Joe Hernandez

Joe Hernandez, 92. Our beloved husband, dad, granddad and great granddad passed away on November 23, 2018.

Vigil and Rosary services will be 6:00 PM, Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church with Rev. Francisco Perez, officiating. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors.

Joe Hernandez was born June 6, 1926 to Baltazar and Maria Hernandez  in Clovis, New Mexico and died at 92 years of age in the wee hours of the morning on November 23, 2018 in Keller, Texas.

Joe attended Pampa Senior High and graduated in 1944. He joined the US Army on September 5, 1944 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and trained in Mineral Wells; he was honorably discharged on June 30, 1946 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

He was recuperating in a hospital in Paris, France for about a month from wounds received in battle (including German shrapnel which was left in his calf) when he was sent back to the line as one of the replacements for the many dead and wounded during the Battle of the Bulge. He was in Company K, 311th Infantry, Lightning Division. He had many stories to tell about joining the 78th at Schmidt, Belgium and recalls they marched up to 20 miles a day.

His brother Ramon says that Joe marched all the way to Berlin and met and talked to the Russians after the Rhineland Central Europe campaign.

For a few of his many war stories, read an interview of Joe with details of receiving a Bronze Star 67 years later; there are also pictures of Joe. See the article in the Amarillo Globe News on March 10, 2013 at https://www.amarillo.com/news/local-news/2013-03-10/.UT4Q3wK6Z1E.

He received a Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Stars, Army of Occupation Ribbon (Germany), Overseas Service Bar, Victory Ribbon and other honors.

After returning from the war, Joe worked for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, AR Macias Company and the United States Postal Service. He retired from the Post Office after 20 years of service as a letter carrier. During much of this time, he was the successful steward of the union.

Joe married Eblan Macias on August 31, 1952, they had 4 children, at the time of his death, they had 9 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and a great grandchild on the way.

He loved his family, talking, fishing, reading, history, poetry, working on the car and the house, classic movies, Frank Sinatra, the Dallas Cowboys, boxer dogs, and Joe was a whiz at billiards.

Survivors include his wife, Eblan Hernandez, his two daughters, Mary Goodier and husband Glen of Hempstead and Monica Morrison of Houston; two sons, James Hernandez and wife Susanne of Ft. Worth and George Hernandez and wife Darla of Ft. Worth; and his 3 brothers and 4 sisters.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, 3 brothers and 4 sisters.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Joe's name to The Alzheimer's Association, National Headquarters, 225 N. Michigan Ave. Fl. 17 Chicago, Illinois 60601. Save the Children 501 Kings Hwy E. #400, Fairfield, CT 06825 or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 2200 Broening Hwy #125, Baltimore, MD 21224.