family. He is predeceased by his parents and his eldest son, David Kirk Wittenburg. The family extends its most sincere gratitude to Joe’s attentive primary care physician, Dr. John Ramsay, and the dedicated and compassionate professional teams at Hill Country Memorial Hospice and Fredericksburg Home Care. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, May 2, from 530-730 pm at Sneed Funeral Chapel, 201 E. 3rd St. in Lampasas with funeral services on Thursday, May 3, at 10 am at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 411 W. Main St. in Lometa. Burial will follow at Senterfitt Cemetery, 4746 CR 1436 in Lometa. In lieu of flowers, the Wittenburg family asks for donations to the charity of your choice.